We’re more than halfway through the year and back with another inspiring story in our Member Spotlight series! This month we spoke with singer-songwriter, Natalie Gelman, who believes in the power of real community and has taken her performance to many premiere stages across the country!

Hey Natalie, thank you for joining us in this month's Member Spotlight! Can you start off by telling us a little bit about yourself?

Hi, thanks for having me! I’m a singer-songwriter native to NYC, but now Ojai, California is where I call home. Over the years I’ve toured and shared stages with Wyclef, Bon Jovi, Jackson Browne, and more artists at venues across the US, UK, Europe, and Scandinavia! My newest album, Moth To The Flame was released with Blue Élan Records on vinyl in March 2022. I’m also expecting my first child in September and looking forward to this new creative chapter.

That’s incredible! Congrats on your success thus far and for becoming a soon-to-be mother! What an exciting chapter you have ahead! Have you always known you wanted to become a singer-songwriter?

I grew up loving music and singing from a very young age. My parents both played music and I took lessons in violin and piano very early on. What I was really drawn to though was singing, and in a way I always knew I wanted to be a singer. As I attended LaGuardia High School of Performing Arts in NYC, I became interested in playing guitar and songwriting. I had a lot going on that I was working through and I think from the very beginning songwriting was a kind of therapy that helped me process it all. Once I had a few original songs and knew a few covers, I began playing open mics in NYC and busking in the subway. Sharing the stories behind songs and connecting with people was definitely the driving force. Getting “into the industry” was a bit different than the casual way I had been sharing my music and playing wherever I could. I started to read a lot of blogs about the music business and indie musicians in particular. There are so many different paths to take that I didn’t know about as I started out and to be honest it often became overwhelming, but I think it’s important to try something. Ultimately it was a friend's mother who suggested I reach out to someone she knew in the industry who was a songwriter. That relationship really took my career to the next level but I don’t think she would have suggested it or they would have taken me seriously without the years of work and woodshedding I had already done, both with my instrument and on stage.

It’s great to hear how you immersed yourself in your passion and how that opened new doors for you! We’d love to talk about your latest album Moth To Flame. Can you tell us what inspired this album and how you felt once it was released?

This album unfolded over a long time so it was super cathartic to release. Some of the songs were ones I held onto for years and they went through major revisions before landing in their current form on this album. My life was also a series of major transformations as I worked on it. From settling into Ojai, CA after growing up as a New Yorker, to getting married and then losing my mom to Alzheimer's, which if anyone’s been through knows how that progresses. It’s slowly and then all at once. I also turned 30 while working on it which in this industry, as a woman can sometimes feel like its own death sentence. All of those things going on in my life brought up a lot of stuff that I thought I had worked through. That’s one of the amazing things about songs sometimes too, you write them when going through one thing in life and then they come to give you catharsis during something else. I even found some of my own lyrics helpful when I would be processing something new or the same things in a deeper way. Along the way of making the album, I decided that I was done being a totally DIY artist and I wanted to try and release this one with a team. I built a team and it was a nice change of pace to have a small team in place for the release. Things were a little strange because I released it during Covid so a lot of the normal things you do during a release you couldn’t quite do. It was wonderful to see it all realized and released but also a little sad if I’m being honest. I’ve come to learn over the years that that’s normal whenever I finish a big project or event and I wish more artists talked about it. I think part of it is the expectations and hope for the album not being met, and part of it is that a lot of artists aren’t naturally really outgoing and comfortable with self-promotion, but you have to do that so much these days to cut through on social media. So I just try and honor where I’m at and slow it down for a bit after big projects and not be too hard on myself.

Wow, we appreciate you opening up about how you feel and the transformations you went through. When listening to your music, we can feel the emotion behind it while still allowing your positivity to shine through. Where does that energy come from?

Thanks so much for saying that! I love to sing and share my stories behind the songs and experiences. Even the sad stuff can be positive because it shows that I made it through and others can too. Often just playing and sharing music will lift my own spirits onto this upward spiral of joy. That happened a lot during Covid lockdown when I played my livestream concerts. I was doing about 3 livestreams a week on different platforms and some days I felt sad but I would go on anyway and slowly notice that my own spirits were being lifted by playing. Music can bring us to the present moment and singing itself is very healthy; you’re breathing deeper and infusing your bloodstream with all this fresh oxygen. I encourage singing along a lot at my concerts and even though it can sometimes take a LOT of encouragement people always seem happier afterward.

The science behind what music does to our bodies is undeniable, and so is the connection aspect. Speaking of connection, do you have a favorite fan memory?

There are so many! It’s been really special to have fans cover and learn my songs and to see people singing along at shows. Where I’m most touched has been a number of times when I’ve been busking. I think it’s because you’re most vulnerable and have the lowest expectations when doing that. The times when people have started singing with me or started dancing together at the Staten Island Ferry Terminal, or having a brand new fan come up to me just completely touched by a song has been really moving. The most humbling and beautiful memory is of one night playing in the subway when a homeless man came over and emptied his paper cup of coins he had been collecting into my guitar case. I tried to stop him but he insisted and said that he wanted to do what he could to help me because he had been listening all night and loved my music. I was just so stunned by that gesture and I’ll never forget it.

That is such a sweet gesture and a testament to the impact you’re making as an artist! You’ve been in the industry for some time, what's the best advice you've ever received?

Someone told me a few years ago when I wanted to build a team for the album release that I should “reverse engineer” it. They said I should look at artists I thought I would be a good fit to open for and see who their teams were. I made a big spreadsheet for managers, agents, and labels then started reaching out and eventually built relationships with those people. A lot of indie music blogs and books say to wait until they (managers, labels and agents) come to you. Maybe that would have worked for some artists, but it never worked for me. So, I suggest reaching out and letting them know you exist, keeping them updated, and building that relationship.

Great advice! We really appreciate all the support you’ve shown us at Bandsintown for Artists. We would love to know if you have a favorite feature and what makes it your favorite?

I love so many of the tools on Bandsintown for Artists. The new community is a great resource for artists at all levels of their career. I’ve also used the direct message tool a lot, and now I’m excited to try the new email builder which has more customizable features! If I had to pick a favorite it would be how Bandsintown alerts followers to new shows announced near them and often sends a reminder too. I had one tour a few years back where I had people reach out and ask when I would be coming to cities that I had literally just been in. It was so disappointing because I had played 2-3 shows around each of their cities that they could have come to but they missed and I didn’t know when I would be through again. I had announced them on socials a few times and to my email list as the full run of dates, but sometimes people just need that extra individual email so they don’t miss it. When I came home from that tour I changed my existing calendar to the Bandsintown for Artists Widget and encouraged fans to follow me there if they didn’t want to miss the next time I played in their city. You guys do a great job of making it really clear to fans that their favorite artist is playing close to them and it makes a huge difference in getting people out to see me live.

We can’t thank you enough for taking the time to share your story with our community, Natalie! Is there a specific project or anything the community can support you with at this time?

I’m expecting my first child in just over two months so things are kinda shifting around here for my priorities temporarily. I’m not going to stop playing live... I actually have shows booked about 1 month before and 2 months after I’m due! Playing and sharing music is a big part of what keeps me feeling good so I have to prioritize it. But I know that I’ll have to go with the flow of baby a lot more and see if I have a child that is up for the adventure of the road, so I’ll likely start with staying closer to home for a bit and being gentle on myself with all that will be on my plate. My Patreon has been the core of my community during Covid and I think will continue to be as I go through this transition into artist momma. If anyone is interested in joining I send out lots of videos, exclusive songs and concerts and more for my Patrons. You can find me there at patreon.com/nataliegelman. Looking ahead at what’s next, I have a batch of new music already to record because I’m always writing. The plan is to move forward and get into the studio before/after baby and then see where I’m at with baby as that gets finished. Anyone can keep up with me on nataliegelman.com and be sure to follow me on Bandsintown if you want to see me live! Sometimes I joke that I’ll have the baby on my back on stage so that will be worth coming out to see! I also have some ideas already brewing on songs and silly mom music stuff that I want to do on social media.

To connect further with Natalie directly, you can find her in the Bandsintown Artist Community or through the links below.

Website - https://nataliegelman.com/ 

Bandsintown - https://www.bandsintown.com/a/44847-natalie-gelman 

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nataliegelman/  

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliegelman/ 

Twitter - https://twitter.com/nataliegelman 

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/NatalieGelmanMusic/ 

Next month we’ll be back with another story from the community. Until then, keep creating and inspiring those around you!