Natalie Cleveland
Natalie Cleveland recently released her latest single “Work to Do” and it’s the kind of songs that gets better each listen. Natalie’s vocals are impressive and these are some of my favorite types of vocals. Her voice is powerful, edgy, soulful and mind-blowing - honestly one of the best voices I’ve ever heard lately. I spent my morning listening to her music and she is absolutely phenomenal. Her songs are massive, and her talent is undeniable. I am hoping to hear more and more music from her.
Go stream “Work to Do” because it’s uplifting, empowering and catchy as hell. Thank you so much Natalie for this conversation.
“Work to Do” is now available worldwide :)
"Work to Do" is your new single - what's the inspiration behind this song?
Work to Do is a song about someone that thinks they’re better than you and in our own way we’re telling them they have some work to do.
Could you describe the songwriting/production process for this single? Who helped you create it?
This song had a journey. Haha. My producer Josh Roach and I co-wrote this with our buddy Justin Streck and I was digging it the first day and Josh was not. Haha. The change of tone and feel from verse to chorus was his hang up and that’s what I loved about it. We tried a bunch of different progressions trying to bridge the gap between the verse and chorus. We’d take a break for a few months while working on other stuff and I’d come back to it because I felt like it had potential then get stuck again and repeat that cycle. Finally we figured it out and found the right sounds that had enough of a difference between verse and chorus that still bridged together. Special thanks to our buddy Mat Maxwell for helping us crack the code. We really love how it turned out.
What's your favorite thing about this single?
I love that it sounds different and has a twist all within the pop umbrella.
What made you want to release "Work to Do" as a single?
We all like a feel good song empowerment song. This song just fit that. It’s an upbeat song that makes you feel a bit sassy and walk just a bit taller because you’re not going to let someone cut you down.
How do people respond to this song so far?
So far the response has been super cool. I’ve received so many texts, DMs and calls about it being on repeat and loving the way it makes them feel. At the end of the day that’s my favorite, being part of making a person feel something.
What do you want people to feel when listening to this song?
I want people to feel good about themselves. If they’ve been doubting their abilities or what they’re capable of because someone has tried to cut them down to size I hope they hear this song and do a hair flip and feel confident and remember who they are.
How's it like to release music in 2021? Any challenges?
There’s always that challenge of marketing a song in the market culture we live in. Marketing is just a part of everything now. It’d be easier if you had a whole team but as an independent artist you don’t have that luxury. I’m thankful I do a lot of graphics and videos for clients so I can create all my own visuals without breaking the bank. I like to take a few weeks ahead of time to create batches of promo content so that it all fits together and I’m not shooting from hip. I might be spontaneous and change up what I share and when but I like having the content ready to go ahead of time.
As an artist, what is the hardest part? And what is the best part?
The hardest part is not getting your self esteem wrapped up into it. It’s a thing you do but it’s not you. Your sense of self worth can’t be attached to it. I’ve had seasons where I’ve let each rise and fall of the rollercoaster swing my emotions everywhere and it’s miserable. I like coming at it from a place of creating stuff I love and then experimenting with marketing and release. What worked, what didn’t, what do I want to do different next time? If I love the song at the end of the day it doesn’t matter what the response is, it was art and it was put out there, that in itself is a win.
What are your thoughts on today's music industry? If you could change one thing, what would it be?
Todays music industry changes how we create music. How soon you get to your chorus, your song length, if it’s something digestible, if it’s something you want to hear more of if you only heard 15seconds. Luckily for me if I want to change something I can. I’m not locked down to any certain style, brand, or expectation. Whatever sounds good and feels good I want to chase that. And I want to have a blast with friends while doing it.
What does your experience on Fox Network's LEGO Masters has been teaching you as a person?
Being on season 2 of LegoMasters was so random for me. I’m a creative but music was always my first choice for any sort of creative expression. When my friend Michelle asked if I wanted to apply online with her I said sure but never expected anything to come from it. I really really didn’t expect to be on 11 of the 12 episodes and make it to the top 4 teams. Like I said, music has always been my thing, but lucky for me I learn quickly and if you’re a creative you don’t just have one lane it comes out in. LEGO is really about storytelling and shape and I know storytelling. The judges had some really kind things to say about our team off air that stuck with me. They applauded our creativity and the way we looked at things differently. I think we all have ideas but we don’t always act on them because we think everyone is thinking the same thing but really your unique perspective is your super power.
What biggest life lessons have you learned so far?
Biggest life lesson? Don’t take everything so serious. Life is so short so get allll the squeeze out of it. Make memories, make art just for the sake of creating, don’t hide your laugh, don’t be afraid to put yourself out there, you looked dumb and fell on your face? Oh well get back out there, get messy with it. Appreciate the good when it happens because it won’t last and hold on in the bad times because it won’t stay that way either. I find myself more thankful for things in the moment instead of appreciating them when they’re nostalgia.
In your opinion, what would make the world a better place?
Kindness. It’s easy to curate your life and surround yourself with people that think like you, look like you, have similar life experiences, vote like you, etc but when you do that you have a feedback loop that is just you. I have friends that I love that could not be more different than me, post different things, have different politic views but I want those different perspectives in my life from people I can humanize, from someone that isn’t “the other”. If we had just a little more patience and kindness with each other I think we’d be able to connect on the things we have in common and appreciate our differences.
What message do you want to deliver to the world?
Just be you. There’s no one like you. Life is too short to try and fit yourself into the mold of someone else anyway.
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