Watch: Pearl Natasha – Eighteen

In this first release from her upcoming EP ‘Glory’ we’re introduced to the post healing track ‘Eighteen’, and an insight into Pearl Natasha’s heart with a self reflective look at the past eleven years of her life.

Without going into too much detail, Pearl’s move to Leeds was as a result of past trauma and her seeking to find a place to heal, deal with her past and embrace the musical kinship she’s always felt there, having previously lived in Leeds during her University days. Help Musicians NI were pivotal in helping with Pearl’s relocation and she certainly hit the ground running when she arrived, finding work, gigging and forming a new band, all achieved in a very short space of time. Alas, COVID had other plans and lockdown saw Pearl using the time to readdress her musical genre-crossing past, narrowing down what Pear’s sound actually was.

Answering the one question she’s been asking herself for so long “Who do I want to be?” which she finally resolved when she had time to just sit still.

“As a black woman I’ve never felt I could ever rest. I’ve used lockdown to stop. To fix myself, find myself and try to find happiness. It wasn’t a life or death situation, it was a low energy thing. The time off has been great, and I can really focus on my music, my writing and I’m now excited again! I felt I’ve achieved this by watching the video [back], and the response has been fantastic, and I look so happy!”

‘Eighteen’ skims over the relationship she’s had with her mother, but it goes beyond that, it’s uplifting in its telling that it’s okay to let go. To free yourself of the guilt of feeling happy for doing something that is beneficial for just you and your own mental health.

For those of us who have walked within the shadows of the Guildhall, the lyrical nod to the streets within Derry’s walls will make you smile, but, not for just that reason either, you’ll find yourself smiling as you see the joy in Pearl’s eyes (in the accompanying music video) as she fully embraces her emergence and confidence, as a songwriter and performer. You get a real sense of this woman’s growth, and and relief at leaving behind the adversity that took her to Leeds to heal in the first place.

Pearl Natasha still admits she gets anxious about performing, however, she knows that once she’s behind the mic that this is a safe space, this is home, no matter what the venue, and we hope to see her grace the stages of Northern Ireland again, soon.

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