INTRO BY MADDEN LEVIN
INTERVIEW BY CAMI LIBERTY
PHOTO BY BRANDON SHOWERS
Country music is lucky to have this next artist taking the genre by storm. Natalie Alexander’s debut single, Cruel, along with her debut self-titled EP, were released during the summer, making them perfect songs to listen to to reminiscence on happy times with happy tunes! In our interview with Natalie we talked about what initially inspired her love for music and more! Be sure to take her word for it and follow her on all social media to find out more about the lovely lady that is Natalie Alexander.
What inspired you to start making music?
NATALIE: "I have loved music my whole life, partially because I grew up in such a musical family. I began playing piano when I was eight. Being involved in managing my brother's band inspired me to start pursuing music professionally myself."
How would you describe your music style?
NATALIE: "My music primarily falls into the country genre, although my single Cruel definitely has some pop elements. I'm looking to explore more of the pop-country cross genre, but I love a traditional country sound!"
Where do you take most inspiration from when creating music?
NATALIE: "My own life. While it's easy to draw from my own experiences because I know myself best, it's also difficult because I'm so close to it. I think it's that push and pull that makes music so compelling because the artist is able to make listeners feel in that emotion with them which can be a really special experience."
You recently released your self-titled EP – can you tell us a little about what the process was like creating it?
NATALIE: "I recorded it over a weekend last December. It was my first time in a studio so it was such a huge learning experience for me, but I really enjoyed watching the project evolve from start to finish. I'm really proud of what we created and I feel so fortunate that people love it as much as I do."
Of the songs on the EP, which would you say best represents you as an artist?
NATALIE: "I think Cruel is probably the most reflective of my style as an artist. I wanted the EP to be a sampling of what I'm capable of, but Cruel reflects who I am as both a person and an artist. It has a message that stand behind while being fun and loud. It's the kind of song you belt out while you're driving down the freeway with the windows rolled down."
Your second single I Don’t Want To Catch My Breath has started to gain some attention from major country radio stations – how did it feel when you first found this out?
NATALIE: "I couldn't believe it! It amazes me how well people have taken to the EP, particularly I Don't Want to Catch My Breath and Cruel. That song has also been playing in huge retail chains which has been so fun for me. I heard it in Best Buy recently which was really cool."
If you could collaborate with anybody, who would it be and why?
NATALIE: "Brett Young. I really want to work with a male artist because I love male and female voices together! His EP is amazing."
Is there anything we can expect from you in the near future?
NATALIE: "Performing and writing more music! I'm really excited for what's ahead. Be sure to follow me on Instagram @nataliealexandermusic, Twitter @nataliemusic, and like my fan page on Facebook so we can stay connected and I can keep you updated on everything I'm doing!"