Natasha Humera Ejaz, who rose to prominence with her debut single ‘Today is a Place’ several years ago, is evolving with every release even as she continues to act. Influenced from jazz and playing a blend of indie-folk, electronic pop and creating dreamy-ambient landscapes, she has featured on music shows like Uth Records and Lussun TV with incredible flair.
Natasha Humera Ejaz, who rose to prominence with her debut single ‘Today is a Place’ several years ago, is evolving with every release even as she continues to act. Influenced from jazz and playing a blend of indie-folk, electronic pop and creating dreamy-ambient landscapes, she has featured on music shows like Uth Records and Lussun TV with incredible flair.
Natasha released her debut EP, Till the End of Time in 2015, which came attached with the thrilling ‘Khwab’ music video, both fetching her two Lux Style Award nominations including one for Best Music Album in 2016.
The artist is now back with her latest single, ‘God In Me’ along with a music video directed by frequent collaborator Ali Junejo. An ambient elegy akin to the work of Sufjan Stevens and Agnes Obel, it is quite possibly her most personal release.
Though Natasha is also a part of Allahyar’s strong soundtrack with two efforts, it’s ‘God In Me’ that showcases her evolution as a songwriter the most. In the music video that is embedded with shadows and light, ridges of sand and the sea, the artist is joined by Kashif Hussain and it remains a part moody, part inspirational effort that reels you in almost instantly.
When Instep caught up with Natasha as part of a cast interview with Allahyar and the Legend of Markhor, she explained the thought process that went into her single, ‘God in Me’.
“Basically, I went through a lot of very, very scary personal stuff. Uzair Bhai (director Allahyar) and 3rd World Studio were with me throughout,” Natasha told Instep. “But after that I came to a weird mental block and the only thing that got me out of that block was sitting down with my guitar and keyboard and really just putting all of this into my laptop, just these things that I was feeling.”
As Natasha notes, she went back to this material some weeks later and it was at this point that things began taking shape.
“About 3-4 months later I went back to it and I thought there was something there. So, I contacted a friend of mine (Jeremy Thal) in New York who plays the French horn beautifully. I wrote down parts and asked him to record them and send them back to me along with improvised parts. When the song mix came back it sounded like milk and butter and I prayed to God that it gets success and released it.”
As for the video, says Natasha, “I got a beautiful team of visual artists to direct the video and it just turned into a two-day passion project.”
The song, explains Natasha, is a prayer song that delves into spirituality. “It’s about figuring out what it means to know the truth and not know the truth and finding yourself and not finding yourself.”
There is more music on the way as well, as Natasha reveals she is collaborating with Faris Shafi. “I am putting out a song next month that I’ve collaborated with Faris Shafi on. It’s called ‘Give It Up to The News’. He’s rapping on my song, I’m so excited!”
caption
Kashif Hussain and Natasha Humera Ejaz in a still from ‘God In Me’.
