Today I am joined by my brother Gus as we sit down with multi-platinum selling artist Natty to do 'the most in depth and re-affirming interview' Natty has ever done.
Born and raised in North London, singer/songwriter Natty grew up with David Bowie, Pink Floyd, and Joy Division records in the house along with LPs from Bob Marley, Lee Perry, Sizzla, and other reggae artists who represented his family's Jamaican roots.
He began by working in a recording studio, where he would make tea, run errands, and absorb as much as he could. Natty soon learned how to mix and engineer thanks to the studio, but on his own he had begun to write songs and was working on his guitar playing and voice.
He soon helped form the Vibes & Pressure posse, a loose collection of singers, players, DJs, and artists (including the popular Trojan Sound System). In 2007 Vibes & Pressure spawned a label of the same name and released Natty's debut double A-sided single, "Badmind"/"Camden Rox."
One more track, "Cold Town," would appear on the imprint before the major label Atlantic came calling with a record deal. His next U.K. single, "July," would become the perfect choice for summer 2008, propelled up the charts by an appearance on the television program Later with Jools Holland.
His debut album, Man I Like, appeared in July in his homeland, with a U.S. release following a month later, and gained Number 1 slot on album charts worldwide.
We had to wait nearly 9 years for the follow up album, but it was worth the wait, in this episode we uncover the dramatic highs and lows which have forged Natty as an artist, a person and as a outspoken social justice campaigner.