INTRO BY KAT VISTI
INTERVIEW BY LEAH FRENCH
PHOTO COURTESY OF NYC MUSIC MANAGEMENT
Natalie Claro is a singer who got a big start in the music industry in 2015 when she performed at the Hard Rock Cafe's Acoustic Music Festival. Since then she's gained a mass following across the East Coast. She's known as the "small girl with a big voice," and has been compared to artists such as Amy Winehouse and Hayley Williams. We recently sat down with Natalie to hear more about her music and inspirations!
Can you describe the feeling you get when you’re up on stage performing in front of a large audience?
NATALIE: Hype. Just straight and complete hype. I’ve never been one of those teenagers who drink and use drugs so it’s the closest to being high I’ll be able to ever feel. It’s weird, the bigger the crowd the less nervous I am. Small crowds give me an awkward and lacking sensation, while full rooms of cheers amplify my desire to put on a real show. I feed off the audience.
Where do you draw inspiration from when writing new music?
NATALIE: Every song I write fits into its own little genre. I pull general inspiration from artists I look up to but each song on its own just kind of creates its own path.
What can listeners expect from your new EP being released this Fall?
NATALIE: A lot of style diversity and lyrics ready to be interpreted to pieces.
What artists inspire you?
NATALIE: This is something I always go way too much into detail with, because my inspirations are very specific. With each age and phase in my life different artists have inspired me in SO many different ways. Michael Jackson made me like to sing when I was 9. Seeing Paramore when I was 14 punched me in the soul and made me want to perform. Kanye West, Billy Joel, Queen, and Zella Day helped me write and succeed when I was 15. Twenty One Pilots influenced me to be unique. The music industry is a crazy place. I just watch these artists with so much awe, I don’t know who I’d be without studying them. I respect them all whether I like their music or not.
PHOTO COURTESY OF NYC MUSIC MANAGEMENT
Where would you like to perform in the future?
NATALIE: Madison Square Garden and House of Blues. One day.
What’s your favorite song off your EP?
NATALIE: How dare you ask a mother to pick her favorite child? Just kidding, it’s a fantastic question; I just have no clue how to answer. They all hold a special place of importance to me.
If your life was a song, what song would it be?
NATALIE: Lane Boy by Twenty One Pilots and Under Cover of Darkness by The Strokes if it means what I think it means. Oh, oh, and Teenagers by My Chemical Romance.
What does it feel to be compared to artists like Hayley Williams, Twenty One Pilots, and Amy Winehouse?
NATALIE: HONORED! Like, Amy Winehouse wow. Twenty One Pilots is my favorite band (if it’s not obvious by now, whoops) and Hayley Williams has the most kick*ss vocals ever. She’s a great performer.
How do you make your music/style unique?
NATALIE: I decided one day that I’m just going to do whatever I want. Sometimes I’d be at a crossroad to make a decision, but having a doubt of whether or not it would be “cool” made me change my mind. Being in high school really pressured me that way. But now that I’m homeschooled and graduating early, I have the freedom of not having to worry about fitting in. Something I frequently find myself saying is, “this is really weird, but whatever, I do what I want.” I wear black lipstick all the time and own shirts with rainbows or weird patterns on them and I write anything I want how I want without any regards to whether it’s “normal” or not. It feels great and I wish I were this way sooner. I encourage anyone reading this to try it.
Where has been your favorite place to perform so far?
NATALIE: Something about the venue BackBooth in Orlando, Florida is so pleasant. I’ve done two shows there and both times the energy was just positive and cozy. That and performing with The Aquadolls was one of the most rewarding concerts I’ve ever done.
PHOTO COURTESY OF NYC MUSIC MANAGEMENT
If you would accompany any artist on tour, who would it be and why?
NATALIE: I want to say my favorite band, (because man do they know how to put on a show) but for some reason I’ve also always had this unbreakable desire to share a lineup with Manchester Orchestra. Their music is just WOW. I feel like we share a similarity in certain songs I have and I really think it’d be a good mix. Dream come true would be to perform their song Virgin with them.