Natalie Claro is an alternative pop/rock/R&B artist based in Nashville, TN and we already had the pleasure to get to know her a while ago. 

 She is the sole writer, producer and instrumentalist of all her music, taking complete creative control of everything she does. With a strong sound and style, Claro draws on a mix of eclectic influences from a wide range of genres – everything from Aretha Franklin, Billy Joel and Lady Gaga, to Hozier and Frank Ocean. 

Her latest single “When Alcohol Tastes Like Juice” is a coming-of-age metaphor on the notion that when a cocktail is so sugary, you can hardly taste the alcohol. You may lose sight of reality and get more intoxicated than you planned. However, the consequences come later. When you spend an entire week on distractions instead of working on achievements, it can leave you so guilty that it truly feels like a hangover.

“I wrote and produced the entirety of WATLJ over the course of the 2020 Covid pandemic. I was in such a dark state of feeling like any creation was completely useless. I realized that was the final straw of what was a building feeling of waste, spending the previous few months fighting off the temptation to spend time partying or being around friends because it brought a much quicker form of gratification than a low budget indie career did. Day after day song after song I’d invest every ounce of passion, energy, and money into what I loved until it was no longer fun anymore. Why would I dedicate myself to something that wasn’t giving me reward when trivial hobbies did?

But just like a night out of drinking, focusing too heavily on instant gratification results in a feeling of illness the next day. Spending an entire 24 hours around mindless fun left me guilty and frustrated in the morning.

It’s important to remind ourselves that we do what we love not for the end goal, but because any other path is just simply not good enough. Finding joy is being grateful for the journey.

I find so much comfort in coming of age feelings when I remember most kids and young adults experience this in some form or another. “Everyone that’s my age is so stuck, yet focused, running quickly over tar”. We’re all just confused while trying to make the best of it. I want this to remind people not to lose themselves in the process of making themselves, or getting distracted when alcohol tastes a little too much like juice.”