Artist: Natalie Del Carmen
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Latest Album: Pastures (released January 20, 2026)
Personal Nicknames (or rejected band names): Natalie, Nat
Which artist has influenced you the most – and how?
Brandi Carlile has been such a north star for me. There just aren’t enough big kid words to describe how much Brandi Carlile has influenced me. I heard The Firewatcher’s Daughter and never looked at songwriting the same. Then In These Silent Days came out and there just wasn’t a higher artistry bracket I could’ve dreamt of reaching.
My favorite writer these days is Izaak Opatz. I found him about 3 years ago now. I feel sorry for folks who haven’t gotten the chance to take a road trip and listen down to his discography and have a full meltdown over how good the material is alone in your vehicle. Opatz will never tell you how to feel about anything, but somehow, you leave every song feeling like you were just exposed a little. This guy overflows with ways to punch you in the gut without saying much at all.
What other art forms – literature, film, dance, painting, etc. – inform your music?
I like to joke to people around me that it really is just me and my hobbies. “Natalie and her hobbies. And one day, may she make money off of one of them!”
I suppose I’ve always been interested in learning new things with my hands and indulging in anything creative. I taught myself guitar, cross stitch, knitting, paint by number… I believe the internet is an endless place to learn a number of things on your own. That being said, I tend to walk a pretty straight and narrow path. Songwriting and artistry will always be my first priority, but I happened to have chosen a career that doesn’t always offer stability in the ways I crave it. Something about my creative hobbies gives me something to do mentally when the world gets kind of loud. I can’t ever just sit there.
How often do you hide behind a character in a song or use “you” when it’s actually “me”?
It’s funny, I think the answer should be pretty often, just to avoid outing myself so much. But the real answer is almost never, at least these days. These days, I’m usually writing in first person and admitting exactly what I hope to say, as me. But, it was something I wrestled with on my first record as a late teenager, the whole “you” versus “me” dilemma. I wrote a lot more cutting back then, cutting and directed to one person, without the confidence to really back it up. I hid behind “you” a lot. It’s like walking into a fight and saying, “Actually, put someone else in my place to throw it down for me.” When I’m choosing storytelling, “you” still works beautifully and I love it. But my favorite songs, from any artist, are always known and personal.
What is the most random interview question you’ve ever been asked?
I got asked recently what my go-to karaoke song was and I said “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” by Elton John, which was a solid choice upon a very quick answer, but the actual response is “Anywhere But Here” by Hilary Duff, so this is me setting the record straight.
What is a genre, album, artist, musician, or song that you adore that would surprise people?
I really love a few alternative or indie bands that I don’t get the chance to talk about often. Music from the band Hippo Campus is some of the best you’ll ever hear, honestly. Big Djo fan. Besides that, one of my favorite songs is “Tubthumping” by Chumbawamba and I’m really glad I get to say that in at least one interview.
Photo courtesy of the artist.
