It's all about creating a welcoming space for our entire community, says NatMac ahead of Joy In The Park appearance

Natalie McCormack a.k.a. NATMAC spoke to us on a wide variety of topics ahead of her set with Joy In The Park Festival on July 21 in Fitzgerald’s Park, Cork. Creating a welcoming space, Nat discussed the importance of community and how you just might find that through electronic music.

Hailing from Essex, Nat has been living in Ireland the past 17 years and promises us she’s not leaving anytime soon. She arrived on the Cork music scene, filled with passion, excitement and even nerves.

“For anybody arriving in a new city, it’s tricky to get business and get a gig. I started out as a bedroom DJ and was new to the craft. Moving over from London I hadn’t done a lot with music yet. As an artist it’s important to nurture and build your craft with experience.”

Seeking her new tribe, Nat began to meet like-minded artists who were in similar positions, leading Nat to found her Cork-based studio Underground Ovation in 2017. This studio provides emerging and established artists with the services and space to explore electronic music, offering one-to-one and group studio sessions, studio hire, mentoring workshops, and even gearing you up for your first gig!

“Underground Ovation was made to stand up for undiscovered artists, to give them a platform and outlet to help them grow and gain experience. Through our first event, Playground, we created a safe space for exploring electronic music.”

This feeling of community is built into the walls of the Underground Ovation studio as Nat shared her influences from her family in her musical journey.

“My parents were massively into music. My father was a bit of a raver and mom was always into rock, indie and electro. Family really influenced me. My dad helped me build Underground Ovation. From bin bags and polystyrene, he helped to make it soundproof. I lost my dad in November and one of the last things he said to me was to make sure you play every tune for me. When I go to my studio, he’s there egging me on. It’s nice to know that my dad is a big part of what I do.”

Nat’s musical influences from her childhood continue to evolve and change, embracing each wave that comes with music and life. This mindset even brought her to establish a new music collective, Outlaw’d, with DJ James Abjure.

“I’ve gone through different phases, from growing up in Essex, garage was a big part of me. When my mom passed I felt connected to more darker sounds, but it can help to revisit tunes from your youth. Two years ago, DJ James Abjure reached out to me as he saw I was playing a lot of garage on Instagram, and said we should do a night together. It was a really busy and good night. Fast forward two years and we’re still playing together with Outlaw’d.”

During the Pandemic, after speaking with artist friends, she identified the need for support for the electronic music scene and founded the Electronic Music Council. This community provides each other with endless support from entering the music scene, lending and sourcing equipment to bringing visibility to local events.

“We’re a pack of over 100 practitioners, helping and supporting each other. I’m really proud of this community. It’s helped put Cork in a positive direction. I’m really grateful to all the seven members of the EMC team.”

Working from the ground up, Nat identifies the necessity for venues in establishing healthy and safe environments for artists and fans to enjoy music.

“I began taking on an advisory role with EMC for operators on how to develop their spaces for this community through initiatives such as Ask Angela and Safe Gigs Ireland.

EMC has collaborated with Liquid Lounge to support the scene and create healthy practices for working within these environments. The aim of EMC is to create a positive and growing economy for electronic music.”

Recently invited by the independent volunteer group, Give Us The Night, to attend a meeting in the Dáil Éireann to discuss the licensing laws in Ireland surrounding the night-time industry, Nat highlighted how other speakers explored the growing number of artists and music industry professionals leaving Ireland to pursue careers abroad.

“I was chatting to Robbie G (Belters Only) who built his own label (We Are Active Records), fostered his own career through gaining experience working at a nightclub. But with limited spaces for creators to work in, people can’t build up this experience, as typically electronic music does go into the later hours. Through different case studies we presented we hopefully gave the Dáil food for thought.”

Embracing the rising tide, Nat continues to raise up other artists through Big Up The Beours, supporting female and non-binary artists within the electronic music scene.

“Through workshops held with Big Up The Beours, we identify skills that encourage confidence in setting boundaries. If you’re an artist booked for a gig, make sure everything is really clear and set the right expectations with the booker. Use your community, find the answers you need.”

Joining the Joy In The Park on July, July 21, NATMAC will be joined by DJs Lillian Murphy and Natalia Murria to host an hour of “uplighting tunes, good vibes and Big Up The Beours!”