Artist Access Winner Natalie Major Lights Up Sidewalk Cafe, Sits Down With Bruce Tyler
posted in: OurStage Updates
Back in October, Natalie Major took the “Artist Access” Grand Prize with her song “Heartbreaker””a catchy track with a rock ‘n’ roll foundation, big chorus and just a touch of female pop sass. On January 19th, Major performed a showcase at The Sidewalk Cafe in NYC to an audience of old friends and Bruce Tyler, entertainment consultant, executive producer and former EVP Sony Music and Columbia Records. The atmosphere of the club was warm and inviting, just the crowd you’d expect from such a gig. Natalie took to the stage, guitar in hand and rocked the crowd with a forty-minute set of-originals plus one cover (The Cure’s “Lovesong”). After the show, Bruce and Natalie sat down for a one-on-one chat. Check out the Q&A below to hear all about her performance and exclusive mentoring session. And be sure to watch her performance of “Hide and Seek” in the video at the bottom.
OS: Many artists have said that performing for friends and family can be the most difficult, that said, the audience was more than supportive during your set. How do you feel the performance went?
NM: I think the performance went great. I’ve never really agreed with it being more difficult to play for family and friends because there’s always a bias there. I’m always hardest on myself when I perform in front of people I don’t know because those are potential supporters of my music. My friends and family have always been most supportive and most honest with constructive criticism that has helped make me better as a performer and a songwriter. It’s hard to differentiate who is a true fan versus someone who is your friend and supports everything you do regardless. But, I have come to notice that a lot of my true friends are my true fans which makes it all the easier to play for them.
OS: Tell us about your mentoring session with Bruce. What kind of advice were you expecting to receive? Did he throw you any unexpected surprises?
NM: Bruce was great. It’s always great being able to talk to someone who knows the business inside and out, someone that has a bigger perspective than I do. It seems he really is drawn to the artist aspect of music which is definitely somebody I respect and cherish advice from. He really did open my eyes to how important performing is in front of people, how each show makes you a better performer, and how essential it is to see if your material resonates with the audience. I am certainly going to start playing shows more often.
OS: What did Bruce say that made you think differently about your strategy for success in the music business?
NM: His views on being an artist in the industry really just made me revisit strategies I’ve visited in the past. We all can’t be the next Adele, but I think it’s great that he mentioned the fact that she really opened a road for singer/songwriters to have a market because I’ve always thought that too. You always have to be a step ahead of what is already out there, and I’m constantly trying to create something that fits me but isn’t entirely “generic” from a lyrical perspective. I think the hardest part of being an artist and a songwriter is finding the artist within all of your capability that you are completely satisfied with. I want to create unique material, something that is marketable yet still respected, and give people something that hasn’t been done before because no musician likes the question “who do you compare yourself to?”