Nastee Chapel is a bridge between the past and the present that country music performers like Natalie Portman and Mandolin Steve are forging.

Founded in 2019, Natalie and Steve have combined their love of traditional British, Irish, and Appalachian folk with a dash of bluegrass and country to produce a unique sound that will appeal to both music aficionados and those who are just starting out in the world of music.

As a child, Natalie listened to CDs from her older siblings as well as sang along with her family in the kitchen as she grew up.

When Steve was 13, he first took up a guitar in his native Pretoria, South Africa. Inspired by the music of bands like System of a Down, Metallica, and Iron Maiden, he discovered that his passion for strong riffs and mathematical prowess made him an ideal candidate to study metal and rock.

We learned a lot about the brand and their newest release, "The Bucket" from our discussions with them.

What are your real name?
We are Natalie Kelsey and Steve van Niekerk

What's your official Showbiz name?
Nastee Chapel

How did you get into music?
Natalie's musical journey started with school and county orchestras, choirs and jazz bands. At 16 she gained a music scholarship to further her classical singing, flute and saxophone playing.

Working in a record store as a teenager expanded her tastes further and it was there that she developed a love for the '70s and '70s folk revival and prog-rock. She later went on to study Music at City University, London with vocal tuition from The Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

Steve picked up the guitar at 13 years old while living in his hometown of Pretoria, South Africa, inspired by the sounds of System of a Down, Metallica and Iron Maiden.

After moving to England in 2008, he started to play in the school jazz band and began listening to classic and contemporary jazz. Steve attended the Institute of Contemporary Music, London, for 3 years during which he was exposed to an array of styles including country and soul. He is also a talented sound engineer, recording and mixing albums for all of his own projects and for others.

Natalie and Steve met in 2014 bonding over a love for rock and metal bands such as Tool, Meshuggah and System of a Down. After 3 years of headbanging at metal gigs and festivals, they had a go at playing music together and eventually Nastee Chapel was formed in 2019.

What field or genre are you into and how would you describe it?
We get our influences from a huge melting pot of genres and then siphon that into what we refer to as 'progressive folk' for Nastee Chapel. We love that traditional folk storytelling is the main focus and we try to keep that in the spotlight while adding more progressive and technical riffs and solo sections.

You will hear a lot of influence from metal and jazz music are interwoven with traditional music of the British Isles as well as Appalachian folk, country and bluegrass.

What were your first project and the people you worked with and which year?
Nastee Chapel is still in its infancy as we started in 2019, all set for a break out year with gigs and festivals booked for 2020… until a pandemic threw a spanner in the works!

We had to somewhat leave the fanbase we were building in Hertfordshire when we moved to East Cheshire that year, but we've been connecting with people online via livestreams and local gigs when venues began to open again.

Know More About Nastee Chapel And Her Release 'The Bucket'

Know More About Nastee Chapel And Her Release 'The Bucket'

Who or what inspires you or motivates you? And why?
We are inspired by an ability to facilitate joy. We see our music as a tool to connect with people and tell stories that have helped us to process the world around us in all its pain and glory.

Any models you look up to? With reason(s) why?
Martin Carthy is the first person who springs to mind as his passion for what he does shines so clearly in all of his performances. He has often commented on people's tendency to view traditions as things that can never be altered and how we often approach traditional songs with a fear that we will do something wrong with them and tarnish their name.

We believe in breathing life into traditions of old and allowing stories to be re-told in a way that is relatable and accessible to a modern audience while maintaining the essence of the story that has lasted the test of time, and this is exactly what has happened within oral storytelling traditions throughout history.

What do you look out for in this line of business?
Authenticity. We do what we do because we have experienced how music has been able to help us through so much in our lives and our passion is to share that with others as an audience or as people we work with.

What are some of the challenges you face in your career path?
Well, I wouldn't say that it's a path suited to those who enjoy spending money, but we don't need much to get by so we'd rather live in our van for the rest of our lives if it means we can continue down this joyous path!

Another challenge is trying to express to people that our ability to play music is not special or one-of-a-kind. People see you on stage and think that we must have been born with a guitar in hand but we want to show people that everyone can benefit from having music in their lives and there is no point in ever comparing yourself to the skill of others. You do not need to be 'good' at art to enjoy art.

How do you feel the Internet has impacted the music business?
In a matter of decades, we have gone from an artist needing a string of professionals to assist them in creating and releasing a track to somebody being able to do all of the above and more from their bedroom.

It can be easy to feel overwhelmed by the tasks now involved with being an artist; writing, producing, engineering, marketing and distribution are all at your fingertips.

However, the opportunities and the power placed in the hands of artists is incredible. We have been able to connect with people all over the world through social media and we are so grateful for that.

 

Do you have any advice for aspiring songwriters?
Write about what you feel, even if it sounds cringe-worthy at first. Then pair that with music that matches the feeling and just let yourself go. Connecting with art is less about controlling and thinking hard about every aspect and is more about allowing something to come out that is already within you.

What is your current project about?
We have just released the first track of a 4 song EP titled 'The Bucket', the debut single has the same name.

The songs each address an aspect of society that has put a weight on our shoulders, by channelling those feelings into upbeat songs with driving rhythms and exciting instrumentals offers an opportunity to let out feelings of anger and frustration in a fun and supportive environment.

What are your hobbies?
Aside from music, we are lovers of the outdoors – hiking, canoeing, climbing and camping and we'll watch and enjoy any sport. Steve likes video games and Natalie prefers tabletop RPGs like Dungeons and Dragons.

What do you do aside from this profession?
This is now our full-time job, previously Steve worked with Rocksteady Music School (basically being Jack Black in School of Rock) and Natalie worked with children with special needs, which she still does just more remotely now.

What is one message you would give to your fans?
Our music is for everyone, go with what works for you and leave anything that doesn't.

https://open.spotify.com/album/5j4CadN2ELX8upVUKVOBlE

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Website