Natalie Prass announces new EP, Side By Side
Singer/songwriter Natalie Prass has spent most of the year touring in support of her outstanding self-titled album, released in January. With the year winding down, however, she’s got still more new music to share. On November 20, she’ll release a new EP titled Side by Side via StarTime International. The EP contains two live versions of tracks from her debut album, in addition to covers of songs by Anita Baker, Simon & Garfunkel and Grimes.
Prass released a statement about the covers she recorded:
I chose “Caught Up in the Rapture” because it’s the perfect song and Anita Baker can really work a shoulder pad. I have crazy respect for her.”
“Sound of Silence.” I dig the S & G… not like most people do. I can put it on for like a few songs because the lyrics and soft singing are very soothing, but then I’ll have to put on James Brown Live at the Apollo just to balance it out. Carmen McRae’s psychedelic version of this song is brilliant. We did it her way. It’s got that balance. This kind of style of music comes very naturally to us Richmond music folk. This was a one take Jake.
“REALiTi” by Grimes. Four chords. Simple lyrics and melodies. I think the world of her. We worked this song out in the studio never having played it before and recorded it like 3 times through. I think it works although she’s probably going to say “what is this jazz shit” and hate it.
Listen to “My Baby Don’t Understand Me,” recorded at Spacebomb Studios, below.
Natalie Prass Side by Side EP tracklist:
1 “My Baby Don’t Understand Me” (live)
2 “Caught Up in the Rapture” (Anita Baker cover)
3 “Christy” (live)
4 “The Sound of Silence” (Simon & Garfunkel cover)
5 “REALiTi” (Grimes cover)
Natalie Prass’ self-titled album is on our list of the Best Albums of 2015 So Far.
Jeff Terich is the founder and editor of Treble. He's been writing about music for 20 years and has been published at American Songwriter, Bandcamp Daily, Reverb, Spin, Stereogum, uDiscoverMusic, VinylMePlease and some others that he's forgetting right now. He's still not tired of it.