With a mother from Lesotho, the tiny kingdom that sits completely within the borders of South Africa, and an English father of Italian descent, Natty's intelligent words on racial issues have already led to involvement with Love Music Hate Racism. The campaigning organisation featured his song ‘If I' alongside Bloc Party, Babyshambles and The Enemy on a compilation given away with the NME in October 2007.
Break the mould he does, moving away from reggae to take in the clean West African guitar sound of ‘Coloured Souls', gentle soulful pop on charming love song ‘Stoned On You' and, on sparse lament ‘Say Bye Bye', a devastating account of a child going through his parents' divorce. Playing guitar backed by a four-piece band of friends, not session musicians, he sings in a rough-edged voice that has genuine soul.
Obvious Bob Marley comparisons seem less relevant when you learn that Natty featured samples of Simon And Garfunkel, Neil Young and Nas on the mixtape that became his early calling card, covered Afrorock hotshots Vampire Weekend during this February's iTunes Live concerts, and has booked indie acts such as Mr Hudson & The Library and Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. at his successful Kentish Town club night Vibes And Pressure. Tours supporting Hard-Fi, Kate Nash and Adele have endeared him further to fans with broader tastes to match his own. ‘I grew up listening to a lot of reggae, but also African music, Pink Floyd, Dylan, Neil Young and a whole heap of Motown.'
If he has a reggae idol, it's mad genius Lee ‘Scratch' Perry.‘ I supported him once at the Jazz Café and thought, where do I go from here? He travelled the same road I did, going from producer to performer.'
For Natty is no newcomer, having worked in the music industry since finishing school and blagging his way into a job at premier league recording studio Sphere in Battersea. Ditching the guitar he learned to play at 10, for teenage years spent creating hip hop beats for rapping mates, his bedroom mastery of music production software Cubase gave him the confidence to earn a tryout, by convincing his potential employers he was a fully fledged studio engineer. ‘Everyone passed through that place over four years, from Duran Duran to Mos Def,' he says. ‘I ended up spending two months recording Razorlight's first album in Cornwall.
A smart, thoughtful singer with integrity and a diverse sound ready for summer and beyond with or without assistance, it shouldn't take too long for the people to decide that Natty is a true star indeed.
