Name: Natalie Peterson
Hometown: Ottumwa, Iowa
Year: Senior
Major (and minor if you have one): Songwriting & Communications
Role at Her Campus: Writer
What is your favorite genre?
While I think genres are important to lead listeners to new artists, I don’t think I can accurately say which genre is my favorite. You could say I am ‘genre-fluid’, being a mixture of songs in the ‘indie’ realm—what I am really into are great songs with great lyrics.
What types of songs are on your top 20 list?
Lyricism is what connects me with the music I listen to, so many of my top 20 songs from 2018 are based within strong and often heartbreaking or clever stories.
How has your music taste changed over the years?
I listen to more hip-hop and rap now, even though my playlist might not depict it. I didn’t really listen to anything like that when I was in high school. I’m more open to listening and enjoying songs I personally cannot relate to, and instead focusing on the portrayal of others’ realities.
Describe the best concert that you’ve ever been to:
Hmm. I would have to say Brandi Carlile at Red Rocks with the Secret Sisters and Shovels & Rope. There was a meteor shower that night behind the smoke in the sky, and Brandi ended with an A Capella version of “Amazing Grace” in a three-part harmony with the Secret Sisters, with all of the lights off. Performances like that stick with you forever.
What do you listen to when you drive?
Lately, I’ve been listening to a playlist I curated a couple of weeks ago that compiles all of the songs I loved through elementary, middle and high school. This could be anywhere from My Chemical Romance to Norah Jones to Nirvana to Salt-N-Pepa. Graduation has me pretty nostalgic. If I’m not listening to that, I’m usually listening to the radio, sometimes on an improvisational Jazz channel.
What do you like to listen to when you study?
I usually put on stuff that was released the previous week that I haven’t had a chance to listen to yet. If a song sticks out and makes me listen to it while I’m working, I know to go back to it later. Some of my favorite new releases this year have been from Sharon Van Etten, Hand Habits, SASAMI, and Better Oblivion Community Center.
What was the first concert you remember going to?
Keith Urban! In Des Moines, Iowa. With my grandma, aunt, and my mom. I remember loving his swoopy hair and being overwhelmed by how many people were in the arena.
If you could meet any artist for coffee, who would it be and why?
I would probably talk with Carrie Brownstein from Sleater-Kinney; after reading her impactful memoir Hunger Makes Me A Modern Girl, I believe I would learn three new words every ten minutes through the duration of the coffee date. Her intellect, talent, and sincerity are cutting and inspiring to me always.
What upcoming album/new release/new band has you excited?
I have heard that TORRES, a Belmont alum, is releasing a new album this year and I am deeply looking forward to seeing how she follows up her last record, Three Futures. Her bold brand and intimate persona are driven by her absolute need to create, and it is never disappointing.
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