‘I’m so grateful when my son is naughty!’
Singing sensation Natasha Bedingfield on why starting a family changed everything
When singer Natasha Bedingfield burst onto the music scene in the early noughties – following in the footsteps of her brother Daniel – she quickly proved she was far from a one-hit wonder.
She scored Top 10s with catchy tunes like These Words, I Wanna Have Your Babies and Pocketful Of Sunshine. But it was when her song Unwritten became the theme tune to hit US series The Hills in 2006 that she really made her mark.
Natasha, 38, became a big name in the States and now lives in LA with her husband, Matt Robinson, and their son, Solomon, two.
But her motherhood journey has had some extremely tough moments, including a terrifying health scare at the end of last year. When the tot contracted a nasty infection, he had to undergo two emergency brain surgeries, which left him hospitalised for five weeks.
Since, Solomon, who she cutely nicknames Solo, has fully recovered and Natasha has been throwing him regular dance parties throughout lockdown to keep the fun flowing.
However, that’s not the only thing that’s kept her busy, as she’s also recorded single Together In This for new film Jungle Beat: The Movie.
Here, she chats earning ‘cool mum’ points, singing for Barack Obama and why Bake Off reminds her of home…
Hi Natasha. How’s lockdown life been for you in LA?
It’s a very strange time. Every single person is going through their own version of their worst nightmare in some ways. But there are beautiful moments in between. We went through our nightmare a few months before, when my son was in hospital for five weeks, so I’d already been wearing masks and trying to think up ways to entertain him in a small space.
How is Solomon now?
He’s doing great. He’s super healthy. But it’s so funny how quickly your brain switches after trauma. I’m now like, ‘He’s being naughty… yay!’ I’m so grateful.
What have you been up to as a family in quarantine?
It’s good to remember as a mum that stuff that’s good for your kid is good for you as well. So we’ve been doing dance parties, which helps him burn energy and helps me get some cardio. They’ve been great. I’m determined that my kid will have some rhythm! Another thing I discovered when I was in the hospital with Solo, which sounds silly, is temporary tattoos. There’s a company called Melissa & Doug that has a whole book of kids’ nonpermanent tattoos.
Solo’s been covered head to toe – he loves it!
Have you managed to have any ‘me time’?
Being a mum, there’s always something to do. That’s the thing about lockdown, people are saying, ‘Make sure you take time for yourself.’ But there’s a whole lot of other things going on which make that difficult.
And you’ve been busy in the recording studio as well…
Yes, with Together In This. My old friend Jonas Myrin wrote the song and it felt like one of my early ones, Pocketful Of Sunshine, so I thought,‘I can sing this.’ It’s for an animated movie, Jungle Beat: The Movie, so having a two-and-a-half year old, it was a no-brainer. It’s a fun thing to do for your kids and you want to be the cool mum.
Does Solo understand what you do as a job?
He must think every mum sings, it’s so normal for him.
I take him on the road with me when I’m touring. He loves being on the tour bus and he’s also come up onstage with me.
I’m scared because he actually really loves the camera. I’m like, ‘Uh-oh, this kid is a natural.’ I don’t want to be a stage mum in any way.
Is he showing any signs that he’s inherited the Bedingfield singing gene that you and brother Daniel have?
Yeah, he can sing Together In This. He’s very good with words already. Daniel also made a kids’ songs playlist for him, which has such amazing tracks that are easy for children to learn. It’s got some fun ones like We Will RockYou. Our parents introduced us to music when we were really young, and I think it’s good for kids to be able to use their voices and be musical.
How has motherhood changed you?
It’s actually really helped me in a creative way with writing my album. And when I’m on stage, I’m not as insecure. I feel very comfortable with my body and in myself. I really like that feeling. I still feel like I’m in my early twenties. I feel like a 27 year old, actually. Then life reminds you that you’re a grown-up! But I’m less about myself and I’ve turned into Mama Bear.
It’s an empowerment and also a responsibility to not just complain about the world, but help change it.
What’s the best thing about living in LA?
My family’s actually from New Zealand, and my grandparents and cousins live there, so LA is halfway between, and a nice place. I find LA quite inspiring for songwriting. The sky is just so open and there aren’t a lot of clouds – not that I spend much time outside because I’m very pale!
‘People tell me they came out to their parents because of my song’
What do you miss about the UK?
When you leave England you realise how great we have it with chocolate and cakes. I’m addicted to The Great British Bake Off and watch it so much because of the way people make cakes – they have so much flavour and are so artful compared to the States, where it’s just sugar. The other thing I always load up on when I’m in the UK is Lemsip! It doesn’t make you drowsy if you’ve got a bit of a cold. The American stuff is really heavy.
What’s one of the biggest pinchme moments of your career?
I sang at the White House. I sang there for the Obamas for a Motown night with Stevie Wonder, Jamie Foxx and lots of others.
Your early songs have become real anthems…
I’m so lucky to hear all these amazing stories of what my songs mean to people. Everyone has their own interpretation. Some people get married to one, or sometimes it’s for a sad reason. So many people have also told me they came out to their parents because of my song Wild Horses. Somehow it has something about it that encourages people to be themselves, which is amazing.