Standing on stage at her first arena show, Natalie Gelman heard the echoes of a crowd of 17,000 singing along to her song “Photograph” as she finished her set opening for Bon Jovi. As she looked out at the crowd Natalie recalled, “it was so incredible, I was already thinking about what song to write next so I could make it all happen again.”
The arena was a far cry from where Natalie cut her teeth as a performer. Growing up in New York City, Natalie began her career as a folk-pop singer songwriter by playing music in the subways, starting at age 16. “I’ve overcome a lot to get to this point,” says the Ojai, California based artist. “My plan in music and in life has always been to keep going and not be afraid to push my boundaries.”
That ethos is at the core of Natalie’s forthcoming album, Moth To The Flame. The title is lifted from lyrics in the stand out track “Photograph,” a dynamic anthem about perseverance. “I wrote ‘Photograph’ about never giving up when the odds are against you; it’s a love song to my audience.”
The heart of the album is the softly driving and vulnerable track “The Answer.” Natalie describes the song as “a reminder for people to realize their power and to see their self-worth… and never forget the love they can bring to the world and those around them.”
Through the making of Moth To The Flame many songs Natalie had written took on new meaning as she faced one of the hardest experiences of her life. Natalie’s mom had developed Alzheimer’s and the week before the Bon Jovi show she was admitted into a memory care nursing home. Natalie explained, ”I was confronted with mortality and fragility and the stakes of everything in my life seemed higher. I had nowhere to put all that pain and emotion but into my music and the songs were helping me through it.”
Natalie is putting the finishing touches on what will be her first full-length album. A modern-day troubadour, she continues to tour nationally and abroad. Not one to rest, Natalie said, “I already have a batch of new songs I can’t wait to record; there’s so much more I want to say.”