Bido Lito! Magazine | Issue 116 | August 2021

NATALIE AND
THE MONARCHY
Embracing myriad personas and alter egos, Natalie and
The Monarchy find a voice in the vulnerabilities of power.
“I
grew up in the theatre, so I always wanted
to incorporate it into my work,” Natalie Papa
of NATALIE AND THE MONARCHY reveals.
We’re sitting outside Café Tabac a few days
after the country’s grand re-opening. Naturally, Bold
Street is bustling with faces. But even among the array of
people, her flair for the dramatics is obvious, decorating
herself with pins, jewellery trinkets and a discernible
punk style. “My dad’s a playwright and was obsessed
with directing horror-filled, dark plays. So, I grew up in
that experimental, scar-you-for-life kind of world. If the
play ever required a child, there I was!” As we chat, she
remains effortlessly captivating, and yet, what could be
an otherwise intimidating feature of the young artist is
dulled by the welcoming gleam in her eyes that seems
to suggest that wherever
she’s going, there’s an open
invite for you. “I’m obsessed
with dark cabaret as well,”
she continues. “All my
friends call it clown music,
but it’s just what makes me
happy.”
Despite her decadent
origins, the artist felt
constrained by her New
Jersey surroundings before
coming to Liverpool in
2018 to start her musical
career. “Who I am as an
artist didn’t really exist
before I moved here,” she
confesses. “I was 18 and
desperate to get out of
the US because of Trump.
Gigging in the US under
the drinking age is very
difficult, so it’s almost
impossible for younger artists to start out. It was so
weird being able to play at bars and clubs here, and then
go back home where we would have to secretly drink in
my parents’ basement.” There’s an obvious humour in
the disconnect between her identity as an artist and the
image of youth this confession conjures. “I had a friend
in Berlin who basically told me coming to the UK was the
best way to make a name for yourself,” she continues.
And what of the name’s regal origins? “Natalie and The
Monarchy sounds like this really political name, I know.
But it’s really because all my bandmates are British, and
I like the word monarchy – it gives off a very powerful
vibe!” she announces giddily.
With her journey for independence and musical
exploration underway as soon as she reached UK soil, the
artist’s image quickly emerged as one tethered to gothic
decadence. Through a blend of Riot Grrrl influences and
her own celestial vocals, the persona of Natalie and The
Monarchy is one that ties brooding punk soundscapes
with celebrations of sexuality, power and the nature
of femininity that carry across the full breadth of the
artist’s catalogue. “I’m involved in sex work full-time, and
that identity really ties into my music,” she spills. “I was
always really interested in that world, but as I got more
into it, I found so many people who cared about me, and
“So often in the media,
when you see a persona
rooted in femininity
and sensuality, it’s
either a figure that
is untouchable and
dominant, or someone
who’s very vulnerable.
It’s never both”
who could help me realise my goals. Now, I realise that
it goes both ways: I can use sex work as a way to help
people with their problems as well. I never thought I
would have another career outside of music, but they’re
both passions of mine, so why not combine them?” She
pauses before weighing it up. “Although, sex work is
such an emotionally exhausting job. You need to have
time away from it otherwise it just consumes you.”
The topic of overindulgence soon served as
inspiration for the artist’s recent single, Envy The Villain,
a riotous punk ballad that cuts to the core of forming
alter egos and the reality-inducing feelings they can
conjure, with the artist’s own confession-like lyricism
quickly climaxing into an explosion of biting vulnerability.
“I wanted to be this character that I was in my work
full-time because it’s a
type of fantasy. So, trying
to separate myself from
this persona I created in
my sessions and how I am
in real life caused some
massive friction. It really
made me hate myself
for a time,” she admits.
“That’s where the track’s
inspiration really comes
from; it’s about having a
glorified idea of sex work
and how that can backfire
massively.” Alongside the
track came a music video
rooted in twisted campery,
designed to build on the
all-encompassing duality
previously established.
Throughout, she plays the
role of a villain and a victim,
flashing between images
of her as a demon and those of a vulnerable individual. “I
wanted the music video to really have an impact, so it’s
set up almost as a Faustian exchange. It’s pretty corny,”
she grins.
However, alongside the mind-altering visuals and
unabashed punk displays, comes an emotional call
for conversation. As we delve into her candidness
surrounding vulnerability and power, it becomes
clear that the vocalist hopes to encourage a wider
conversation around the shortfalls in the depictions of
sex work in both public and private spaces. “So often in
the media, when you see a persona rooted in femininity
and sensuality, it’s either a figure that is untouchable and
dominant, or someone who’s very vulnerable. It’s never
both,” she explains. “That’s what I’m really exploring,
those two sides and how they work in tandem.” It’s a
mantra that doesn’t need to force itself into the artist’s
persona, but instead seeps throughout it, working handin-hand
with her domineering musical style. “I wanted
the track to be as sincere as possible,” she admits, before
pausing slightly. “A lot of friends I have are involved in
sex work, and they experience very similar things. No
media was really speaking about this issue, no one
was expressing it, and it’s such a common feeling! So,
I wanted to be the one to capture it, so others could
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use my work to help figure their own problems. That,
and to let people know it’s OK to have those two sides of
yourself and embrace both.”
Despite her insight into sex work and the ability to
speak for its unheard masses, the artist’s personal drive
remains at the core of her ability to create. “When I put
something out, I always forget that other people can
relate to my music,” she admits. “I’m very new to both of
these industries, and so I want to use music to capture
my own beginning period,” she tells me. “But in terms
of the future, I think I’ll try and focus on my identity as a
dominatrix more. That mindset of authority really works
with my music in general. I think that, regardless of where
my music takes me, it’ll always remain a big part of it.”
It’s a statement that hangs with certainty, that no
matter her future plans, her two passions will continue to
grow with her, forever intertwining, while helping others
in the process. But, true to fashion, her closing statement
is one of high dramatics. “I will be filming a bunch of
music videos,” she concludes. “The first thing I want to do
is hire a fire-breather!” !
Words: Lily Blakeney-Edwards / @lilyhbee
Photography: Jenn Wilcock / @lens_of_a_wool
Envy the Villain is available now.
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