SONG PREMIERE: Natalie Cressman Channels Hip-hop and R&B On “Love Me Blind”

February 2, 2017 by Glidein Audio, PREMIERESNo Comments

Within certain circles, Natalie Cressman is already a household name for the role she plays as a band member of the Trey Anastasio Band. Beyond that, the eclectic musician has only continued to diversify and expand her musical universe. These days the trombonist/composer/vocalist has been channeling much of her musical energy into her new EP Traces, which comes out on March 3rd. The album finds Cressman exploring a range of electronic elements with a live band, resulting in a refreshingly danceable and indie-modern vibe. The album also marks a bit of a departure from the jazzier music Cressman is known for.

Glide Magazine is excited to share a special premiere of “Love Me Blind” off Traces. The song brings to mind the beats of early Common with smooth R&B vocals of Mary J Blige, but in a way that shows us the distinctive direction this young artist is taking her sound.

Speaking on the recording of the song, Natalie Cressman has this to say:

“The melody for ‘Love Me Blind’ originally started out as a trombone loop that I tracked in Ableton, which you hear in the intro. I then built a beat around it, and when I was adding some background ‘ooh’s’ the idea occurred to me that it would be cool to put words to the trombone melody. The song evolved really organically from there and was one of the few songs on this album that I virtually wrote in one sitting. The lyrics are an uplifting series of questions to a lover, asking if they would love them against all odds, and it’s a really nice interlude between the two heavier and more melancholy songs on the EP. I then brought my Ableton project to producer Ivan Jackson of Brasstracks, and after tweaking my demo and adding his own elements to the track we replaced a lot of the layers with live instruments – drums, bass, guitar, keys, and strings, bringing the song to it’s full potential.”

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