Spotlight On... NATI.

Born and raised in Fife, NATI.'s musical career took off during lockdown as she took to TikTok at the end of April 2020. Sharing a short clip of Sam Cooke's A Change Is Gonna Come, which has now been viewed over 85,000 times, she has since amassed close to two million followers on the platform. In 2023, NATI. headlined the River Stage at TRNSMT before going onto release her debut EP, Older, later in the year.

Now, deep into 2024 it's time for more new music from the self-professed "painfully Scottish musician", with the highly infectious folk-rock number Heard It All Before due for release tomorrow (Fri 12 Jul). Ahead of its release, we catch up with NATI. to find out more.

Can you start by telling us a little bit about yourself and who/what inspires you as a musician?
I'm an independent singer-songwriter based in the East Coast of Scotland and was found on TikTok singing wee Scottish songs. Since then I've been writing and releasing original music, touring and doing festivals. All from just filming songs in ma spare room over lockdown! How mental is that? Oh also, since you asked for a bit about maself, I love any pickled food and anything to do with Halloween/horror.

A lot of things inspire me. Folk, places, lessons, hardships, memories… My earliest musical inspirations I think would have been the likes of the Corries, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Guns N' Roses etc. Then of course Billy Connolly made me want to get up on a stage and do something. Anything. 

How have things been since you released Older last year?
Things have been magical! Making my own body of work and being involved from start to finish is long and hard work but so worth it. When it all finally came out I felt like I'd climbed Everest. Then we got to tour with it which was my ultimate dream: to have folk singing my own tunes back to me and to create something wonderful on stage and I think we did that!

You’re about to release your first new music since the EP, in the form of live fan-favourite Heard It All Before. Can you tell us more about the song?
I always say this song is all the things we wished we would have said but didn't. You bite your tongue and then spend days replaying it in your mind thinking of all the perfect things you could have said in the moment. That is what this song is.

It's about letting go and finally saying all those things and we're all saying them together. I'm an overthinker and quite an anxious person. I used to think it was a weakness of mine but now I honestly don't care, it's part of who I am. I have grown a bit of a spine though and am less afraid and less apologetic and that's why this song is presented in such a gut punching way. Let's say all the things we wanted to say, let's say them loud and let's say them together!

It’s the third track you’ve written with Vistas’ Prentice Robertson; what’s it been like working with Prentice, and how did this songwriting collaboration come about?
My manager put me in touch with Prentice and immediately we got on well. The guy's obviously talented beyond words but what I loved most was how much he let me follow my instincts. There was no formula we stuck to. We let the song be what it wanted to be and didn't care about fitting it into a certain genre and that was so creatively freeing. He's quick, he understood the attitude of the song as soon as I gave him the lyrics for verse one and the attitude just poured from the song instantly. He was an absolute pleasure to work with! 

After the single comes out on Friday, what’s next for NATI.? Will there be more tunes to come, and live shows?
Ooooh maybe releasing some more music? Don't tell anyone, though! Definitely more live shows – some announced, some yet to be announced! Maybe some Scottish adventures… So aye basically more tunes, more shows, more fun, more collaborations and more evolving! It's gonna be a great year!

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Heard It All Before is released on 12 Jul – pre-save here; NATI. plays Tiree Music Festival, 12-14 Jul; Edge Festival, Jedburgh, 31 Aug-1 Sep; Lunanfest, Arbroath, 4-6 Oct

Follow NATI. on Instagram @natidreddd