In 2003, while anticipating seismic changes in the recording industry, Natalie broke her 18-year-long contract with Elektra Records and founded her own label to produce and release an independent album, The House Carpenter’s Daughter. Drawing upon her love for and knowledge of American and British folk music (both traditional and contemporary) she put together repertoire of ballads and tunes including: the coal miners’ anthem, “Which Side Are You On?,” Fairport Convention’s “Crazy Man Michael,” The Carter Family’s “Bury Me Under the Weeping Willow,” “Sally Ann,” written by members of The Horseflies of Ithaca, NY, an anonymous factory hand’s “Owensboro,” and the obscure Sacred Harp hymn, “Weeping Pilgrim,” etc.)

 “Like a busier, bluegrass-loving American cousin of the English trad-rock band Fairport Convention … her folk-rock band adds fiddle and banjo to carry her haunting ballads and stoic narratives.” — New York Times

Guitarists Gabriel Gordon and Erik Dell Penna, keyboardist Elizabeth Steen, fiddle player Judy Hyman, banjo player Richie Stearns and drummer Allison Miller give soulful and original interpretations to these songs.

House Carpenter was recorded entirely live to tape by George Cowan and Todd Vos at Bearsville Studios, Woodstock, NY.