For any established artist, successful in their genre, the process of trying to reclaim both their identity and sense of purpose after achieving notoriety in the fast paced world of pop can be hard. Not only is there the pressure to maintain, or even eclipse past victories and triumphs, but also the expectation that they will forever remain an almost identical version of the person they were at the height of their fame. Navigating such rough waters can be tricky, as Atomic Kitten singer turned solo recording artist Natasha Hamilton will testify…
“Listen, I’m a complex woman who has lived a lot of life,” a thoughtful, yet assertive Natasha muses as she relaxes at her home in the north of England following a gruelling day of band rehearsals. “So of course I’m not the same girl I was back in the 90s and 00s and you know, respectfully, I don’t want to be (laughs). I’ve arrived at a point in my life where I want to look forward, and make music that reflects the person I am today.”
Natasha Hamilton – You Don’t Know Me
It’s been over 25 years since Hamilton first burst onto the international music scene as a member of feisty British pop trio Atomic Kitten, and just like her fellow Kittens and lifelong friends Liz McClarnon and Jenny Frost, Natasha is now striking out on her own, fearlessly forging a path into uncharted territory.
Here we talk to the two-time BRIT Award nominee about the importance of fostering a sense of self-belief, turning heartbreak into hope, and how her decision to close one chapter in her life, has afforded her the freedom to begin an exciting new one…
Hey Natasha! How are you?
I’m very well thank you. Life is good… if not a little chaotic (laughs). All jokes aside, I’m really happy, and genuinely enjoying everything I’m doing. Day-to-day it’s not always easy to get the balance right, because there’s a lot for me to manage, but ultimately, I know what I want, and I know where I’m going, so I’m just keeping focused on my end goals, and hoping that everything else falls into place as it’s supposed to.
You’re a mother, a wife, a business woman, and now your own manager! How on earth do you find the time to do all that you’re doing?
I’m not gonna lie, it’s hard! As well as launching my solo career, I have a very busy family life, so I’m constantly juggling everything to make sure there’s enough time for me to be, like you say, a Mum, a wife, a business owner, and manager. As proud as I am to be all of those things, I don’t ever want to lose myself in the enormity of those roles, so it’s really important that I set time aside, for myself, to just sit still for a minute, so I can focus, plan and be creative. I actually said to my husband the other day I’m thinking I need to book myself into an Airbnb somewhere on the coast for a few days, just to give myself that space to really think, and concentrate on being an artist, because trust me, there’s not much artistry going on when you’re doing the dishes, washing the kids clothes, and making everyones tea every night (laughs). I know some people might think, or say, that sounds like a selfish thing to do, but for me and my job, it’s something that makes sense, and luckily (laughs) my husband thinks so too, so I’m definitely going to look into making that happen.
Being an artist is a lifestyle as much as it is a career…
Exactly! Part of the evolution of going from being a member of a girl band to a solo artist is figuring out exactly who you are, both personally and professionally, so that you’re able to write music from a place that feels authentic to you, as well as the person listening. I’m not same girl who was jumping around onstage singing ‘Right Now’ – she’s obviously still a part of me, and always will be, but I’ve grown up and a lots changed in my life, and the world since then. I want to make sure my solo material reflects that.
2025 marks 26 years since you made your chart debut, and 24 years since you scored your first official No.1 single with ‘Whole Again’. Two decades on, how does it feel to once again be putting new music out into the world?
It’s always nerve wrecking releasing new music – whether it’s a song you’ve written or somebody else’s, you still get those same butterflies. But I’d say there’s a pride I feel this time around, that I maybe didn’t always feel in the beginning of my career, because these are words and melodies that I’ve written from my heart. You connect with your own lyrics way more than you do when you’re singing somebody else’s, and I’ve spent many years now performing other peoples (songs), so it’s nice to be putting something out there that’s coming directly from me.
Natasha Hamilton – Burning Letters
Talk to us about your new single ‘Burning Letters’…
‘Burning Letters’ was written about a very specific situation I found myself in, when a past relationship of mine ended somewhat… abruptly shall we say (laughs). It’s a song abut heartbreak, but in not in the general sense, it’s very much a track that tells my story as I saw it. I wanted to paint a picture of what it was really like for me in that moment, by writing lyrics that would convey to anyone listening exactly what was happening, minute by minute, so that they would feel like they were right there with me. You know, the truth is, I really did see the key on the doormat, and then I got the gut punch, and then I nearly vomited… and then I poured myself a mega pint of wine; but I decided to leave that part of the story out of the song (laughs).
It definitely makes for an emotional listen, and we’d maybe go as far as to say this is perhaps the most vulnerable you’ve ever been on record…
It’s definitely me wearing my heart on my sleeve, and being very honest about what was obviously a really difficult, and sad situation. Difficult because from my point of view, the end of the relationship came completely out of blue, and sad because we both absolutely adored each other; the love we had for one another was immense! We just couldn’t make it work, despite all of that love. But you know, that’s ok, the relationship we had simply wasn’t meant to last.
When a song is so personal to you, how do you go about separating yourself from your emotions, so that you don’t become completely overwhelmed anytime you have to listen it, or perform it?
Like I said, a song like ‘Burning Letters’ is born out of a lived experience, and because of that, I think there’ll always be that little pang of sadness inside of me whenever I hear it, or perform it. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve come out the other side, and I’m absolutely fine, everything worked out how it was supposed to; we all got our happy ending (laughs). But you know, it’s like anytime you’ve had your heartbroken, you don’t ever really forget the way you felt do you? But I’m pleased, and proud that I managed to turn an unfortunate experience into something cathartic, and I hope it’s a song that will help other people who find themselves in a similar situation feel less alone.
What advice would you give to somebody going through a break-up, or experiencing heartbreak for the first time?
Do you know what? For me personally, I think it’s ok to sit in your emotions, and to feel sad sometimes. It’s human nature I guess to want to ignore how we’re feeling when times are tough, because nobody wants to feel sad or down about life. But the biggest lesson I’ve learnt when it comes to heartbreak, is to just let it wash over you, and realise that sometimes your thoughts are more frightening than the reality of a situation. If you allow yourself to just feel whatever it is you need to feel, then you can let go of that inner turmoil a lot easier.
Listening to you now, you seem very centred, and in touch with your feelings…
Ah thank you, it means a lot that you say that because I’ve put a lot of work in to get to this point babe, trust me (laughs). But yeah, I do feel at peace in my life, and I’m actually really happy to be releasing a song like ‘Burning Letters’, and promoting it from a place of feeling confident and strong, because that’s not always been the case when I’ve put out solo music in the past.
How so?
Well, anybody reading this who has followed me for a while will know that many years ago, I wrote and recorded a song with Toby Gad called ‘Miss Emotional’, which was this huge power ballad that sort of told a story about a really tough time in my life. To be in the studio with somebody like Toby was a big deal for me; he’s worked with people like Beyoncé, John Legend and Fergie, and there I am, a girl from Liverpool, in New York, collaborating with this huge songwriter and producer. I remember so clearly standing in the vocal booth, looking out of the window at the Empire State Building, and thinking to myself: “I don’t know if I deserve to be here”. I felt so overwhelmed, my heart was pounding, and it all just became a little bit too much. I feel quite conflicted when I look back on that time period now, because it’s like… what was my problem? I was walking into that room in my early 20’s, having experienced massive success with the girls, so, why did I feel so unworthy of being there? If I’m honest I’m still not sure why, but what’s great is, I worked through all of those feelings and emotions, and now, 15 / 16 years on, I’m able to walk into a studio, and feel totally confident in both myself, and my ability.
Natasha Hamilton – Ms Emotional
As you begin to re-discover your artistic purpose having rebuilt your self-confidence, do you now find yourself feeling more fearless than ever to step out on your own?
I do, and for many reasons, but mainly because I feel like after (maybe) subconsciously holding back for so long, I now owe it to myself to really give this a go. Like I said before, it’s daunting and scary to be releasing new music again, and there are definitely moments where I question what I’m doing; and that’s usually when all of my old insecurities and doubts start to creep in… which is always fun (laughs). Actually the other day I was thinking, because these songs are so personal to me, will they resonate with anyone else? Have I been too honest? Is anybody going to understand my point of view? But then I just had a word with myself, and kept it moving because I’ve waited a really long time to do this, so I’m not going to start self-sabotaging now (laughs).
It’s important to champion yourself, and to take ownership of the moment right?
Absolutely. And listen, I’ll be honest, I don’t know how many more solo albums I’ll make after this, so my attitude and mantra is one of, let me throw everything I’ve got at this one, and then whatever happens next, I’ll be happy knowing I gave it my all, and stayed true to myself. So that means no more compromising or playing it safe. Any song I record now has to be a true representation of me. I’m fortunate that because I’m an independent artist now, I’ve got nobody standing over me, telling me what to do, which is very liberating and freeing.
With the roll out of your solo material, you’ve come out the gate swinging, really showcasing your versatility as a recording artist in your own right, with each one of your singles sounding completely different from the next. Was that a conscious decision?
It’s not something I sat down and purposefully planned, but equally, there’s been definite intention behind the way I’ve presented this music to the public. When you’re in a girl band there are certain realms and parameters you have to work within, so going into my solo career I didn’t want to do what was expected of me, I wanted to rebel a little and go against the grain. I love pop music, but the reality is I grew up listening to a lot of dance and house, so when I heard the backing track for ‘Edge Of Us’ I got so excited because it reminded me of all those brilliant tunes I used to play on repeat as a teenager. It was then I sort of had this lightbulb moment, where I realised I could finally experiment, and have fun playing around with all of these different musical styes and sounds in a way that I haven’t really been able to before.
You’ve said you want to be as honest and real as possible with the subject matters you tackle in your songs. Talk to us about you approach to songwriting…
I absolutely love the whole process of writing, and coming up with different concepts for songs. There’s not one set way I like to write, sometimes I meet someone who I really gel with, and the lyrics and melodies just flow from there. Other times, I can be on my own and a thought or an emotion will inspire me. It’s funny though, because ideas can literally come to you at all different times of the day and night! I actually come up with my best ideas on long car journeys, so you’ll no doubt see me on the road somewhere, scrambling around in my bag, trying to find a pen and a pad of paper to write things down before I completely forget them.
You’ve always been given props for your vocal chops – not just from fans, but from your peers in pop too! How do you feel your voice has changed and evolved over time?
My range has definitely gotten bigger, and I personally think there’s more depth to my voice now. I’ve always said being a singer is like being an actress, because when you sing, you’re basically telling a story, so you find yourself drawing upon all of your different life experiences – good and bad – to help bring the lyrics to life. I’ve said it already, and as many people know, I’ve been through a lot over the years, and I think you can hear some of that pain in my voice when I sing now. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing, I think some of those struggles have helped me to become a better artist.
And now you’re in your solo era, you get to sing a whole song!!!
(Laughs) that’s very true! Yeah, thinking about it, I guess I’m singing more than I ever did before, both on stage and in the studio. And it’s been nice to be able to take my time in the booth, and really explore and experiment with my vocals. In the past I’d have an allotted time on the mic before one of the other girls was due to come in to record her parts, so it always felt a bit rushed and like I was never really able to discover just what I was capable of vocally. So it’s nice to have that bit more time and freedom to push myself, and grow as a vocalist.
Atomic Kitten – Whole Again
In late 2024 you announced that after 25 years, you were stepping away from Atomic Kitten to afford yourself the freedom to focus more of your time and energy on your solo career. Several months on, are you now feeling the benefits of having made that decision?
Yeah, I think so… I mean, gosh, stepping away from something that had been a constant in my life for the best part of 25 years was hard! It wasn’t a decision I made lightly, trust me! Being in Atomic Kitten was something I could rely on, it provided me with so much, and I love performing all of our amazing songs. But it was getting to a point where I felt like I was in a time warp, and every time I left the house to go do a gig (it was like) I was regressing, because as a band we weren’t progressing with any new projects. It was the same setup, the same setlist, there was nothing fresh for us to get really excited about, creatively or artistically, and for me, that was starting to feel quite restrictive. So I just thought before everything comes tumbling down, because that’s what inevitably happens when you’re feeling unfulfilled in a work situation, let me just step away from this, and focus my attention elsewhere. And don’t get me wrong, in the back of my mind, for a while I was really questioning whether or not I’d made the right decision, but like you said, we’re several months on now, and I do feel to have so much more inner peace, and space mentally, to really focus one thousand percent on my solo music. So yeah, I’m confident it was the right decision.
And it’s important to note that you move on with the full support of your bandmates…
Oh yeah, definitely! It’s been nice to walk away and it be all amicable, and peaceful, and there be nothing but love between us. I adore Jenny and Liz, in fact I was on the phone to Jenny this morning putting the world to rights and having a real laugh like we always do when we’re together! So there’s no question that those girls will always be a huge part of my life… and listen, what’s funny is, I’m always the one that says when it comes to Atomic Kitten: “never say never…” (laughs). I’m a performer at the end of the day, so why would I not want to get up on stage with the girls and do something wonderful at some point? The door is definitely open…
So as we look to year ahead, how are you feeling as you begin this new chapter?
I feel like I’m really ready now to share all of my different life experiences, and be super honest with people. I’m not afraid to be vulnerable, and I’m not embarrassed to say, I got some things wrong. I’ve finally found my voice, I’ve found my confidence, and a level of inner peace that feels amazing. I’m worthy, just like anyone else is, and I’m ready to tell my story and share my truth with people through song.
Download / stream ‘Burning Letters’ here
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