Natalie Shay
Monday 5th April 2021
Photographed by Owen James Vincent
Words by Pankhuri Bhutani
Hailing from North London, Natalie Shay is a 22 year old indie pop/rock artist who has successfully established an ever-growing presence and a loyal fanbase through her phenomenal music. She has presently transformed into one of the UK’s hottest emerging talents!
She recently released her new EP titled ‘NAKED’. The EP is a five-track project that gives a glimpse into the everyday experiences of the musician and her life as a young artist. The EP which was well received by her fans and supporters from all around the world, can be currently accessed on all streaming platforms.
In order to discuss more about the creative process behind the EP and the upcoming plans she holds for her music, Natalie recently took out some of her time to talk to ReVamp Magazine.
Hi there Natalie. Thank you for joining us on ReVamp! How is 2021 treating you so far? Has the lockdown been challenging for you or has it given you more time and freedom to work on your music?
Great to talk to you! 2021 has been great so far, things are slowly opening up and starting to feel so positive... been in the studio for several weeks now and can't wait for Summer! Lockdown has felt like both the longest and the shortest experience of my life - it's a great servant but a terrible master in that sense, you have to make the effort to do and experience things instead of just waiting for life to come to you. That's definitely been the biggest challenge, but there's freedom in that too.
What was the scene of music like for you as a child? Did you always wish to become a professional artist or was music something that you initially perceived as a personal passion?
Growing up in London, there was literally every genre of music on my doorstep and the sheer number of gigs meant I was exposed to such a wide range of artists and clubs that it just felt so natural to dip my toe. I've been playing classical guitar and doing musical theatre since i was 5, I started the whole singer/ songwriter thing around aged 11 and began gigging aged 13.
Your recently released your phenomenal new EP “NAKED”. How has the response been on the EP so far?
I was totally blown away by the response - I was so nervous putting out my first proper release during lockdown but it got a ton of streams and led to so many interesting conversations and interactions.
If you could have the opportunity to collaborate with any one favorite artist of yours on your music, who would you choose?
Gary Lightbody - legend. Snow Patrol lead singer.
What is the one thing that you wish your listeners knew about you as a person that they might not learn while listening to your tracks?
Theatre and musicals! I am super into musical theatre, musicals like The Last 5 Years were such a big influence on how I shape lyrics and deliver them. I like to think there's a theatrical undertone to everything I create.
I know everything is extremely uncertain at the moment but do you have any plans for performing virtual or live shows for your fans this year?
Yeah, I'm waiting on a few things to be confirmed before I can talk about them - but can announce a socially-distanced headline at London Oslo on 17th June! My forever delayed headline gig at Camden Assembly that was originally slated for April 2020 will hopefully-definitely-maybe-for-sure go ahead on 25th Nov. Everyone who comes is guaranteed clear skin and a good karma for the rest of 2021.
Where do you garner your major influences from? Is there any one style or type of music that you believe has transformed into your personal comfort zone?
Major influences would probably be Taylor Swift (obvs), Fickle Friends, The Vaccines, Haim and Little Comets. In terms of personal comfort zone, 80s production is definitely something I return to again and again, so sharp yet sweetly nostalgic without being saccharine - I love filtering shades of that through my songs, especially the upcoming EP.
What’s next for you Natalie? Any plans on your upcoming projects/collaborations that you would like to hint your fans about?
New EP. New gigs. New newness. Dropping an absolute hot badger called 'Rapture' with DJ Kryder on 30th April. After that, a couple more loosies before my next EP. Which has already been called one of the greatest pieces of recorded music in human history. By my dad lol.
Lastly, is there any message that you would like to convey to your supporters from around the world?
No message per se. But I'd like to think in some small way I might encourage girls to pick up guitars and make music. There's a whole world out there, don't be scared, shoot your shot. Know your worth and be kool.
You can check out Natalie's latest music video for 'Naked' here...