NATTY PAYNTER
Welsh singer-songwriter Natty Paynter shares her brand new single ‘Paper Home’, out on all streaming platforms on 19 November.
‘Paper Home’ is the harrowing recollection of her family unravelling and her difficult relationship with her father. It shines a much-needed light on growing up in a fragile home and the mental health implications it can have on young people. Showcasing Natty’s natural gift for telling poignant and vivid stories through her lyrics, she is already known amongst her fans for her willingness to dissect her own experiences with an impressive honesty and bravery.
From the first lyric – ‘where’s all the old photos, did you burn them when we were broken’ – the listener can feel the pain and sincerity in Natty’s distinctively delicate and raw vocals, backed by a simple piano melody which builds into a driving beat that really enhances the heartbreaking sentiment of the song. Using songwriting as a form of therapy, she was able to channel these painful memories into her music in the hope that it may help someone going through a similar situation.
Speaking of the track, Natty says, “Paper Home is about living in a fragile home. I wrote it shortly after being made homeless earlier this year when I was going through a really hard time after being kicked out by my father. I spent that night in a police van. As the clocks struck midnight, the police officer turned around and said “happy new year”.
I won’t ever forget the night. I found out that my dad had been having an affair and in a midst of upset and anger I wrote ‘Paper Home’ as a form of therapy for myself. It’s about being pushed out by my family, my parents’ divorce, enduring mental abuse and not having a ‘home’. I hope it helps someone going through anything similar feel less alone, and know that things will get better.”
A rough cut gem on the indie-pop scene, Natty thrives on experimenting with the feelings and emotions she’s able to portray in her music by being as authentic as possible and exploring themes rarely touched upon. She writes ambitious and unapologetic songs about the ups and downs of life, often with darker, more introspective undertones.
Already backed by BBC Introducing, Natty has amassed a dedicated online fanbase who have followed her journey of self discovery and coming out as LGBTQ on her social media and YouTube channel. Born and raised in Cardiff, Natty is a self-taught multi-instrumentalist and cites artists such as Ed Sheeran and Alec Benjamin as her biggest influences. With a string of singles to come over the next few months, 2021 shows no sign of slowing down for this rising indie-pop artist.