Today we’d like to introduce you to Natalia Padilla Rudick.
Hi Natalia, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in a musical environment. We all had a passion for music at home, although our taste was vastly different, it was music the one thing that would bring a sense of peace, and while these moments were very incidental, they felt like pure happiness to me.
The more aware I became of this energy shift through music, the more I wanted to live in its universe, but it was a lot more challenging to be immersed in it back in Mexico, so one day I decided to buy a plane ticket and moved to NYC where I worked hard to get the gear that I needed and had wished to have for many years, so I did that.
In NY I met my now wife Kelli Rudick, but then music collaborator. We started a duo called Vákoum, moved to California, and began to play some shows. We’ve had a lot of fun, it has brought in other artists with an interest in having my work in theirs, so it’s been really beautiful to produce and compose for other artists, to be part of their universe.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
No, it hasn’t been super smooth, also not extremely rough. I think for me it’s been crucial keeping my relationship to music intact, I try to not have financial pressures touch the bond I have with it when it comes to my own compositions. As an adult, this can get a bit tricky. I think maintaining a healthy balance and discovering what that actually is has been quite difficult, but I’ve gotten somewhere good.
Being away from home can be rough, missing important moments with family has its own weight, and starting from scratch in a new country too can be challenging, but the experience has also given me so so much. I am very proud of my choices and I know that I am where I should be.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a musician, composer, and producer. Although I believe I am most known for my work in Vákoum as a multi-instrumentalist and producer, most people come to me for my beats!
I am very proud of the last album we released as Vákoum called ‘Linchpin’. It was the most vulnerable work I have ever dared to share, (up until now, my new songs are a bit more undressed which is a little scary!).
I think having an experimental approach is key to authenticity, “mistakes” are beautiful, and following and listening to them can open paths you wouldn’t otherwise come up with.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
Order is important, and schedules are important. Patience and respect equal peace. Self-care is crucial. Nature is so necessary. What a huge reminder to appreciate what there was. Nothing absolutely nothing matters but connection.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.vakoum.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vakoum.music
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vakoum.music/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQyavYoUTynqcSTKegqR1fg
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/vakoum
Image Credits
Kelli Rudick
