Nat Simons – Live at Conciertos de Radio 3 – RNE, Madrid – April 3, 2018 – RNE Radio 3 Madrid –
New lights on the horizon to end the week. Nat Simons (Natalia Garcia Poza) is a Singer-songwriter from Madrid. You wouldn’t know that if I didn’t tell you, because she sings exclusively in English and its impeccable. It’s been a trend, the past few years, more European and non-English speaking artists are singing in English in order to grab a wider audience. Fair enough – it’s never bothered me, except when it’s not a very well pronounced English – much as it probably is when an American artist sings Italian or French. A for effort, but the accent . . .?
Not so with Nat Simons, she’s a singer, guitarist and songwriter, and a folk-rock -influenced blues-jazz musician. She currently resides in Madrid where she’s has just published her first studio album Home on High, with the Audiomatic label. She cites Bob Dylan as her main musical reference.
In 2012, she formed her backup band, and gained instant recognition playing at the Primavera Sound festival in Barcelona. Since then she’s been gigging and pickup a very good word-of-mouth and very encouraging press. She has lived periodically in both New York and London, returning in 2012 to get things rolling.
In April of 2015 she published her first EP titled Trouble Man. Her good word-of-mouth and press have help solidify her career and this album is the culmination of a few years effort.
I don’t know what her plans are outside of Spain, but I would imagine there is a tour scheduled to take place at some point soon.
To get a better idea of just who Nat Simons is – I ran across her blog page – and these two entries give a fascinating picture to a very talented artist on-the-rise:
When I was little I used to lose myself anywhere.
Then they found me pounding some piano trying to get melodies from wherever, inventing any strange story or walking along some train tracks that did not reach anywhere and ended in a huge wasteland where it seemed that the earth ended …
I listened to songs that made me think that I did not belong where I belonged and I dreamed of one day being able to flee and lose myself and find places where the world was better. Today nothing has changed, I’m not sure where I come from, I get lost in any On the side, I pound a guitar, tell stories and walk aimlessly to keep looking for those places.
I do not know what else to say about me that is true.
……… ..
When I was little I used to get lost just about anywhere.
Afterwards they would find me pounding on a piano trying to get melodies from it, inventing weird stories or walking along a railroad track with no destination ending in an empty field where it seemed like the world had ended …
I listened to songs that made me think I did not belong where I belong and I dreamed that some day I could get away and lose myself, and find places where the world was better.
Nowadays nothing has changed, I do not really know where I come from, I get lost anywhere, I’m on guitar, I tell stories and walk with no direction looking for those places.
I do not know what else to say about myself that would be true.
Enjoy – and keep an eye on her.
