Artist Spotlight: Natalie Carr
By: Chris Buxton IG/Twitter: @chrisbuxtonllg
From humble beginnings to sold out shows, Connecticut-born singer/songwriter, Natalie Carr, has proven that there is more than one way to find success in the music industry. She’s passionate, creative, and she has an innate ability to craft songs that mirror all of us as human beings. For me, I’ve had the pleasure of knowing her for the past 3 years, but I am always left with more questions with every encounter. Over the past few weeks, I have made it my mission to uncover everything I can about the burgeoning star. I have set out to find the “REAL” Natalie Carr.
To provide you with more background, Natalie Carr, is a singer/songwriter from Stamford, CT, who is currently based out of Charlotte, NC. Carr got her start learning piano and guitar at a young age, and turned to penning her own lyrics as she grew up. Although we know her for her enchanting pop/r&b records, Carr originally had a passion for becoming a country artist. This may be hard to believe but if you listen to the personability and imagery in her lyrics, you will understand. She is an enigma to most, but to me, she is a straightforward creative genius.
After traveling to the great state of North Carolina to attend Duke University, Carr had a revelation. She knew that music was the “only” way. Although it may be easier to follow your dreams nowadays, it couldn’t have been easy to make that transition while at Duke. Duke University is a private institution known for establishing many well-known alumni (Apple CEO Tim Cook, Former President Richard Nixon, Philanthropist Melinda Gates, and Senator Rand Paul). Although she made the jump, the path to success isn’t always straightforward.
Over the next few years, Carr found herself as a starving artist. She was in-between multiple cities in North Carolina searching for her own “sound”. What people fail to realize is that finding your sound is the foundation of becoming a successful artist. Without a sound and the right group of people behind you, it doesn’t matter how talented you are. There is a learning curve you must face as an artist to get to that point, and I believe Natalie passed it during the pandemic. Entering 2020, it seemed like the rising singer had become more prolific with her approach. She blessed us with singles such as “Sad Little Rant” and “Blue Lights”. In addition, she began to do more shows. To me, although 2020 was a hard year for most, it laid the foundation for where she’s at now. After this year, it seemed like nothing could stop her.
If you have been a fan of Natalie Carr since the beginning, these last 3 years have been a colossal come up story. She has gone from playing at small bars to lighting up the stages at the Neighborhood Theatre (CLT), Indie Fest (2022), Good Looks Fest (2021), and she recently opened for Haley Reinhart this month. Although that doesn’t tell the whole story, the emerging singer has also been excelling in her craft. With singles such as “All My Plants Are Dead”, “Scraped Knees”, “Wasted Potential”, and “Drive”, she is proving that there are no boundaries. You can’t put her into a box. Like I said in the beginning, I’ve known Natalie for a while now, and her ability to bet on herself is something I have always appreciated. Although her fans & friends have uplifted her for the last few years, she is beginning to get industry “love” as well. She’s currently working with the icon Dallas Austin, and she mentioned that there is a project on the way. Although the music industry is constantly changing, Natalie Carr’s drive, vision, and love for the craft will always be the same. I’m happy to call someone like her a friend.
