Back in 2012, local record label Spacebomb released their first full length album, Big Inner, the debut of Matthew E. White. No one could have predicted the success that record would bring Spacebomb, the heights to which it would propel White, and the welcome attention it would bring to Richmond. Three years later, Spacebomb is looking to make some waves again, as they release the self-titled debut record of Virginia native Natalie Prass.
Back in 2012, local record label Spacebomb released their first full length album, Big Inner, the debut of Matthew E. White. No one could have predicted the success that record would bring Spacebomb, the heights to which it would propel White, and the welcome attention it would bring to Richmond. Three years later, Spacebomb is looking to make some waves again, as they release the self-titled debut record of Virginia native Natalie Prass.
Since the release of her first single, “Bird Of Prey,” back in July of 2014, Prass’ music has been turning people’s heads. As more and more music has been released from the album in the past few weeks, it has quickly become not only one of the most eagerly awaited albums of the month, but of 2015 in general. Accompanied brilliantly by Matthew E. White’s tight and complex arrangements, the album showcases one of the best ways of bringing the singer-songwriter style of the 60s and 70s into today. On the precipice of the album’s release, Natalie Prass is poised to become not only Richmond’s brightest star, but one of the brightest in music altogether.
This Tuesday, January 27th, Natalie Prass’s highly anticipated self-titled debut album comes out. A week after that, on February 3rd, she will be coming to The Broadberry in Richmond for a show that’s become as anticipated as her album itself. While the whirlwind of all this grows in intensity, I got a chance to talk to Natalie Prass. She went into depth about the delay of her album, working with Spacebomb, and how much she relies on trust, showing just another side of herself that makes her music that much more endearing to fans.
You grew up in Virginia Beach before going to school for a little bit in Boston, then moving down to Nashville to immerse yourself in the music world. But didn’t you also live here in Richmond for a bit while recording your debut record with Spacebomb?
Well, I guess. It felt like I was living here because I was here so much, but I really just stayed for a month and a half while tracking. I’ve never officially lived in Richmond, but I’ve been here so many times working with the Spacebomb guys, with pre-production with the record and then actually making the record. I know the drive so well – I can map it out instantly now from Nashville to Richmond. I actually just officially moved here a week ago. I have an apartment off of Grace Street, so Richmond’s home for me now.
What about Richmond stood out to you?
Richmond’s very rich with the history, and I love how much history the buildings and houses have. The old trees – how tall and full they are. You’re walking or driving down Monument Avenue and it’s just breathtaking how beautiful it is. I love how Richmond preserves the history and respects it. It’s a progressive city too, I think from my view, but in a good way. We acknowledge what has happened in this city, but we are moving forward from it. I feel like the mentality of people that I have met and befriended here is “do your work and do it well.” If you’re going to do something, know exactly what it is, and do it well. It seems like everyone I’ve met here and hung out with might say like “I’m a drummer” and they are really a drummer. There’s that in Nashville too, but there is such a passion here, and it goes deeper than, “Well, I’m going to play drums.” It goes so much deeper for people here.
Did you get a chance to explore the city even though you were working all the time?
Yeah, of course. Over the years, I’ve been able to go to some cool spots. Every time I’ve been here, I definitely had to work, but we would have our nights and go out. One of my personal favorite places to go is Ipanema. When I was tracking the record, I would go there because I’m a vegetarian and I just really like the vibe there. Underground, really small – I just love it.
Now, Virginia Beach has a rich R&B scene and obviously hip-hop as well. I know you left the area shortly after high school, but did it influence you in any way?
Definitely, but it’s weird. Yes, R&B is so rich in Virginia Beach, but when you’re a kid and you want to play music, there’s not really a platform in Virginia Beach that shows you what to do if you’re into the arts. Virginia Beach is very behind the times in terms of the art scene – there’s not much of culture there. I was this white girl wanting to be in a band and I just asked who wants to be in a band with me and got a band together in middle school. We would just jam on one chord and not really know what we’re doing and write songs where we each write one word and pass it around in a circle. I was the only girl I knew of in Virginia Beach that was in a band besides orchestra or a jazz ensemble. I grew up with punk and hardcore all around too. I had to hang out with those dudes if I wanted to play a show. It was pretty weird looking back. If I had grown up in Nashville, who knows? It’s definitely shaped me and helped make me who I am. It taught me how to stand my ground with the music I like and believe in and want to write from an early age. Taught me to be myself and not care what anyone thinks because I wasn’t particularly cool in that area. I wasn’t screaming and playing drop D, so it definitely made me more confident.
Was that band in middle school the one you were in with Matthew E. White?
Well, when I left that band, Matt joined. That’s gotten a little skewed in some recent stuff, but that’s definitely how I met him. “Oh, this is the guy taking my place.” Matt brought that band to even more hippie levels.
So how did you get back in touch with him and Spacebomb in general?
I moved to Nashville after one year in Boston and Matt’s band that he was in for a long time, The Great White Jenkins, would tour through Nashville. They were one of my favorites. I would go check them out in Nashville and maybe sit and talk with him after the show, so we very loosely kept in touch over the years that way. I think they played maybe three times in Nashville during that time. I didn’t know about Matt’s producing and horn arrangement skills until I did background vocals in Nashville for my friend James Wallace, and Matt had helped James record that record. I was asking, “What is this sound? Where did you hear this?” James just told me it was this guy from Richmond named Matt White. I just laughed and went back, “Oh, I know Matt. I know Matt.” James said we should work together and that he thought we could do something really cool. It sounded like a good idea.
I’m also very proud to be from Virginia. I love all my friends here. I grew up with the most amazing people in such a weird area in Virginia Beach, so I hold that time very dear to me. At the time, I had been in Nashville for like six years so I wanted to go back to Virginia to make my record. I was kind of fed up with the Nashville shuffle. There’s so much music being pumped out every single day through studios, basements, backyards, music row – there’s just so music going through the pipes. It changes the mentality when creating something new. You have to really fight in Nashville to prove yourself. You’ll know quickly if you want to be a musician or not if you move to Nashville. You have to get your shit in line.
I knew I wanted to make something really special and take my time, and I didn’t want it to be the whole Nashville thing where I get a bass player for only two hours before he rushes to another session. I didn’t have much money, but I had a vision of what I wanted. It made sense to work with Matt and be in this world and be slow with it, and one little thing at a time. It was so much nicer than the Nashville way of recording, making everyone go really quickly, and five days later, it’s mastered, on the press, and here you go. That’s appropriate sometimes, and there’s something to be said for that way of making a record, but it just wasn’t in the cards for me. I wasn’t interested.
Spacebomb’s pretty locked into their sonic vision for their artists. Were you concerned at all about clashing with them on that vision?
Well, there was one song in particular, “Bird Of Prey,” that I had demoed as a very slow, drone type of thing. Matt really wanted that song for the record when we were picking out songs. I knew it needed to be revamped and he randomly texted me a voice memo really late one night of him jamming on it. It had become this bouncy, funky tune. It was nothing that I had ever imagined for the song. At first, I was really unsure and it took me a while, but then I came around to it and thought it was genius and way better. Everything that I bring to those guys – I trust them and I think their ideas are just amazing. Cameron [Ralston]’s bass lines are part of the song now. He is just a genius bass player and his ideas are way better than anything I could ever think of for bass, obviously. I just trusted everybody to bring their knowledge and skill and ears. It’s a community record. That’s the Spacebomb thing – it’s made by a community.
Am I right that the record’s been done for a long time and you and Spacebomb have been waiting on releasing it?
Yes, that’s right. I was 25 when I made the record and now I’m 28.
Whoa.
Yeah, it’s been crazy and really tough. I’ve experienced every single emotion with this record, but I kind of had to go back to the thought that I do trust these people. I also strive to write music that’s timeless, and that’s the kind of music I listen to. I just needed to trust the people I collaborated with, and that this record could come out in ten years and probably still be exciting and cool. I had to lay low, really. I knew this what I wanted to release first. I recorded two more records since this one just because I just can’t stop. I knew I had a lot of time, so I did two more records and I was involved in a lot of side projects, like singing for people or playing for people. I just kept busy and I knew it wasn’t my time yet. I just had to trust that everything was going to be okay.
Did Matthew White’s debut album Big Inner in 2012 have a big part of your album being delayed?
It mostly had to do with that. His record exploded and there were a lot of changes in Matt’s life. A lot of changes behind the scenes too, that I wasn’t even aware of at the time. It just exploded and we were all so excited. It was positive thing ultimately, but I was just thinking, “Oh, no – this means my record is going to take forever to come out!” I didn’t think it would be this long, but you just never know. Everyone’s journey is just so different. Mine just happened to be weird, but that’s okay. Matt signing to Domino changed things, and a lot more was expected of people. They’ve always been very careful anyway. Matt’s one of the most detail-oriented and visionary people I’ve met in my life. He really wants to make sure things are just right. That also meant that we had to put all of our time into the record. We knew it was special and we wanted to make sure all the energy was going towards it and the team was all together. Now, they kind of know what they’re doing and no one’s scared to just do it and go for it. It’s kind of a platform there now. Ultimately, it just worked out.
How satisfying has it been to see the big, positive reaction for your singles and the anticipation for the album to come out?
Oh, god. You don’t even know. I can’t even explain how satisfying and overwhelming it is. You always want the best and hope for the best so for it to happen after all this time has been an unbelievable feeling. Also though, it’s been a long journey to this point and now there’s a whole new undiscovered path in front of me. And the work just continues. I have to hold up my end and it’s all up to me to make sure the live stuff holds up for now. From there, it’s a whole new chapter which involves the next record. It’s all beginning.
What’s a song on the album that hasn’t been released yet that you’re really excited for people to hear?
I think “Christy.” I couldn’t listen to that song for the longest time. When I wrote it with Kyle [Ryan] and my friend Evan [Donohue], who contributed a couple of lines, it wasn’t personal. That was my one song that’s just a story that’s made up. But it ended up coming true later, and it freaked me out so I couldn’t even listen to it for a long time. That’s just weird, you know? Now, it’s blown over and I just got back into the record. I didn’t really listen to the record when it was on hold. I couldn’t focus on it since it was sitting there, so I had to focus on other things. When I started getting back to it, I was just thinking, “Wow, this is a really powerful song.” It’s just me singing with a string quartet and a harp player. It’s just really beautiful.
Given how long it’s been ready to go and how anticipated it is, how much pressure are you feeling with it coming out this Tuesday?
The pressure’s there, but when you’re where I am, you can’t focus on that at all or else it can get pretty dark. You just have to trust – argh, “trust” is my word for this interview. But yeah, you have to trust. I’ve been doing this for so many years, and I’ve had these songs for so long now, we just have to do the best we can do. I know how to play guitar, sing, and write a song. All the guys with me know how to play their instruments and be good listeners. We just have to rely on what we’ve been doing and working on for so many years and it’s going to be okay. Just do what we do best, stay positive, and everything’s going to be just fine. This is what we do. It’s such a weird life so you can’t focus on that or else you won’t be able to do it.
Speaking of pressure, do you feel any pressure as a female singer in regards to your style and image? I know you’re a big fan of people like Ella Fitzgerald and The Ronettes and a lot of their appeal, at least at first, was that image and style.
No, I don’t really. I’m very grateful for all the women who have come before me and have made what I do much easier. I don’t really feel any pressure though. I know who I am and I’m comfortable with my quirks and how I might not be the coolest person ever. I’ve always been very comfortable with the fact that people can think whatever they want of me, so this is just not an issue for me and I don’t think it ever will be.
I know you listen to a lot of older music, but what current music to you evokes that same feeling of music you love from the past?
Well, I do listen to a ton of old stuff, but I love modern R&B and people are always surprised by that for some reason. I’m also into Sturgill Simpson, who’s an amazing songwriter.
You know Sturgill Simpson is coming to The Broadberry in Richmond, right?
What?! When?!
He’s going to be at The Jefferson Theater in Charlottesville on February 22nd and then The Broadberry on February 24th. Don’t know if you’re still on tour yourself at this time.
Wow, badass. Okay, well I’ll look out for that. That’s awesome. His guitar player is so good. Do you know the story of that guy?
Not at all.
He’s from Europe. Like Germany or somewhere – I’m not sure, but he’s a metal player. I don’t know how he got hired for the Sturgill gig, but basically this is his first country gig and they just put a cowboy hat on him and let him shred. It’s amazing. I need to do some more research into it. But it’s pretty incredible.
Sounds like it. Any other artists that you feel the same way about?
Caitlin Rose from Nashville is this complete genius too. Really though, it’s anything that I can tell is genuine and I can tell they know what they’re doing. It’s transparent when you listen to somebody sing and play. You can tell by what their taste level is and what they choose to have for their arrangements and how everything feels sonically. You can grasp onto where they’re coming from. I love Dawes for that reason. Playing Jenny [Lewis]‘ music and getting to know her – she’s a complete genuine artist. Anyone who just has a vision and is just not afraid to go for it and you can tell they know what they’re doing – I really respond to that. I don’t only listen to old music, although I mostly listen to old music, but I really appreciate anything that’s genuine and good. I’m really open though.
You mentioned Jenny Lewis, who you went on the road with last year as a member of her backing band. What did you learn from watching her every night on tour?
She is a phenomenal performer for one. She is just captivating. She is very calm on stage, and everything she does is very fluid and calculated. She’s not thinking about it at all, and you can tell she’s been doing it for a long time. She’s very comfortable in her skin walking around and dancing with her signature moves. I thought that was really cool she had signature moves. I learned so much from her. She is just wonderful. I think it’s more how calm she was. And she took really good care of us, and that’s something I want to do. I’ve never had the opportunity to take a band out on the road for an extensive amount of time and I learned from her how you definitely treat your band right. She does everything completely right. Making sure we get enough sleep when we’re going to wake up to do a radio thing – things like that. And she never overdid it with us. She was very careful about keeping us all healthy and happy. That was really nice for me, to be on the other side. I learned a lot that way. That was probably the most valuable for me.
Final question. Obviously you love older singers, but if you had to pick, what older singer do you think you line up most with?
Oh, boy – this record’s kind of all over the place. I feel funny saying it because I say it all the time, but she’s always my shining star: Dionne Warwick. It always comes back to her. Maybe some Karen Carpenter mixed in too. I also really like all those old 60s French girls like Françoise Hardy. Also, Gal Costa with her 60s albums too. But probably Dionne and Karen would be the biggest.
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Natalie Prass’s debut album is out on Spacebomb this Tuesday. Find out details on preordering by clicking here.
Natalie Prass makes her debut at The Broadberry the following Tuesday, February 3rd. Find out more infomation and purchase tickets by
