By Kat Lyzun
She has thousands of YouTube subscribers, two killer singles, and she’s about to drop her first album. At 21, singer-songwriter Natasha Fisher is poised to make her mark on the Canadian music scene.
Fisher describes her sound as Aboriginal-influenced electronic pop R&B—a fitting blend of genres for the woman who captured international attention for her acoustic mash-ups of artists like Drake, Ginuwine, Fetty Wap, and Future. Her top video has over 200,000 views.
Although she has been singing and performing most of her life, she says it was nerve-wracking putting her first video up. The risk paid off, and she’s so glad she had the courage to do it. Not only did it lead to a management offer, but also gave her the confidence to leave home and take her career to the next level. That meant leaving home and family, and it wasn’t easy.
“When I first moved to Toronto there was a lot of loneliness. I adored growing up in Thunder Bay, and I love having that small town girl inside of me. But coming here, it’s so intense. I had no family or close friends around.”
Fisher took those emotions and shaped them into her first album, Her, which will be released later this fall. “[The album] is about where I am in my life, and moving from a small town to Toronto—almost like a relationship breakup,” she says. “It’s a bit about finding yourself somewhere else.”
This summer, Fisher returned home to debut her first single “Lie to Me” on stage at National Aboriginal Day. She also collaborated with Spun Creative and Wikwemikong First Nation hoop dancer Nimkii on a gorgeous video for the track, shot against the natural beauty of Thunder Bay and Mount McKay. “It was my first professional video, and I was definitely nervous,” she says. “Filming in my hometown with people I trust was huge for me. I’m super happy with the way it turned out.”
For Fisher, incorporating Aboriginal music and dance into her work is an integral part of who she wants to be as an artist. “I want to show the world how beautiful our culture is. I want to bring it more mainstream. You can definitely hear that influence on my album,” she says. She draws influence and inspiration from her cousin Classic Roots and electronic music masters A Tribe Called Red, and credits her dad for introducing her to solid classic rock like the Beatles and Supertramp at a young age. As she grew older she discovered hip-hop and R&B, and she feels that she brings pieces of it all to her own sound.
With her music, Fisher is also passionate about being a mentor to northern youth. Since she was 15, Fisher has joined one of her mentors, comedian Ron Kanutski, and others in visiting schools and First Nation communities across the Northwest, encouraging youth to keep positive and keep moving forward.
“I feel like just by being a positive person, it helps to show others what’s possible,” she says. “Perfect your craft, and work harder than anyone else is working because there are so many people racing for that same goal. But also let other people motivate you. At times I’ve felt defeated, but you’ve got to have faith.”
You can find Natasha Fisher’s music on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music and other streaming services. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter @natashafisher_
