Natalie Bergman is numinous. The spiritual-minded artist writes songs that seem to have been around for decades, perhaps even hundreds of years. And yet they are brand new. With a blend of gospel, doo-wop, rock, and soul, Bergman offers an authentic bent on music that is timeless.
VICE caught up with the standout musician to talk about her new single “Dance” (and accompanying music video, which you can see below); her upcoming album, My Home Is Not in This World; the source of her creativity; and much more.
Fall in love with the rising star who we simply can’t get enough of today.
VICE: Your music has this amazing, familiar yet new quality. What draws you to this ’50s rock, gospel, doo-wop sound?
Natalie Bergman: I’ve always loved doo-wop and Motown and early gospel music because of the quality of the recordings. It’s recorded to tape, and there is no tuning of the vocals or instruments, and it all feels very raw and honest. In my opinion, this is what music is supposed to sound like. There is a lot of pollution in the world; at large, and in the music industry. Most music is getting made on computers with all sorts of digital processing and auto-tuning, and it ends up sounding really artificial and synthetic. I try to avoid this.
I love recording to tape, and then adding another tape machine on top of the tape machine. It’s my secret weapon. I used a lot of Optigan on this album, and I recorded my voice through a Leslie speaker to get the whirling, rotating effect on some of these songs. I also have a double-vocal on every song. That’s a choice I made when I first started recording music. I have doubled my vocals my entire career. I like the timbre of two voices doing the exact same thing in stereo. It’s like surround-sound or something.
VICE: Your last album was released in 2021. What went into this new one? Was there a process of reflection after your last release that came before the writing of songs and making music?
NB: I had to take some time away from music after I released Mercy. Time to grieve, time to reflect. That was such a profound declaration of sorrow, and I didn’t think I could write anything that would be significant enough in my own eyes. It could be the classic self-deprecation plague that artists tend to go back to over and over again, but I also just needed a break. All the music I was writing seemed so mundane and unimportant. Love songs weren’t doing it for me. And then I had a child, and he gave me a reason and purpose to write again. It’s kind of amazing what birth does to you. It reawakens your purpose in this life and gives it a weighty importance. And now I fucking love “love songs” all over again.
VICE: Your faith is a strong part of your life. How have you leaned on it more recently, and has anything changed about it in recent months or years?
NB: My faith has always been my greatest consolation. It hasn’t wavered. I have to rely on it because there is simply too much darkness in this life, and there is no greater comfort than believing that I am in God’s hands. I have been challenged with the ways of the world a lot lately, and we have this despicable president who is trying to take away anything good that this life has to offer: trees, for example, land, endangered species, cancer research, public broadcasting.
But of course, I can’t blame everything on him. He’s just one part of a larger problem. The Earth is really hurting right now, and people are growing farther apart because of cellular technology and greed, and everything is wrapped in plastic, and all the creatures in the ocean and skies are being driven to extinction because of humans. We are consuming the Earth, and it can’t keep up with our demand. Now more than ever I rely on my faith because I know that my home is not in this fucked up world.
VICE: What do you love most about the song and video for your new single?
NB: I love working with an all-female cast of friends. It’s a Motown-inspired, avant-garde, female-powered dance party. Enlightened by the classic grooves of the ’60s with a Carol Kaye-esque bassline that never lets up.
The Rated Z Dancers are an incredible dance troupe in Los Angeles with Sandi Denton at the helm of the operation. She is a classic woman and has taught me so much about simple movement through her choreography. The lyrics are playful, and there is a light-heartedness that I seek refuge in during these twisted and uncertain times.
VICE: How would you describe your forthcoming record?
NB: I began writing the album after I had my son. He really evoked something in me, and Song for Arthur is the first song I wrote on the album. The music stemmed from birth, but the following songs that I wrote became more about loss in one way or another. Losing a close friend, losing the relationship with my younger brother. There is a lot of loss in this body of work, but like all gospel music, there is an underlying theme of hope.
I love this record, and I had the privilege of working with some of my favorite musicians while making it. My brother, Elliot, produced this album, and he is hands-down the most prolific artist I know. The Dap-Tones rhythm section are all over these songs. Zak Sokolow of La Lom played some dusty guitar riffs on a few tunes. I made my last record entirely by myself, so it was fun to call in some heavy-hitters on this one. The music is lo-fi and heartbreaking, and the songs are honest.
The post Natalie Bergman Releases Single ‘Dance’ Ahead of New LP ‘My Home Is Not in This World’ appeared first on VICE.
