For singer songwriter Natasha Hardy, her goal is twofold; to write songs that evoke the emotional delicacy and powerful heart and to convey those emotions through capturing the nuance of both the vulnerability and strength in the voice.
Her music combines both the New Age and ambiguous Classical Crossover genre, alongside Folk and Celtic leanings. As a classical and contemporary trained musician, Natasha has spent many years perfecting her vocals that seamlessly unite the contemporary/operatic divide. Her voice has been described as angelic, haunting and ethereal, Natasha binds and balances these elements together to create aural works of art.
Natasha Hardy’s debut Album, ‘Lost in Love’ is a collection of self-penned love songs inspired by her passions, heartaches and the fairy-tale fantasies that falling in love can bring. With the cinematic inspired arrangements comprising operatic, orchestral, Celtic and ambient elements ‘Lost in Love’ takes you on an emotional journey, directly transporting you to the voice of the heart.
Natasha’s ‘Lost in Love’ album comprises 10 tracks of pristinely produced music, produced and arranged by Tom E Morrison (Bonnie Tyler, Underworld), and features one track produced by film composer Michael A Levine (Hunger Games, Siren). The beautiful cinematic style arrangements feature award winning violinist, Dermot Crehan, (Lord of the Rings, Narnia, London Philharmonic Orchestra) and a plethora of talented musicians. Natasha poured her heart and soul into this album, self-funding and taking on the role of executive producer. She went above and beyond by producing the accompanying music videos for each single release, truly making it a labour of love.
‘Lost in Love’ has garnered some exceptional feedback. ‘In Too Deep’ was awarded ‘Chart Breaker Song of the Week’ from Spirit Radio Ireland. ‘Strong’ is the closing theme song for the feature film ‘Viking Destiny’ featuring Terence Stamp and ‘Take Me Home’ accumulated over 50K organic views in under a week on the YouTube Channel ‘Epic Music World’.
Furthermore, 'Lost in Love’ was awarded ‘Best Vocal Album’ by One World Music Radio, Natasha was nominated as a Finalist for Stefania Passamonte’s the Future Classic Womens Award on ‘Womens Radio’ and won the ‘Best Classic and Pop Artist’ Category from Therapy Through a Lense Magazine.
All the singles from this album received support from a broad spectrum of listenership, including local, national, and international radio, notably including the BBC, among others.
The decision to start work on a new project was driven by a series of personal challenges that had left Natasha feeling stuck and unable to progress. After losing her father to prostate cancer, she found solace in singing but was unable to write music due to overwhelming grief. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic added another layer of complexity, making it difficult for her to record new music.
Despite these setbacks, she was determined to find a way to express her emotions through music. She turned to cover songs as a means of releasing some of the grief she was feeling, and it was during this process that the idea of collaborating with a new producer was born.
Seeking to explore a new avenue and connect with a producer who was unaware of her personal struggles, she shared her story with Nashville based, American Producer, Peter ‘Ren’ Renfree. He responded with understanding and empathy, incorporating her experiences into their collaboration in a deeply meaningful way. Through their collaboration, Natasha found a sense of spiritual connection and was able to open up in ways she hadn't before. Together, they created something truly special that reflected her journey of healing and growth.
Natasha's soul-stirring vocals, paired with Stefano Marzanni's piano and Dirje Childs' cello, have created a stunning collection of classic covers. Ren's tender production weaves these elements together seamlessly, resulting in a three-dimensional sound that is both intimate and deeply comforting.
The Americana influences presented in these covers have added a new dimension to Hardy's already diverse musical palette, further showcasing her versatility as an artist.
Musically, the raw arrangements of voice, piano, and cello create a remarkably full and rich sound, despite the minimalistic instrumentation. Each instrument is layered together in a way that allows the heartfelt emotions of Natasha's performance to shine through.
These versions of classic songs were chosen specifically because they resonated with Natasha’s personal experiences. The resulting covers are raw and emotionally charged, reflecting the heartache and grief that inspired them. Despite the pain that permeates, there is a sense of hope and beauty that shines through in Natasha's heartachingly beautiful tone.
As Natasha began to heal, and feel more like herself again, she found herself drawn back to the Celtic sounds that her previous producer, Tom E Morrison, was known for.
Feeling like she was coming full circle in her musical journey, Natasha reached out to Tom to record an additional 4 songs. The connection, and their previous relationship, provided a sense of comfort and familiarity that she needed during this difficult time of learning to live with grief.
By collaborating with both Ren and Tom, Natasha was able to explore different aspects of her musical identity and create a body of work that was both personal and deeply meaningful. The full collection of cover songs is set to be released in late 2023.
The singles that have been released recently have generated an overwhelmingly positive response. ‘Bright Eyes’ reached Number 4 in the iTunes Classical Charts on its release. Most recently her single ‘Into The West’ has been nominated for Best Vocal Single by One World Music Radio.
Both singles have also received widespread support from a diverse range of listeners, including local, national, and international radio stations.
Natasha is currently writing original material for her follow up album and is currently planning live dates and a debut tour.