“When you hear popular sounding songs, they're a vibe, but you can’t quite describe the genre - It’s Neo!“

23-year-old Nat Cartier has the promise to become a global star. In addition to already being an international artist, he is also the creative director of the Edinburgh Collective and a student at the Edinburgh University Futures Institute pursuing an MSc in Creative Industries. His goal is to tour the world and collaborate with new people to create heartfelt music that will speak to listeners everywhere.

He started singing, playing piano and saxophone as a child, developing a strong passion for jazz and pop whilst living in Zug, Switzerland. Now, a fully developed multi-instrumentalist (also playing guitar, bass & trumpet), Nat has grown into an energetic and professional performer, singer, rapper and songwriter – who has discovered himself as an artist during his time in Scotland.

His music has been played on BBC Radio 6, BBC Radio 4, BBC Scotland, Radio Skye, and other international radios such as Amazing Radio, Jam-On Radio and SRF 3 - making it clear his original sound is fit for radio. His live-USP is playing the sax: officially described as "saucy" by BBC Introducing Scotland. He is definitely an artist not to underestimate.

You have a unique blend of genres scattered throughout your music, what inspired you to make music like this? Where does your sound come from?

I believe the widespread globalisation of music through social media platforms is allowing a new popular genre to emerge: An eclectic mix of all modern genres such as Pop, Hip-Hop, Folk, Funk, Disco, Jazz, Neo-Soul, Rap, Classical and more… I call it Neo. It is all the things I have ever loved about music mixed into one and that is what flows out of me. A definition could be: good-vibe organic music with professional modern production.
When you hear popular sounding songs, they're a vibe, but you can’t quite describe the genre - It’s Neo!

Tell us your three desert island albums.

Twentysomething by Jamie Cullum, The Divine Feminine by Mac Miller & Tru. by CRO.
(honourable mention: In Between Dreams by Jack Johnson)

When did you start playing the saxophone, and when did you decide to incorporate it into your live performances?

According to my parents, when I was a child I used to run upstairs and hide when my sax teacher arrived for our lesson - even though he was a super nice guy! I obviously can’t remember that at all. I started when I was ten in 2010 and started playing on stages with a regional Swiss orchestra and big band when I was 13 - I’ve been standing on stages ever since! You can now put me in any musical situation with the sax and I will find a way to get comfortable and have some fun.
A live solo performance of my song Bambi in an Edinburgh plant shop was the first time I remember incorporating the sax into an original live performance - I played it whilst playing the piano too - that was very fun and a much cherished memory during covid times.

*Nat Cartier playing sax for Cyrano at Wide Days 2022*

Tell us about your project, the Edinburgh Collective.

I met Scottish composer, singer, and producer, Fraser Macdonald in my first year of Edinburgh Uni in 2019, where we became friends for life. We bonded over our love and passion for music, moved in together, and felt inspired to start a community project. You would often hear that the Edinburgh scene is lacking, and so we developed the idea of a new local creative network helping each other out for active creative pursuits. We started the Edinburgh Collective - the open network of creatives in the city of Edinburgh.
Since 2020, the Edinburgh Collective has grown into whole new proportions and we have had a large impact throughout Edinburgh’s active creative scene and social enterprise network. We have big dreams for the network and have collaborated with many different organisations including: Johnnie Walker Princes Street, the Scottish Parliament, BUILDHOLLYWOOD & Jack Arts, the Good Stuff Network, EUSA, and many different venues all around the city (Cabaret Voltaire, Three Sisters, Bar 50, 32 Below, Teviot Underground, and more…).
We believe Edinburgh’s creative scene deserves a better reputation: locally, nationally, and internationally. There is a huge amount of local talent in the city, and we want people to be more aware of this. For the artists, we want to create unique and memorable opportunities, inspire them to network and work together, and ultimately help them earn money by doing what they love!

What was your favourite show of 2023?

There were far too many to pick one! Here are some highlights:
Talla na Mara, Isle of Harris - Scottish Odyssey Tour - life felt good, my parents were dancing, the landscape was beautiful, the sunset was unforgettable - a very precious memory.
Sofar Sounds Chicago - my first US show was super fun, I didn’t know anyone and the vibe was perfect. After the show many people gave me compliments and encouraged me to keep doing music.
A handful of gigs with my band e.g. at Teviot Underground, Aberdeen’s Spin Records, Sneaky Pete’s. We even painted a picture during our Jazz Bar gig. Much love to them.

With the international background you have, how have you felt since joining the Scottish music scene when you were 19?

The Scottish music scene has helped me become the artist I am today. Deciding to move to Scotland is also what helped spark the realisation that I can become an international artist - although I was very much lacking in experience and knowledge on how to achieve that. The Scottish scene has helped me discover myself and thanks to it, I have evolved all-round as an artist, songwriter, producer, musician, performer, entrepreneur, networker, and more… I feel I now have a much better understanding around how things work and what is needed to suceedin the music industry. My whole life has been based on integrating into cultures and ultimately finding a personal feeling of belonging amongst them. I feel I have integrated in the Scottish music scene, and truly gotten inspired by everyone here.
Scotland will forever be a part of who I am no matter where life takes me. I can only be grateful for all the opportunities I have both found and made happen in Scotland. The industry here has been an incredible learning experience and I feel a lot of love and appreciation towards all the people I have met and exchanged precious moments with.

Finally, what can we expect to see from you in 2024? Dream show to play, dream venue?

2024 will be a year of releases for me; the start of a neo era. I have rebranded to Nat Cartier and am absolutely itching to get my new material out there. So 2024 will involve a whole new portfolio of music, videos, and taking big next steps towards earning a proper living through music.
Next up are:
Read the Room SINGLE with Florence Jack (12.01.2024)
Neo EP - Nat Cartier with Fraser Macdonald (featuring London based Swiss artist ”Alessia”)
Love Odyssey ALBUM - representing me and the result of my evolution and growth since moving to Scotland.
A dream venue would actually be to play in Edinburgh Castle. There is something incredible about the cultural heritage, significance and history of the building that makes me want to perform there - and make it epic and unforgettable. I will have to figure something out to make it happen!