Nataly Dawn may not be a name you immediately recognise, but anyone who is a fan of quirky YouTube covers will already be very familiar with her work.

Having made her mark on the international music scene with an array of amazing cover versions alongside her real life other half, Jack Conte, as part of Pomplamoose, Dawn is finally making a name for herself as a soloist.

With her latest record, 'How I Knew Her', impressing fans and critics, Dawn is currently making her way around the UK for some solo shows. She has a support slot for Lord Huron on May 18th at Leeds, Brudenell Social Club and The Yorkshire Times decided to find out how it felt to go from internet phenomenon to recording star.



You are best known for your work with Pomplamoose - how do you feel your work as a soloist is different to the partnership?

It's very different. For one, I write the songs instead of it being a collaboration. That affects not only the lyrics but also the genre. Pomplamoose is pop-rock whereas my stuff is more folk-rock. Also, my work is quite a bit darker than Pomplamoose. That's not to say that it's "dark" music. It isn't for the most part. But it's still a good shade darker than what Pomplamoose makes. The last big difference is the recording process. With the band, Jack and I record everything one instrument at a time (overdubbing) whereas all of the songs on this album were recorded live to tape.

What prompted the decision to explore the solo sphere?

A few things. For one, I'd written all of these songs that I didn't feel fell under the Pomplamoose umbrella. Secondly, Pomplamoose had decided to take a hiatus. We had gotten a wave of unexpected attention in 2010 that kind of threw us for a loop. The band started to intimidate us rather than inspire us. It was all about business and "what to do next" as opposed to just having fun in the studio. So to preserve our sanity, our band and our relationship, we decided to give Pomplamoose a rest. And I'm glad we did. Because now we're back to being excited about working together AND we've put out a lot of good music separately. Either way, whether we're doing Pomplamoose or our solo stuff, I believe in having multiple projects. The diversity keeps me on my toes.

Pomplamoose have become a phenomenon on the internet - what plans are at hand within the band?

We hope to be doing more soon, but it's hard to predict when we'll be back in the studio. Right now, I'm touring and Jack is busy with his solo EDM project and his very successful start-up, Patreon. There are just too many irons in the fire!

What internet phenomenon has most impressed you?

Probably Kickstarter. It certainly surprised me when I launched a campaign for my album two years ago and raised over 100k in 50 days. That was incredible. But honestly, I think Patreon could be the next Kickstarter.

Do you feel any pressure to succeed, given the success of Pomplamoose?

I wouldn't say it's a "pressure", but it's definitely a bit of a carrot. Jack and I both work crazy hard at what we do, and we love it. We both hope to be a success independently of Pomplamoose. And in a lot of ways, we already are. I mean, we make a living as full-time musicians! But success as a singer/songwriter is not the same thing as success as a pop-rock band. They appeal to completely different numbers. Currently, Jack's music is growing WAY faster than mine. EDM is just a massively popular thing right now, and he's brilliant at it. But as long as we're both making music that we love, I will be happy. Whether Pomplamoose, Conte or I have the most fans.

'How I Knew Her' is your first official global solo release - can you tell us a little about the record...

After the incredibly positive response I received on Kickstarter, I decided that I was going to make the album of my dreams. That I wasn't going to skimp on anything: not the songs, not the studio, not the musicians, not a thing. I flew up some of my favorite musicians from LA to record at Prairie Sun, a little converted-hen-house in Sonoma, California, with chickens running about all over the place. It's where Tom Waits recorded a lot of his albums, so it really has that Americana, rustic feel. We recorded live to tape and then Jack Conte spent the next following months filling out the songs, whether that mean bringing out pianists, string players, horn players or whatever else he felt it needed. He's the reason why my album is what it is. His perseverance, talent and understanding of my vision.

How did the title come about?

I was trying to think of a common thread throughout the album, and realized that it had a lot to do with the women who had influenced my life. That I was trying to figure out who I was by rehashing their lives and choices. The songs are mainly about family. And the women in my family in particular: my mom, my grandmothers, my cousins.

The album is extremely autobiographic - is it difficult to explore the personal so publicly?

Yes. But nothing else is very interesting. At least I have trouble writing about anything else.

Religion references are also heavily featured within 'How I Knew Her' - but it is far from a religious release - would you say that religion is just another part of what makes you who you are?

It's definitely a big part of who I am. But I don't consider myself religious. I still believe in a lot of the stuff that I was raised with, but I've rejected a good deal of it too. Mostly, I hope what comes out in my music is the struggle. Because I'm not an atheist. But I'm also not a church-going Christian. Anyone who's been raised in a religious home knows what I'm talking about. There's a lot of stuff you never quite shake.

For those who have not heard the record - what would you feel are the key introduction tracks?

If you like Bright-Eyes: I Just Wanted You to Get Old
If you like country: Please Don't Scream or Even Steven
If you like story-telling: How I Knew Her
If you like musicals: Why Did You Marry
If you like Americana: Araceli or Caroline
If you like rock: Long Running Joke
If you like vibey sh*t: Counting Down or Leslie
If you don't like any of those...another record.

You will be hitting these shores for a tour shortly - what can fans expect?

A pretty fun show.