Natalie Dean – More Than This

By starrymag | February 8, 2022

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

 

A)  I would say my sound is a mixture between indie pop and singer songwriter. It’s hard to pick a genre when I feel that each song should portray a different emotion and that may also mean stray from a previous release’s genre.

 

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

 

A) From a young age I’ve always admired Billy Joel and Norah Jones. They certainly have been influential to my creativity and route I chose to go with my music. As of current artists, I admire Julia Michaels and Noah Cyrus. For their songwriting and cross genre pop sound. All of these artists have definitely influenced me in a meaningful way, and I am ever learning from them.

 

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “More Than This.”

 

A) I think the fans connect to the song because it certainly is coming of age. Young and old everyone at one point of their life will relate to it. The song for me is about love and how you don’t always know what love means sometimes.

 

Q) How does the video for the track play into the message behind it?

 

A) Currently, right now there is no video but am in the process of planning one. The message about the song however is about being young and thinking you know what love is but overtime developing a different understanding of what it means. I wrote the song when I was seventeen years old and lusting over an older guy. I thought that was love but now see it very differently.

 

Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

 

A) Usually, I start by sitting down at my keyboard and either think of a melody in my head or I might have a cool lyric I want to write a song around. I don’t typically start with music over words, but they typically come concurrently as I write.

 

Q) How much of hand do you have in the production of your music?

 

A) As of late, I didn’t have a hands-on role in the production of my music. With my past recordings I more so gave creative direction and sound ideas but didn’t create the productions myself. As of now, I am currently working to change that. I am studying to get my Bachelor’s degree in Music Production and Songwriting at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts which will allow me to have complete control over my evolving sound and future productions.

 

Q) Will there be a full album or EP coming in the near future?

 

A) I would love to say absolutely but my plan for 2022 is to most likely release frequent singles until I feel I have truly found my sound and a unique concept for a bigger project like an EP or album. Luckily, at LIPA (Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts), I am surrounded by so many talented musicians and creative people. Great collaboration is not in short supply, so I do expect to be pushing out projects faster than I have on my own in the past. A friend of mine at LIPA, Joel Gardner and I have found that we work incredibly well together in terms of songwriting. I am excited to show what we come up with in the near future.

 

Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you?

 

A) Honestly, due to COVID I have not had the opportunity or ability to play much of my music live in the past few years. Before covid, it was a struggle to find venues in the San Francisco area (where I’m from) that would allow me to sing under the age of twenty-one because usually those venues were bars or places where alcohol was served. I am really optimistic about this coming year and the opportunities that I will hopefully have to play around Liverpool and the greater UK area. Liverpool is finally starting to feel like a home and there is so much support and love for music in this city, it’s inspiring.

 

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

 

A) My dream collaboration would be either Ashe, Lennon Stella or Julia Michaels. I admire them all so much for not only their songwriting and style, but the way in which they are reimagining pop music. Each bring their own twist to a commercial sound and have a unique production and writing style that I hope to emulate in the future.

 

Q) You are currently at the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts. Why is education such a priority for you?

 

A) I have never been one to preach a traditional path in education or claim that college and a degree is for everyone. For me, I knew that the only path I wanted to pursue was music and the art and business behind it. It made the most sense in my eyes to go to college to study exactly that because of the hands-on way I learn. Not only that, but also the industry connections you gain from working each day with fellow musicians, lecturers who have past and current careers in the industry and being able to dedicate your university life/time to growing your skills. Especially for learning production and theory, I wanted to be able to be in a classroom and learn in depth because it is so practical and hands on. Little did I know how much music theory was like math (*cry*).

 

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

 

A) I find that social media is the best way to connect with my listeners on a personal and one to one level. I try my best to respond to each comment and private message and love getting to know the people who consistently engage with me online. I’ve met so many close friends through social media and the power it has to connect us from all parts of the world. As long as it’s used as a tool to keep in touch and be authentic, I think social media is a great way for every artist to keep up with the lives of their fans. After all, it is the fans who matter the most in all of this so we should be making personalized connections a priority.

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

 

A) I can’t thank my listeners and supporters enough for the love and patience with my music. I haven’t been able to put out as much work as I hoped recently for a number of factors but am so excited to continue to build a community through music and get to know the people who are helping to make my dreams a reality. I have so many plans for 2022 that I will share in the near future. My messages are always open, please reach out anytime to chat! [smiles] Much love to you all.