Episode 230: The Natvral

Our friend Kip Berman, who performs as The Natvral returns to the Look At My Records! podcast for Episode 230! Since he last appeared on the podcast in 2021  the former Pains of Being Pure at Heart frotman has released a few singles as The Natvral, and last week, he shared the project’s second full-length, Summer of No Light. The title, which was inspired by the climate crisis of 1816, draws parallels to two “lost summers” in Berman’s own life, specifically, his first summer post-grad in 2002 and the shut-in pandemic summer of 2020. It was during the latter that Berman penned the songs that appear on the record, escaping nightly to the basement of his Princeton home after putting his kids to sleep. During the interview, Berman and Tom chatted about this period of deep reflection, including what it was like sifting through past memories and relationships during a time of isolation, how the writer Mary Shelley inspired the record’s themes, the more full band sound of “Summer of No Light,” recording with producer Andy Savors for the fourth time, and more. Kip also picked some awesome records from Tom’s collection, including some great cuts from the Kinks, Girls, Billy Bragg, and more. You can follow along with the official playlist for Episode 230. Summer of No Light is out now via Dirty Bingo Records. You can order a copy on limited edition vinyl via Bandcamp. You can also listen to The Natvral on your streaming platform of choice. Keep up with the project by following them on Instagram. The Natvral will be performing at Pet Shop in Jersey City next Thursday, September 14th. He’ll be performing alongside Desir Decir and Joy Cleaner. Doors are at 7 pm and admission is free. For more information, check out the event listing here on the site.