As part of our series on Belmont University grads living and working in New York, we interviewed singer-songwriter Natalie Williams.
How did you get to where you are today, moving to New York?
It’s really interesting. I was music business, so I was trying to learn that side of it, but I always knew I wanted to be an artist like a lot of people in that major. The degree was great because it prepared me for straight business in a lot of different ways.
I went to Belmont East, and I always knew I wanted to move to New York but it was a great way to test it out. Through a series of events I kind of decided I didn’t want to work on the business side of music unless it was for artist purposes just because I saw a lot of people that graduated and tried to balance the two and it was really difficult. I didn’t know if I could do it. I used the business skills that the degree provided me to go into marketing and writing content, which I had been doing in the music field through internships and things like that, but I started applying it to more broad categories.
I took a job at a Nashville company called Wannado post-grad. I think the day after I graduated I started. It was great because in Nashville business is so relational. I didn’t know the company, but one of my fellow Belmont grads was like ‘hey, do you want this?’ and I was like ‘sure!’ I came on board with them and have been writing for them for a bit over a year. I guess you’d call them a startup but we’ve been around for awhile. They knew that I also did music and I’ve been working on a record for about a year, and it’s actually just getting finished now. Wannado really gave me the opportunity to pursue both things at the same time without dividing up my musical creativity. If I was in a music business job, a lot of it would have been split. But I was able to have this project be full creatively, and then also have my job be separate which was good.
Then I decided [when] the record was being finished up – I do jazz kind of stuff – and I didn’t think it had a real place in Nashville. I decided to move to New York, and I told them, and they said ‘well, you can just write from there.’ Now I’m still working for them and getting involved with the music scene here and trying to get the record released.
How long have you lived here?
Since September – almost six months.
What are you day to day tasks for your job?
For today, I’m doing a lot of outreach and starting this thing where we feature notable people in different industries talking about their industry. So for example, March Madness is coming up in Nashville, so I’m finding three sports enthusiasts to talk about their favorite sports bars and things like that. I coordinate the content, brainstorm, plan, and execute it. We’re putting out a St. Patrick’s Day blog. It’s a lot of writing, which is great. I enjoy it! Social scheduling, all that Generation Y social media stuff. When I’m done with that, writing sessions or Shelby’s boyfriend Alex does music so I might go sing on a song for one of his short films or something like that. It’s a good balance, but it depends on the day. Some days I don’t have much to do if I work ahead, and some days it’s crazy. Just depends.
You’re working on an album, so what other kind of stuff of are you doing for your artist career?
It’s been an interesting process getting a record out. I guess I never realized how much goes into it when it’s just you making it. The record’s going to be coming out soon [laughs]. I’m hitting the end of the sound part, the making of the actual record with the songs. [I’m] starting to get into pitch mode. I’m trying to find placements and someone to release it and marketing, pictures, distribution – all that stuff. I’m looking for management because ... I don’t feel very well connected here yet. It’s a slow build. So [I’m] just trying to form relationships with people in the city, in the scenes I want to be in.
Are there any challenges you’ve faced as a woman in the industry or as an artist?
I am lucky to have a really, really awesome boss when it comes to the way he treats women. It’s a very equal partnership. I’ve never felt talked down to. He’s actually felt like more of a champion than anything. Not in a way where we get special treatment, but where he wants to take time out of his schedule to empower us and encourage us in the positions that we’re in. So from that perspective, great.
From a music perspective, I think with anything – I think guys face it as well – I’ve been in situations where I briefly was on a reality show competition with music, and I think that’s where I probably got the biggest reality check of ‘you have to know exactly who you are and you have to be able to communicate that to people in a very strong way, especially when it comes to image.’ I hesitate to say this because I’m not in it as much as some other people are, but I think it’s gotten a little bit better. I think there are a lot of women pioneers in music right now, like Adele and Sia, who are really making it about artistry and saying ‘I can stand behind a mic and sing and it’s just as powerful as using sexuality as a part of my image.’ I think people are getting more empowered to pick and choose when they’re going to do that. I think you kind of have to know where you’re coming from or else someone else is going to put that on you.
I honestly haven’t had many negative experiences that I think stem from being a woman yet. I’m just dipping my toe in the waters. But people like Shelby and other women in music that I’ve met are all so supportive and really emphasize the fact that there is room for all of us. Find your strength and let’s support each other and help each other out, because there’s nothing worse than women fighting over what they think is one spot. Of course men do that too, but I think there has been more of a dynamic in that way for females historically because in the past it has been a bit of a boys’ club. But I think that’s changing. I hope that’s changing.
I don’t want to make a sweeping generalization. I think it starts with building really strong female relationships in the industry, and I’ve seen a lot of that since I’ve moved here, so it’s exciting.
Do you have any advice for someone wanting to get into the industry – maybe someone wanting to get a job but also be an artist?
People say this all the time, but I really do think it’s about relationships. There’s always that kid that comes and hands out his business card on the first day of class, and is like “here” – an opportunist in maybe more of an obvious, negative way. I think if you value people regardless of what they do, you’re going to come across people that you value because they’re awesome and then they’re also going to do something that’s really cool that’s going to help you out. I think it’s just about being really genuine when you meet other people. I think every job or lead that I’ve gotten has been through someone I was friends with or at least friendly with, and not leading with ‘how can
you help me?’ Also being really generous with ‘how can I help you?’ because you should do it out of the goodness of your heart, doing something for them does make them think of you later and it’s just all very give and take. I would just say don’t operate out of selfishness and meet as many people as you can, and invest and be kind.
You can check out Natalie’s Facebook & look up her EP on Spotify under “Natalie Hart”