Natalya's first impressions

Hey Storm Chasers!

Natalya Kay here.

What a wonderful first 2 months with the band! Now I get to relax for most of September in between shows, and soak in all the memories I’ve made during this life changing period of time.

My first show in East Greenwhich, Rhode Island was extra special since my sister and nephew were at it. I was definitely nervous about whether I’d remember every fiddle part for every song so I jotted down reminders on my set list of what my first notes for each song were. Patrick and Steve were also very encouraging and wanted me to focus more on having fun than playing everything perfectly. Once we were all out on stage and I could feel how excited the audience was, I was able to soak up the crowd's energy. I ended up feeling really confident and having so much fun that night. I was surprised with a champagne toast as soon as we finished the encore and a lot of “WELL DONE!” and “CONGRATULATIONS!”. The champagne toast, my sister and nephew back stage with me and the sense of accomplishment, joy and gratitude that I felt is my favorite memory of tour so far.

The most common question I’ve been asked at these shows has been, “How is it going for you and having to be with these guys all the time?” I want to put in writing how grateful I am to my bandmates and our amazing tour manager, Hooper, and sound man, Casey. They have all been welcoming, supportive, friendly, laid-back, fun and easy to get along with. Life on the road is pretty smooth sailing. The band is a well oiled machine after so many years of touring and I’ve been lucky enough to be able to slip right into their set up and enjoy the fruits of their labor.

Another common question people want to know is what my favorite songs to perform are. I answered on the live stream that Johnny Jump Up was my favorite. It’s still one of my favorites but since the live-stream we’ve introduced a few new songs into the set that I’m really enjoying. They are The Salt Lick, Faithful Land and The Night Pat Murphy Died. It’s really fun to play tunes with Pete and The Salt Lick starts with a beautiful slower jig and then switches into some foot stomping high energy reels. Faithful Land is a beautiful slow song and I really enjoy the moment of stillness it brings to our mostly high energy, free spirited, rockin’ show. The Night Pat Murphy Died is a song that embodies how I just described the show. This song is so much fun and the crowd always responds very enthusiastically to it.

We have a few more festivals coming up this September and then a longer tour in the fall. I’m really looking forward visiting the west coast for the first time in October! I’m so grateful for the warm welcome everyone has given me and I look forward to all the new faces I’ll be meeting this fall! Thank you so much for your support! And a big thank you to the guys and their wives for their friendship!

- Natalya