Today, it’s our absolute privilege to give you the first listen to something many of you, funny enough, might have heard before. Scottish singer NATI is releasing her latest single “Heard It All Before,” and we’ve got the premiere of the studio version. If you’ve caught one of her live shows recently, chances are you’re already familiar with this track, as she has been using it to kick off her shows.
Now, for the first time, we get to experience the studio version of this live staple. It’s the same song so many fans have come to love at NATI’s shows, now refined and re-imagined for her upcoming new release, as she has been diligently working on the successor to her 2023 debut EP ‘Older’. And now, fans can look forward to some fresh material, starting today with the release of this track.
About the song, NATI comments:
Do you ever sit in a stew of your own rage and disappointment? And eventually, that rage and disappointment becomes a realisation? Then it becomes something cathartic you say out loud to a person (or to the wardrobe mirror 3 years later). Aye, this is that song. Our overthinking, anxious types may be gentle folk but categorically do not fuck with us once we get our marbles back. They might just end up stuffed in your mouth.
This track makes me feel powerful. It makes me feel like the woman I’ve always dreamed of becoming. The woman who says things like “No” and “I disagree” and “I think you’re wrong about that”. We open with this track live for most shows and I love it because that song switches me on. As soon as I get to the first pre-chorus I feel like I’ve been lit on fire (in a safe non painful metaphorical way please dinnae set yersel on fire).
We at Folk N Rock find it fitting that NATI is adding a rock edge to her folk sound on this track. Her voice, which typically carries the ancient heart of the Lowland hills to Highland peaks, now trades its dreamy sound for a searing energy – transforming from a delicate Celtic knot to a sharp, unsheathed claymore.
The track opens with a screechy distortion that calls to mind a sudden brake halt. But we’re not pumping the brakes here; instead, NATI slams the pedal as we soon go full throttle into a powerful riff, backed by bright, upbeat guitar tones. While she ventures into rockier territory, her folk roots remain there to a subtle degree, deeply woven into the song’s fabric.
This creates a great contrast between her established style and the new, electric-driven attitude. The result is a masterful melding: the track keeps its folk heart while embracing a grittier, more amplified approach.
Her voice remains the star of the show, but this time it’s armed with a new weapon: attitude. Her signature epic high notes and beautiful vocal styling are still present, but they’re now infused with a palpable passion that crackles through every line. You can hear the frustration coursing through her pristine tones.
It’s in the way she bites off certain words, the subtle intensity that emerges at the edges of her phrases. Her delivery is so authentic, you can almost see her rolling her eyes and shaking her head as she sings.
We’ve all been there – caught in a cycle of manipulation, unable to see the forest for the trees. But there’s always a tipping point, a moment when the scales fall from our eyes and we snap out of the trance. It’s like waking up from a dream, suddenly aware of the reality we’ve been sleepwalking through.
Often, this awakening happens in the most mundane of places – the shower for example. Just as we belt out our favorite tunes under the spray, we also rehearse confrontations, perfecting our words against those who’ve wronged us with an imaginary argument. It’s in these steamy confines that our Eureka moments occur, epiphanies rising with the mist.
It’s a song about self-realization. The track isn’t just about frustration; it’s a song of strength and the decision to stop being a victim. Her vocals carry the weight of someone who’s no longer willing to tolerate lies and manipulation, embodying an indomitable spirit to move forward.
“Heard It All Before,” emphasizes the weariness with repeated, empty promises and hollow apologies that never lead to genuine change. But NATI takes it a step further. This song is an anthem for personal growth and the courage to break free from toxic cycles.
Through her words, she explores the liberating moment of choosing truth over comfortable lies. It’s about recognizing your own worth and refusing to participate in manipulative games any longer.
She stands with one foot in the misty glens of traditional folk and the other in a soulful realm that’s all her own. Her music forms a bridge between these two worlds, allowing her to traverse both territories with equal grace. Her folk roots run deep, nourished by the rich soil of tradition, while her rock-and-soul-infused expression surges.
With today’s release, she’s taken the untamed energy of her live shows and alchemized it into a studio concoction brimming with unrestrained fervor and self-assurance. And of course she can do more than carry a tune – she can carry an awakening. One that starts in our headphones and ends with us standing a little taller, speaking a little louder, and refusing to hear those same old lines ever again.