Biography
Kip Berman assembled the American indie rock group the Natvral to serve as an outlet for his own songwriting, starting the venture while his earlier band the Pains of Being Pure at Heart neared its end. Within this project, Berman anchors his material in melodic approaches that evoke the more refined aspects of folk-rock, vintage pop, and classic rock. The lyrics examine the mechanics of personal relationships, occasionally shaped by his experiences as a parent. His first release under the Natvral name, the 2018 EP Know Me More, appeared as a lean and atmospheric set of four songs reduced to guitar and voice. Later efforts—the 2021 album Tethers and Summer of No Light from 2023—adopted a fuller, more expansive production guided by classic rock while preserving the unguarded emotional character of the initial EP.
Following twelve years and four studio albums, the Pains of Being Pure at Heart disbanded in 2019. Berman’s final period with that group overlapped with his relocation from Brooklyn, New York, to Princeton, New Jersey, and the arrival of his first child. Those changes steered him toward a separate creative path, leading him to record the four-song EP Know Me More, issued in October 2018 and attributed to the Natvral. The EP contained three originals written by Berman plus a version of Leonard Cohen’s “Suzanne.” Roughly a year afterward, the Pains of Being Pure at Heart formally announced their breakup, after which the Natvral became Berman’s main vehicle. November 2019 brought a new recording, his cover of Dear Nora’s “You Looked Like a Portrait,” again performed solely on guitar and voice. December 2020 saw the arrival of “Ramona,” a reimagined TPOBPAH B-side now supported by keyboards and viola. The Natvral’s first album, Tethers, followed in April 2021 and stood as the project’s most ambitious collection to that point, featuring a full band whose drums and keyboards supplied a strong, organic texture. Two years later Berman delivered a second Natvral album, Summer of No Light. Most tracks were composed during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic and addressed family life alongside natural disasters; the title draws from the 1816 episode in which major volcanic eruptions in Indonesia produced weather anomalies that caused famine throughout Western Europe.
Following twelve years and four studio albums, the Pains of Being Pure at Heart disbanded in 2019. Berman’s final period with that group overlapped with his relocation from Brooklyn, New York, to Princeton, New Jersey, and the arrival of his first child. Those changes steered him toward a separate creative path, leading him to record the four-song EP Know Me More, issued in October 2018 and attributed to the Natvral. The EP contained three originals written by Berman plus a version of Leonard Cohen’s “Suzanne.” Roughly a year afterward, the Pains of Being Pure at Heart formally announced their breakup, after which the Natvral became Berman’s main vehicle. November 2019 brought a new recording, his cover of Dear Nora’s “You Looked Like a Portrait,” again performed solely on guitar and voice. December 2020 saw the arrival of “Ramona,” a reimagined TPOBPAH B-side now supported by keyboards and viola. The Natvral’s first album, Tethers, followed in April 2021 and stood as the project’s most ambitious collection to that point, featuring a full band whose drums and keyboards supplied a strong, organic texture. Two years later Berman delivered a second Natvral album, Summer of No Light. Most tracks were composed during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic and addressed family life alongside natural disasters; the title draws from the 1816 episode in which major volcanic eruptions in Indonesia produced weather anomalies that caused famine throughout Western Europe.
Albums
Singles
