Natalya Kay is a fiddler in the Irish tradition and a key member of Celtic super group Gaelic Storm. She and I met in the spring of 2020 when she moved into the house next door to mine in East Nashville. I think the first time we jammed was at a party in my front yard. 

I remember thinking two things about that encounter. One was, Man this girl can really play! The other was, being shocked to hear her say she had no interest in any kind of career as a professional musician. 

That seems like a long time ago now. 

This year she played countless festivals with Gaelic Storm, stadium shows with the Zac Brown Band, and a few weeks ago she was at the Hollywood Bowl sharing the stage with Harrison Ford, Jackson Brown and Brandi Carlile. Afterward, she got props from none other than Sir Paul McCartney.

Natalya’s meteoric rise has been the result not of an unrelenting determination, but her genuine talent and as she describes here, a consistent decision to walk through whatever door that opened, despite the chorus of self-doubt ringing in her ears. 

In the course of this lively conversation we come back to the theme of insecurity - a part of every artist’s experience - and of resisting the temptation to let it win. Natalya laughingly describes the moment when she got the call from Gaelic Storm, the gig that ultimately changed her life. She tried to talk them out of the audition, saying she wasn’t a good fit, she didn’t have any experience.

They insisted, she acquiesced. Now she’s on the road traveling the world. 

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As a quiet homeschooled girl from rural Maine, she describes the irony of feeling absolutely at home on stage with GS, how she feels like it’s the most natural thing in the world, being up there in front of all those people, fiddling away.

Speaking of, I ask her about a few of the approaches specific to the tradition of Irish fiddling, the rolls for one. She demonstrates how she does it, right there at the table. It will be interesting to anyone who loves or even has a passing attraction to Irish music. Natalya breaks down the technique and shows how it affects the play of the overall tune. I loved seeing that. 

No player am I in the Irish way, but I do have something of a background in bluegrass and old-time music, and there’s enough of a language shared that I felt I might back Natalya on her performance of Cliffs of Moher, a popular Irish jig which, being in 6/8 time, requires a completely different approach than the 4/4 of its American cousin. I did my best to stay out of the way and let Natalya’s playing shine, a performance that alone was worth the listen.

I hope you enjoy this conversation with a truly fresh voice in Irish Music.

Find Natalya:Website Instagram

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