Natalya Harp: "Till I Find You" (Exclusive Interview)
What inspired this song?
In simple terms, love. In more complex terms, the battle within myself about despising, and then accepting and even respecting, the fact that I tend to give my love to people even when they don't reciprocate. I'm a human with needs and this song is about the journey to the “you” in Till I Find You.
What feeling do you want to leave your listeners with?
This chapter of my life is about learning how to have more self-respect, but simultaneously about not being so hard on myself for the decisions I have made or will make. I want my listeners to be partners in that process and to recognize that being able to give love is such a beautiful trait, give yourself some credit!
Explain the process of writing this song.
I actually wrote this song in, I believe, around an hour and haven't made any major changes to the lyrics or melody since. Sometimes I write quickly and sometimes not, but the quick ones come because I am always practicing writing either on the bus, while I'm walking, or in the shower. I did have someone in mind when writing this, but I also make sure that my music can speak to more than one person or situation.
Explain Your Musical history.
My amazing parents chose to introduce music into my life at a very early age, and I'm beyond grateful for this. I started playing violin when I was just turning 4 and played very seriously until I was around 21. That’s when I shifted and dove head first into music writing and singing, although I wrote my first song when I was 7, which I have written on a piece of paper somewhere. I haven't really taken any vocal lessons (other than music theater and chorus when I was younger) but I sing 24/7 and my extensive technical and expressive violin training really developed my intonation and ability to create.
Why is music important to you?
I've always used music as therapy and as an outlet for the emotions and experiences I don't fully understand. I express my feelings and thoughts not only through the lyrics but the instrumental and vocal styles. I’m very meticulous, so I'd like to say all of the musical decisions made in this song were for a reason. I write songs that I wish someone else had already made, and with no shame I listen to my own music daily.
What was your hardest and favorite moment of this process?
Hardest was being patient and recognizing that this process takes a long time. If it was my decision I would release all of my songs tomorrow, of which I have many dozen by this point. My favorite moment was being in the studio. I traveled to Toronto from D.C to record at the Orange Lounge, which has hosted many artists I admire, like Drake, Justin Beiber, and Alessia Cara. Having my family, my producer/manager (Roy Hamilton III), my music engineer (Anthony Yordanov), and all the wonderful staff involved made the experience like no other. I specifically felt the happiest in the studio when recording the harmonies and adlibs.
What are you looking forward to in the future music-wise?
Releasing more music! I have so many different types of songs and I want to showcase the different experiences and emotions they speak to.
