Alt-folk songwriter SHELBY NATASHA is excited to announce the release of her new EP,It Was Mine. Speaking to the themes of the new album track-by-track, Natasha states, ““Spring” is my attempt at a true folk song. With a whimsical/earthy guitar part as the primary instrument, this song tells a story of falling in love during the apocalypse. I wanted to write something that felt like the love I was calling into my life and it feels really full circle because, when it came time to finish the song, I got my partner to play drums on it. He really is the love of my life and feels like the love I was trying to call in, so that feels really special. My favorite fun fact about this song is that I included bird samples that I recorded on tour, in a rest area bathroom.
““Pirates” was written in dedication to my brother Sean, who passed away after a decade long battle with addiction. Sean was my first friend in this life and I really wanted to create something that would feel like it could honor his memory. It includes audio samples from home movies of our childhood and the lush vocal harmonies that were an attempt at a nod to the Motown classics that he loved.
““It Was Mine” was written, produced, and performed on Guzheng and vocals by Shelby Natasha, with Jordan Tan on upright bass, Clark on cello, Marco de Carvalho on guitar, and Josh Pehrson on drums. This song is written from the perspective of who I hope that I am at the end of my life. There’s a really awesome organization in Seattle called the Bushwick Bookclub and they have a bunch of musicians write songs based off of the same book. I was part of a group that was writing songs based on the book Violeta, a story told from the perspective of a lady, who reminded me a lot of my grandma, reflecting on her life, in old age, and telling her story. I read Violeta right after my grandma passed and it helped me process my relationship to her mortality and my own and had me thinking a lot about the person I hope that I get to be, on the other side of my life. Almost every line is a mix between a prayer and a promise to myself. I wanted it to feel, sonically, like reaching back into time. I really loved getting to blend the Guzheng in with so many other live strings, I feel like it encapsulated the tenderness and warmth that I craved, as well as the ache and sorrow that are a part of life. It is a dreamy and haunting blend of Chinese folk music and Lo-fi.
““The Three Of Us” is a song inspired by a really imbalanced relationship I was in, a handful of years ago. It encapsulates the experience of watching someone you love fall out of love with you. It has yearnful layers of strings, haunting harmonies, and evocative Guzheng lines setting the stage of the story.
It Was Mine EP will release on digital streaming on April 3rd, 2026.
1. Salmon Song
2. Spring
3. Pirates
4. It Was Mine
5. The Three Of Us
see SHELBY NATASHA live:
04/17 – Seattle WA @ Washington Hall w/ YAIMA + Zje Mongol (ticket link)
06/10-14 – Tornoto ON @ NXNE Music Festival & Conference
07/23-25 – Seattle WA @ TIMBER! Outdoor Music Fest
Shelby Natasha is an alt-folk songwriter and Guzheng player from Seattle. Her music is an invitation into a world of RnB influenced Chinese-Folk Music. Inspired by her upbringing growing up between China and the PNW, her music draws greatly from the folk music of both cultures, reimagined in a modern production context.
With ethereal vocals, Guzheng (the chinese harp), and lofi beats, she creates a vibe that is both haunting and groovy. She has played in festivals such as Oregon Country Fair, NAMM, Any Patch of Grass, Belltown Bloom, Imagine Festival, Portland Folk Festival, Northwest Folklife and have played support slots for the artists East Forest and Simrit.
visit SHELBY NATASHA online:
Website: https://shelbynatashamusic.godaddysites.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shelbynatashamusic/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@shelbynatashamusic
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shelbynatashamusic/
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/shelbynatasha
Bandcamp: https://shelbynatasha.bandcamp.com
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@shelbynatashamusic
Tidal: https://tidal.com/artist/16758245/u
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/shelby-natasha/1479141445
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/47SdHNONqDSmD5ngfUCLFW
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