One on one with Natascha Sohl
by Oliver St John

     

     Natascha Sohl is becoming quite the Web sensation. While her shows have largely been based in the UK, messages praising her music have come to her website and her MySpace page from as far afield as Mexico, Kenya and Malaysia.

     Of her musical career aspirations, she says, "I think it was one of those things that was always there ever since I was very small I remember locking myself in my bedroom and singing, but I never wanted to do it in front of anyone - I thought I was too shy, or it would be too hard, and then I got to a point in my life where I realized I really wanted to do this, so stop being such a wimp and get on with it." And she did.

     Her debut album Strange Fascination, released in 2004 on independent label Granite Music, has invited comparisons with such household names as Avril Lavigne, Kelly Clarkson and Liz Phair. Currently, though, Natascha is trying to go one better with the impending release of the follow-up album Dirty Little Word. The leadoff single, "Naked", is a high-energy rock track that seems almost tailor-made to fill a stadium-sized venue.

     Thus far, she has played primarily to smaller audiences, about 500 people, but a few larger shows have certainly helped her gain exposure - a recent charity event saw her playing to a crowd of 21,000.

     Natascha names influences from throughout a lifetime of music listening, starting with Queen, the Police and Dire Straits while growing up, then more recently artists such as Alanis Morissette and Sheryl Crow, which helped her find her own sound. Now, she counts Ben Folds, Gavin DeGraw and the Foo Fighters among her favorites - "music that moves me, that is passionate, where you can hear that the person behind it really believes in it." As far as who she'd like to see featured in The Green Room, she's named Fiona Apple.

     She has been very environmentally-savvy for her whole life, having grown up in a green-conscious family, and while she hasn't yet had the opportunity to take the green message to audiences through her performances, she makes the point that "this is our world, and there's only one of it - if we ruin it, what do we do?"

     At time of writing, Natascha is in the United States, where she will be performing a showcase gig in New York City as part of a push to move into the Stateside market. She has an enthusiastic team of musicians and promoters backing the attempt, and we wish her the very best of luck breaking through on these shores.

     The track "I'm Not Listening", from the forthcoming album "Dirty Little Word", can be downloaded here, and a few other selections are available from her website at www.nataschasohl.com. Additionally, the album Strange Fascination is available at Amazon.com and single "Naked" can be purchased at iTunes.