DAVE'S DIARY - 5 JULY 2005 - NATALIE HOWARD
NATALIE HOWARD - FROM REDCLIFFE TO NASHVILLE
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Queensland
singer-songwriter Natalie Howard is the latest belle to ring here
and in Nashville to extend her career beyond the narrow confines of
her homeland. The singer was born in Redcliffe, lives on the Gold Coast and makes regular trips to Music City to write and develop her talent. Natalie is following in the fertile footsteps of fellow female singers such as Catherine Britt, Melinda Schneider, Felicity, Tamara Stewart, Kylie Sackley, Beccy Cole and Audrey Auld Mezera by joining forces with leading Nashville songwriters. Howard collaborated with leading Nashville hit writers diverse as Gary Burr, James House, Austin Cunningham, Rob Crosby, Will Rambeaux, Dean Miller, Tony Ramey, Tommy Lee James & Terry McBride and expatriate Australian Sherrie Austin. The singer also cut a duet with Kentucky born writing partner James Dean Hicks on her latest single - the McBride-Tommy Lee James penned song The Long Night. |
The duo co-wrote
her previous single I Don't Want To Live Like That.
"Co-writing has been such a great gift, I have learnt so much and
I have been so blessed, inspired and encouraged," says Howard whose
local co-writers include Bill Chambers, Kevin Bennett, Rick Price, Melinda
Schneider and Rod McCormack.
"I have always preferred a direct approach over a vague message when
it comes to my own music," says Howard.
"That's why I gravitate towards country music as my middle ground
so to peak even though my musical background is swamped with a mixture
of pop styles as well as more traditional country classics.
Howard has won hefty ABC and community radio airplay for songs on debut
indie album Yesterday's Make-up.
GRAPHIC ARTIST
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singer began performing on her mother's piano as a child before working
as a graphic artist after leaving school. Howard later took classical and contemporary vocal instruction and music theory and worked in bars, pubs and clubs in cover bands in and around the Brisbane area. She then received a grant through the Regional Arts Development Fund in Redcliffe that financed a trip to America to write and record her first demo session. It launched her writing career with Nashville collaborators on annual trips where she also performs her material the legendary Bluebird Cafe and other writers' locales. She wrote I Want To Get Out with New Orleans singer/songwriter Jim McCormick about an unhappy relationship. It was a bonus track on her single Love You Anyway and a finalist in international acoustic music awards. |
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"I have been in this situation before, and don't think I even noticed how bad things were at the time, until I moved on," Howard says of the former, "so I got to express my thoughts on the matter through the song."