Jul 4, 2008

Seeing success by 'Pocketful'

Bedingfield follows up hit single with sunny new album

By Paul Freeman / Entertainment Writer

After the massive success of her "Unwritten" album, soulful British pop singer-songwriter Natasha Bedingfield is penning a new chapter in her creative life. Her latest release, "Pocketful of Sunshine," is having major chart impact.

"I loved going back into the studio. I'd been touring for a few years and I'd been itching and aching to write again," she said. "Being able to devote some time to writing was amazing. It's my favorite thing. It was like returning to my first love again."

Bedingfield aimed to make her second album even better than the first. "Of course, you want it to have as big a reaction as the first one. But sometimes that pressure just lights a fire under your butt and helps you get moving."

The new album takes on different lyrical and thematic directions. "The first one was about life in general - experiencing, tasting independence, making the most of everything. The second album is more about relationships.

"For the song 'Soulmate,' I was reading the book 'Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus' and I was thinking about how we all long for someone to understand us. Why can't that be easy? It seems like people put a lot of effort into finding the one."

Her music is pop, but with flavorings of R&B and other styles. "Within the structure, I find a lot of freedom. I have anthemic songs, but with a more rocky or beat-driven sound. I like to mix it up, balance in terms of tempo and style."

She writes as many as 40 songs for an album, then narrows it down to those that seem to naturally fit together. "I find that the songs that people respond to more are the ones that have some meaning, that are in some way validating."

Bedingfield, a superstar in the U.K. and other regions, is enjoying her first headlining tour of the U.S. Its final stop is the Fillmore in San Francisco on July 10.

"San Francisco is a city that's hard not to love," she said. "It's got so much character and history. I've seen it in so many scenes from movies. The people seem so creative. I'm very excited."

As the last day of the tour, the Fillmore show will be the night a contest winner is selected to perform a duet onstage with Bedingfield.

The tour has been great fun for the participants - Bedingfield, the Veronicas and Kate Voegele. "I really like the girls. They really love music and they've got a strong sense of identity," Bedingfield said. "They're not just pop tarts. It's cool. Sometimes we hang out after the shows and take over a bar."

She takes performing seriously, however. "Vocals are something that I'm constantly working on. Every time I go to record, I want to increase my range. I study all the great singers and try to pick up things from them."

Her favorites include Sting, Stevie Wonder, Tracy Chapman, Lauren Hill, Bjork, Aretha Franklin and Jeff Buckley. "It's the soul. You can tell they know what they're singing about. They put emotion into it and skill, as well."

She admires the skill of fellow performer Daniel Bedingfield, her older brother and a hit artist in the U.K. "He got to try everything first. So it was great to watch and learn," she said. "I still think he's the most amazing person I've ever seen in concert, apart from Prince."

Bedingfield wrote the song "Unwritten" as a birthday gift for one of her brothers. The song has been used by Barack Obama in his campaign. "It's cool, because it's a way that I, as a foreigner, can be part of the voting process."

Bedingfield has been active in several humanitarian causes, including Global Angels, which is run by her mother. "The reason that I love that charity is that every penny the public gives goes directly to projects all over the world that help children," she said. "Being as involved as I can in things like that helps to take me away from my own selfish world, because I go around most of my life promoting my own music. It's nice to have a chance to do something that's not about me."

Bedingfield believes she has much growing to do. "I still feel like the rest is unwritten. That's why I called the first album 'Unwritten.' I never want to get bored of learning.
"Sometimes I have moments where I'm jaded. The world is very messed up and it can make you (lose) hope. I have moments where I wonder what it's all about. But I hope I will always be a person who's aware of what's going on and wants to learn."

Bedingfield has already learned that even pop stars have to apply themselves. "I'm not one of those entertainers who sits and moans all the time about how hard it is, but it's not all parties and chilling out. It's a proper career and if you want to stay in the game, you have to treat it like a business and stand up for yourself. Otherwise, it'll be like a wave that pulls you along," she said.

"It doesn't feel like work to me. If you find a job where you feel like you're doing what you were born to do, you want to do that as long as you can. I have to keep reminding myself how lucky I am. This is more than I ever dreamt."