|
Interview with Latium/Universal
Recording artist Natalie. Her new album Everything New
is in stores now.
There are a lot of pop/dance kind of songs on the album.
What inspired you to make those songs?
Natalie-My history is
a very big part dancing. I was just going with the flow
but when I'm getting ready to record a CD I don't think
about what direction I'm going or what kind of music I
want to make. I just get in there and if I hear a beat
I like I write to it. Like "Dance With Me,"
that was produced by Bloodshy and Avant and they did "Toxic"
for Britney Spears. I didn't know that till way later
when I wrote the song. So when I received that track it
was very different for me and I was like "Man, I
really like this record and its fun to dance to and here's
what I want to sing." With songs like that and "Slow
Dance," its all about being in the club and hearing
a feel good song that makes you want to move. I don't
think to much about what I want to say because I limit
myself. I just kind of go with the flow and let the words
come out the way that they do.
One of my favorite songs is "What You Gonna Do?"
featuring Bun B. How did you hook up with him for that
song?
Natalie-That's
my favorite too. "What You Gonna Do?" was actually
produced by Play N Skillz who have a background and good
relationship with Bun B being that Play n Skillz produced
some of UGK's tracks from and I've ran into Bun B a couple
of times since we are both from Houston and I ran into
them a couple of times at a studio out here. Once I recorded
the track "What You Gonna Do?" I personally
told Play that I wanted a rapper on this. I really want
Bun B on this record because I could hear him on it. Once
I recorded the song in Dallas and Play called Bun right
there on the spot and was like "I just did this song
with Nat, I want you to check it out and she wants you
on it." As humble and down to Earth as he is, he
heard the track and two days later he was on it. That's
kind of how that all came together.
One thing that you do on the album is you rap on the song
"Everything New." Have you been rapping long?
Natalie-That is actually
how I made my name out here in Houston. I was doing mix
tapes. I had joined a Screw type of clique. That's very
big out here in Houston. I was kind of like one of the
only underground female rap artists on mix tapes here
in Houston. I was going into a freestyle circle in Dallas
after dancing for an artist, because I was also a dancer.
Charles Chavez of Latium Entertainment, the label I'm
on now, he heard me back in 2000. To make a long story
short, I was dancing for the Houston Rockets and he knew
I could rap and he knew I was a writer and eventually
a singer and here I am. The whole rapping thing was what
kind of brought me into this industry and I can't forget.
"Everything New," the track Happy Perez gave
me for the title cut I heard it and said "I have
to rap on it," I can't even hear myself singing on
it I have to spit, its in my blood. As a freestyler, I
think that's a gift and I think it adds to my versatility
as an artist and I think it makes my writing style different
because I still write like a rapper. My verses are very
melodic and like I'm still trying to rap whenever I sing
so I think it just adds.
What led you to follow up your debut album so soon?
Natalie-You know again
just going back to the everything is timing thing and
there is a reason for everything. I'm just addicted to
the studio and I love being in the studio. I think after
the tour I was on last year and promoting the last album
I eventually got into the studio again on my own so I
probably took about two months off but in that time I
did a like of writing. Actually, "My Candy,"
was one of the first songs I wrote for Everything New.
It was actually me getting in touch with a friend Russell
Reid who produced the track and we both had time off and
I was like "I want some tracks I want to get into
the studio," it was actually "My Candy,"
the first song I recorded, I sent it to Charles Chavez
who is my manager and then from there he was like "I
really like this song do you want to get into the studio,
you want us to get the budget approved." I went into
the studio for three months and then I had another album
out so it went kind of quickly. I don't like to take breaks.
I want to keep at it and keep working. It all kind of
happened on its own it was never planned to say "Oh
I'm going to take a year off and then release another
album," it was just like "Go, go, go."
Did you have any hesitancy about dropping the album
without a huge first single? With the first album you
had that huge single with "Goin' Crazy," so
did you just want to get the album out and then work it?
Natalie-You know what
happened with the situation is "What You Gonna Do?"
was the first single off of this new album and being that
record labels and a lot of stuff that happens behind the
scenes that people don't know about this music industry
its really hard and not everybody is guaranteed a hit
single or better yet a next album because this time I
was like "Whoa what's going to happen?"
Last year, "Goin' Crazy," was a really big song
for me and it still is and that's a blessing. I was like
"What am I going to do?" I'm not going to lie
and say I wasn't worried. I was like "What am I going
to do this song isn't moving as fast as "Goin' Crazy,"
but you know it was a blessing enough to have "What
You Gonna Do?" on the radio and to do what it did.
I thought, "Hey, this was a good set up record,"
and that's what me and the label are calling it. This
is a good set up record to let people know I'm back out
with Play N Skillz and Bun B. I think it opened up the
doors a little bit. Natalie is back and she never really
left and actually it gained a different crowd for me as
far as fans go so I just gained more fans in the process.
The song wasn't a "Goin' Crazy," song and it
was still on the radio and hit the charts. It didn't do
as good as "Goin' Crazy" but now I have a second
album out. A big hit does help album sales but you gain
fans and thankfully the fans are going out buying the
album after finding out that its out.
Better to have a second album out than a hot single and
an album that doesn't come out.
Natalie-I know
right.
It happens. Do you have any plans to tour or promotion
plans for the holidays?
Natalie-Yeah we are
going to be doing a couple of Christmas shows for radio
which is always good and that's jumping on a bill with
other major artists on radio and of course I'm doing club
gigs and I'm always out there finding ways to promote
myself and the album. I just got off of a Simon Mall Tour
which allowed me to go to different malls in seven different
markets with other artists and promote that way. That's
something that I had never done before and it was an experience
and it was so fun. If any tours were coming up I think
something is coming up with some of my new label mates.
You have such a huge fan base. In between albums do you
ever try to keep in touch with your fans like on Myspace
or anything?
Natalie-I actually
have an official fan site that I named my official fan
site. A young woman by the name of Carmen out in San Jose,
California started this fan site. Every now and then I
will do questions for them or I will talk to them. This
is like my fan site so I keep in touch with her and let
her know what is going on with me. She has the email addresses
and phone numbers to the label to basically ask me a question
anytime she wants so I like to stay in touch with her
and the fans. I talk to my fans on Myspace. It gets hard
sometimes and its really time consuming but I really take
the time out to talk to them and let them know what's
going on so I wouldn't be here if it weren't for the fans.
I was looking out for you. I got JoJo, and Dj Webstar,
I was like "I'm waiting for Natalie."
Natalie-Thank
you so much, I appreciate that.
You have a really amazing fan base for a new artist.
Natalie-And I'm so
grateful. I mean I know people were telling me. I know
with "Goin' Crazy," I write from my heart all
the time. So to know other people are going through the
same thing it touches me. I'm even honored that I have
the writing ability to touch people because I definitely
have some fans.
I really like the photography on the album. What photographer
shot the cover art?
Natalie-I actually
searched and searched and went through all kind of photographers
and I eventually found Mark Liddell who shot like people
from Ashley Simpson to pop art. I just liked his photography.
His name is Mark Liddell, he's out of LA and we shot the
photos in LA and he's a great photographer and he was
so nice. Obviously sex sells and a lot of people think
you have to show this or show that to be sexy and he was
just so respectful of everything and he was like "Everything
is about the look in your eyes," and he made me feel
comfortable. Thankfully, the photos came out hot, I love
them.
What was it about "Love You So," that made
you choose it as the next single?
Natalie-Going back
to labels, that was a decision. I love that song, it was
the first time I sat down with a co-writer by the name
of Ryan Sutter whose produced for some big pop acts. That's
another song that is very different for me. I think, although
I do have pop songs on this album that song is left pop
from everything I've done I my musical career thus far.
It was a song done after the album was finished due to
the fact that it's a hidden track on the record. It was
a consensus of the record labels coming together saying
this is the second single and here it is.
Speaking of bonus tracks, what was it that made you include
another version of "Goin'Crazy" on the CD?
Natalie-"Goin'
Crazy" honestly is a song that put me on the map.
It's a dear song to me even to this day. I close my show
with that song. People get teary eyed, they hold up the
phone to let their friends hear it. With Myspace being
so big for artists, a lot of people for the first time
were hearing that song on my Myspace. I know that song
was a big song for me last year, some people are hearing
it for the first time so we thought, "Why not just
slip it on the new album." People are still downloading
it and requesting it at radio let's get it on this album
and give it back to the fans one more time.
Natalie's Sophomore Album Everything
New is in stores now!
http://www.nataliemusic.com/
http://www.myspace.com/nataliemusic
Natalie interview copyright Dorrie
Williams-Wheeler, and Thabiz.com 2006
Dorrie Williams-Wheeler is the author of Be
My Sorority Sister Under Pressure and the Unplanned
Pregnancy Book for Teens and College Students. She is
the founder of Thabiz.com
and Imissthe80s.com
and writes for the Rap,
Teen, and 1980s
section at Bellaonline.com. She is an ASCAP member as a
writer and a publisher. Please contact Dorrie for advertising
inquiries, lyric writing inquiries, reprint rights,
paying
entertainment jobs, or general comments.
Visit Dorrie on the web at www.sparkledoll.com
or add her as a friend at MYSPACE.
Natalie interview
may not be reprinted, copied or distribute without permission.
You may link to this interview.Interview copyright Dorrie
Williams-Wheeler, thabiz.com October 2006.
|
