 |
| Source: 'You Don't Come Here' by Nat Berry |
As the winter months draw in and a chill plumes in the air, Nat Berry saves the day with his fresh, bubbly singles. 'You Don't Come Here' and 'This Ain't Like Me' were both squeezed from the fruitful trees of the summer earlier this year and have since fermented in the declining seasons. With a name alone that is blissfully reminiscent of warmer times, this young indie-pop icon is making sun-blushed waves in the independent scene.
With a blossoming independent catalogue in modern music comes beautifully diverse approaches to writing and composing. Young artists are approaching music with an unexplored perspective that demolishes conventions and creates an environment for budding musicians to flourish; music is a constantly evolving medium, after all. 'The other day I thought of an idea about describing the nothingness of an empty room you're sat in, which could be representative of feeling abandonment and betrayal,' says Nat on his personal creative process and the bizarreness of having a set structure, 'I can't say whether my firsthand experiences come as material before the mouthpiece of the character ideas or not, because there's really no formula to my writing.'
Nat's estrangement from the norm allows for a stunning concoction of wavy beats, heat-mottled vocals, and potently gorgeous lyricism. Not only does his music embody a pulse found so few and far between in modern pop, contextual relevance dwindles below the surface of the bleached sand of the songs' aesthetics. Nat is a young man in the LGBTQ+ community that writes songs of love and heartbreak under the guise of contrasting light and dark aesthetics. Every detail of Nat's work is meticulously considered with endearing contextual ties that serve to elevate each of his tracks to a deeply honest, personal level. Your muscles jive but your tear ducts threaten to spill while you're bopping.
Being kind enough to let me enter his tropically-saturated world, Nat and I spoke in-depth about his writing processes, mental states, and his experienced societal reception...
 |
| Source: @natbrry on IG |
How would you describe your music to people that haven't discovered you yet? What separates you from the majority?
I definitely have a very familiar sound in terms of the themes that I write about. I think you have to write about things that you have experienced firsthand to really get a sense of emotion through to the listener, so teenage romance and the struggles of growing and changing are very apparent in my music. However, I like to write about these in an unconventional way. So, my first single, 'You Don't Come Here' is all about the loss of a relationship but with almost the storyline of going back to a place you used to go with someone, but it's changed so much that it's almost unrecognisable - just like reminiscing on an old relationship. I definitely think that sets me apart from the majority.
Do you tend to write about events while you're still in the mindset of the effects or do you prefer to process things and have a clearer head before writing? Which way do you feel gives you a better perspective in the process?
It depends. Sometimes, when an event is fresh, the emotions are really raw and I have to write them down. Your feelings change massively over time and I like to document that. Nothing compares to that initial mindset after something has happened because it is so unfiltered and is really what I'm thinking at that time. 'This Ain't Like Me' documented that because it was all about that confusion straight after a breakup.
It can also sometimes be really painful to revisit old memories though, which I think also makes for really powerful writing. As I said, your emotions change so much as time progresses, so looking back with a different, sometimes nostalgic mindset can be really interesting.
Do you always write based on your experiences or do you ever write from the perspective of a mouthpiece or character?
I mean, I'm only nineteen so I obviously haven't experienced everything that's out there just yet, but I do try to write as much from my own experiences as possible. It helps to use this as a foundation which I can then build around. A storyline can come from anywhere, honestly. I'll be sat on the Metro or walking around town and I'll think of an idea, just like a writer might.
The other day I thought of an idea about describing the nothingness of an empty room you're sat in, which could be representative of feeling abandonment and betrayal. I then linked all the ways that my own recent family issues correspond with that location and the metaphors that come with it to make the lyrical quality more real and candid. I can't say whether my firsthand experiences come as material before the mouthpiece of the character ideas or not, because there's really no formula to my writing.
It's interesting that you say there's no formula to your writing. What's your writing process like?
It's completely different for every song. I like to play around with melodies, sometimes without any idea what the song might be about or without any lyrics written down first. I find that quite difficult though because I like the music to reflect the emotion in the lyrics and I struggle to do that without the storyline. But I love producing just as much as I love writing, so I'll play around with melodies and use the hundreds of ideas and lines I have written on my notes page to create a storyline that would perfectly suit the sound I've created. Sometimes the words come to me first and I can just hear the sound instantly - I love that about writing though. The fact that you never know what to expect or how music is going to come together is what keeps me going back to it and using it as a platform to express myself.
Can you tell me about how you came up with the cover art for the singles? How do you come up with concepts and execute them in the way that you imagined?
I like my cover art to be representative of the song. For 'You Don't Come Here', my pose reflects those themes of nostalgia and looking back at something. The glitch in the cover art for 'This Ain't Like Me' is meant to show a glitch or a fault in the relationship I'm singing about. I like everything to have a meaning or be reflective of something else. I can usually see or imagine the album art as I'm writing the song. I do brainstorm ideas for how it could relate to the lyrics but most of the actual visuals I come up with beforehand. I'm also influenced by the album artwork of music that I'm listening to or that I've grown up with. After that, it mostly just falls into place. I can picture the style of the album art and I know exactly how to execute it in terms of where it should be taken, how I'm going to edit it, et cetera.
Why do you do music? What spurred you to pursue this area and how long have you been writing and producing?
I've loved music for as long as I can remember. I was given one of those kids' keyboards with a microphone attached when I was really little and I used to play tunes on it and pretend I was on X Factor. My family always joked about how one day they'd see me entertaining crowds. So, writing my own music was a natural transition for me as I grew up.
Music has always been a huge part of my life and eventually became a medium I felt very comfortable expressing myself on. I'm still not sure why I love music so much, but I find writing so therapeutic and I keep going back to it. I never had the courage to release [anything] until I played 'You Don't Come Here' to my boyfriend. He really put things into perspective and told me to have confidence in the things I'm passionate about, so I released the song and I'm so glad I did because the response has been amazing.
Can you elaborate a bit on the reception you have received from your recent releases? Any comments that have resonated with you?
The response has been incredible! I've heard from so many people telling me how impressed they are with the quality of what I write, which is so humbling. Releasing something that you have poured so much energy into and been so honest on is really scary, more than you would imagine. So, getting such a positive response has made this experience so much more special. I was worried that if the reception was mediocre, I would lose interest in my love in writing, but luckily everybody's support has made me incredibly excited to keep writing.
One comment that stuck with me, in particular, was from somebody I've never met, who said that it was really exciting to see a young gay artist be so open with their interests and not letting the fear of being candid in a highly heteronormative society get in the way. That really stayed with me.
What would you say to young LGBTQ+ people that are thinking of but are reluctant to try to break into music?
I would encourage them to, of course. Everybody's story is different and everyone has a different way of telling that story, and that is the best part of music. Everybody in the LGBTQ+ community has so much to tell, whether it be a coming out story, family issues, whatever it may be. Nobody has ever lived the same life that you have, so why not let everyone hear that? If they were reluctant to break into music because of what people might think, that's just a thing of confidence.
I like to dip my toe into every pool and if it doesn't work, then at least I tried. I really like that idea. So, I would tell them to really perfect their craft, believe in that craft and have the confidence to just say 'fuck it'.
So what's next for you? What plans do you have musically for the next few months and even years? Anything exciting coming up?
I'm working on an EP at the moment. I feel like I still have so much left to tell so I'm really excited to establish myself as an artist and my sound further. I'm going to be working with some amazingly talented people as well, who will bring something really special to the project. So, that is my goal for the next few months, but what the next few years might bring I'm not sure. I like to just play it by ear and see what time might bring!
Do you tend to write about events while you're still in the mindset of the effects or do you prefer to process things and have a clearer head before writing? Which way do you feel gives you a better perspective in the process?
It depends. Sometimes, when an event is fresh, the emotions are really raw and I have to write them down. Your feelings change massively over time and I like to document that. Nothing compares to that initial mindset after something has happened because it is so unfiltered and is really what I'm thinking at that time. 'This Ain't Like Me' documented that because it was all about that confusion straight after a breakup.
It can also sometimes be really painful to revisit old memories though, which I think also makes for really powerful writing. As I said, your emotions change so much as time progresses, so looking back with a different, sometimes nostalgic mindset can be really interesting.
Do you always write based on your experiences or do you ever write from the perspective of a mouthpiece or character?
I mean, I'm only nineteen so I obviously haven't experienced everything that's out there just yet, but I do try to write as much from my own experiences as possible. It helps to use this as a foundation which I can then build around. A storyline can come from anywhere, honestly. I'll be sat on the Metro or walking around town and I'll think of an idea, just like a writer might.
The other day I thought of an idea about describing the nothingness of an empty room you're sat in, which could be representative of feeling abandonment and betrayal. I then linked all the ways that my own recent family issues correspond with that location and the metaphors that come with it to make the lyrical quality more real and candid. I can't say whether my firsthand experiences come as material before the mouthpiece of the character ideas or not, because there's really no formula to my writing.
It's interesting that you say there's no formula to your writing. What's your writing process like?
It's completely different for every song. I like to play around with melodies, sometimes without any idea what the song might be about or without any lyrics written down first. I find that quite difficult though because I like the music to reflect the emotion in the lyrics and I struggle to do that without the storyline. But I love producing just as much as I love writing, so I'll play around with melodies and use the hundreds of ideas and lines I have written on my notes page to create a storyline that would perfectly suit the sound I've created. Sometimes the words come to me first and I can just hear the sound instantly - I love that about writing though. The fact that you never know what to expect or how music is going to come together is what keeps me going back to it and using it as a platform to express myself.
 |
| Source: @ntbrry on IG |
I like my cover art to be representative of the song. For 'You Don't Come Here', my pose reflects those themes of nostalgia and looking back at something. The glitch in the cover art for 'This Ain't Like Me' is meant to show a glitch or a fault in the relationship I'm singing about. I like everything to have a meaning or be reflective of something else. I can usually see or imagine the album art as I'm writing the song. I do brainstorm ideas for how it could relate to the lyrics but most of the actual visuals I come up with beforehand. I'm also influenced by the album artwork of music that I'm listening to or that I've grown up with. After that, it mostly just falls into place. I can picture the style of the album art and I know exactly how to execute it in terms of where it should be taken, how I'm going to edit it, et cetera.
Why do you do music? What spurred you to pursue this area and how long have you been writing and producing?
I've loved music for as long as I can remember. I was given one of those kids' keyboards with a microphone attached when I was really little and I used to play tunes on it and pretend I was on X Factor. My family always joked about how one day they'd see me entertaining crowds. So, writing my own music was a natural transition for me as I grew up.
Music has always been a huge part of my life and eventually became a medium I felt very comfortable expressing myself on. I'm still not sure why I love music so much, but I find writing so therapeutic and I keep going back to it. I never had the courage to release [anything] until I played 'You Don't Come Here' to my boyfriend. He really put things into perspective and told me to have confidence in the things I'm passionate about, so I released the song and I'm so glad I did because the response has been amazing.
Can you elaborate a bit on the reception you have received from your recent releases? Any comments that have resonated with you?
The response has been incredible! I've heard from so many people telling me how impressed they are with the quality of what I write, which is so humbling. Releasing something that you have poured so much energy into and been so honest on is really scary, more than you would imagine. So, getting such a positive response has made this experience so much more special. I was worried that if the reception was mediocre, I would lose interest in my love in writing, but luckily everybody's support has made me incredibly excited to keep writing.
One comment that stuck with me, in particular, was from somebody I've never met, who said that it was really exciting to see a young gay artist be so open with their interests and not letting the fear of being candid in a highly heteronormative society get in the way. That really stayed with me.
What would you say to young LGBTQ+ people that are thinking of but are reluctant to try to break into music?
I would encourage them to, of course. Everybody's story is different and everyone has a different way of telling that story, and that is the best part of music. Everybody in the LGBTQ+ community has so much to tell, whether it be a coming out story, family issues, whatever it may be. Nobody has ever lived the same life that you have, so why not let everyone hear that? If they were reluctant to break into music because of what people might think, that's just a thing of confidence.
I like to dip my toe into every pool and if it doesn't work, then at least I tried. I really like that idea. So, I would tell them to really perfect their craft, believe in that craft and have the confidence to just say 'fuck it'.
So what's next for you? What plans do you have musically for the next few months and even years? Anything exciting coming up?
I'm working on an EP at the moment. I feel like I still have so much left to tell so I'm really excited to establish myself as an artist and my sound further. I'm going to be working with some amazingly talented people as well, who will bring something really special to the project. So, that is my goal for the next few months, but what the next few years might bring I'm not sure. I like to just play it by ear and see what time might bring!
 |
| Source: Spotify |
KEEP UP WITH NAT ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
