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Natalie Brown

Natalie first up loaded her music to the web in 1997 and began promoting to the world, her music and personality. 65,000 plus listens, and an overwhelming busy fan site, and she has successfully staked her claim. Her songs are thoughtful and exposing. In the spirit of the great R&B and Soul singers of our time, Natalie's voice soars amongst the best. With songs like "You Gotta Believe", it is apparent she has much more than her muse to offer. I chatted with her one evening after dinner....

Mb: Hi Natalie
Natalie: Hi!!
Mb: We've made contact!
Natalie: Resistance is futile....LOL
Mb: lol.. Do you like technology?
Natalie: Yes, I love it except when I have to debug it or fix it. Then I get frustrated.
Mb: So tell me about yourself. What makes you tick?
Natalie: I have many things that make me tick. Where should we start?
Mb: Anywhere you'd like. What's most important to you?
Natalie: Well, music is my fuel. It is my passion. What's most important to me varies. Right now I think it is finding out who I am and trying to make sense of the life I have lived. I am finding these things out through music and creative things right now. But, there are many important things to me. Other people are very important. I care a lot about people.
Mb: So have you made any sense of life?
Natalie: LOL- I am still trying to. The last 5 years of my life have been such a roller coaster and I think I am still trying to make sense of it. Things I thought were my ideal aren't any more, things I thought I wanted, I don't anymore. My whole mentality is shifting. Things have changed with my personal life, my music, my beliefs. All fundamental core things, and it's sort of like, I am embarking on a new life and it's interesting to do this in your mid-20's. I suppose it comes from a lack of having a childhood and my teenage years didn't really happen. I grew up really fast. So now I am stepping back, and trying to put the pieces together. Does this make any sense?? LOL But I feel like I am finally coming into my own, finally figuring out what I like and how I want life to be; music, writing, creating, and finally feeling a sense of freedom is allowing me to do this.
Mb: How long have you been singing?
natalie: Well, I have always sung. But I turned pro when I was 19. Before that I did community choirs, theatre, church and then I was in ministry for about 6 years doing youth events and things like that. I actually studied to become a teacher and went to university for that. But, I became very unsatisfied and took the leap of quitting all that to pursue music full time at 22, later than most I suppose. I spent 2 years in a self imposed crash course in the music business and never started doing demos until 1997. Then I realized that demos were not the way to go. I should go back though; I did CCM/Gospel before I went mainstream, but after one tour in the Christian field I knew that was not for me. That was 1996. So in 1997 I started doing some songs and realized it would be tough for me to go where I wanted to with my art and vision if I signed to a major. So, I shopped for investors and indie deals. My first indie deal turned out to be a nightmare. But out of the ashes rose "Let The Candle Burn". So, here I am.....
Mb: Where's that? Where do you feel yo are today?
Natalie: Well, released one album, did a great job promoting it and getting a good base set for myself, and now I am working on my second project. Today I am much wiser and i realize what I have to do to achieve the goals I have for myself. I need another record, need to keep soundscanning and building a good following and hopefully armed with all that I can get a P&D from a major or something comparable. But I don't think a label would sign me the way I am, it's too much of a risk on many levels. They want finished and proven product, and I still have a lot to do to prove myself as an artist, especially as a white artist trying to do legitimate R&B. The next record is more in the R&B/Soul/Urban vein than the last one. It's more organic and more rooted in where I came from musically. "Let The Candle Burn" was my introduction, and now I have evolved on many levels and am going to show that on the new record. I hope to keep evolving with each successive one.
Mb: Your songs seem very personal. Do you think that's an asset or liability with the labels?
Natalie: Well, it can be both. They come from a very personal part of me, so the sincerity is there and nothing is contrived. But labels, I think tend to want a proven track record and they still see me as "developing". In my opinion, no one knows what a "hit" is.. If they did we could all copy the formula and recreate it. To me the important thing is to connect with people on that very basic emotional level that says, "this is my story. I bet some of it is yours too Lets tell it and experience it together." It always blesses me when someone writes to me and shares how a song affected them, or that they feel as though I was writing about their life. It amazes me how similar we are when it gets right down to it. I respect that labels are businesses, and of course I understand this.. but my songs are about life, people, feelings, reactions, thoughts. I think less about what market they will cover, than if I think it will speak to someone on a certain level. My lyrics are very important to me. That's one of the things that has irritated me when "majors" have approached me. That is one of the things they want to change and I just can not do that. That is part of me. The lyric writing and the music making. There is no point in what I do if I can not create these things. The funny thing is I see the reaction of people to the songs.... and I know people can relate. So when a major says they want people to "write hits for me", well I just get this awful feeling in the pit of my stomach and it turns me off
Mb: I have a feeling you have a lot to say.
Natalie: LOL, Yes. Sometimes I say too much... ;)
Mb: No such thing.
natalie: LOL, well glad you think so. Its nice to communicate and share ideas and opinions. But some people would rather I shut up, look pretty and sing. That is SO not me!
Mb: You have a very busy website. Is the web important to you?
Natalie: Yes the web has been an integral part of my career. I first got online in 1997 and have used the web to do a lot of great things. It is a wonderful thing in many ways. Plus I like to keep my site current and put lots there for people to read. It's another arm of communication that goes hand in hand with the music. It is amazing to reach people from all corners of the globe as well. It is an amazing thing to me that lets me communicate with people I would otherwise be unable to reach out to.
Mb: I see you posting to threads regularly. Do you like the BB forum?
Natalie: I have had more time recently to post. Though I did take a few years off from any BB activity. I like BB's sometimes ;) They have great aspects and not so great aspects to them. It's easy to get all involved in the pettiness and backstabbing and flaming that goes on, so I have learned to filter all that crap out as much as I can. Most of that stuff is wasted energy that could be used doing something positive. But I have met some wonderful people there and have been glad for the opportunity to do that.
Mb: What's the future hold for you? All music or are there other things going on to?
Natalie: Well at the moment the new album is the priority, but I have been getting back into acting and am taking some training. I hope to start doing indie films after the second album is released. I got my start acting in theatre and I am really anxious to get back into that and also film and TV. I'm open to many creative things and hope to diversify as much as time allows. Music and writing are always the first priority though.
Mb: And personally?
Natalie: Personally? Well I have a lot of healing to do. I am trying to focus on that. My childhood, teen years and early 20's were very hard, so I have a lot of rebuilding to do. I am taking my time to find out what is best for me and to live my life for myself instead of others. I have spent too much of my life living to please others and trying to be what they want me to be. Now it is time to live for me. It's actually quite hard when you are a die-hard people pleaser and perfectionist!!! But it's the journey that counts... right!