KATE NASH
SINGING OH OH ON A FRIDAY NIGHT
by Scott McLennan
While Tom Morello strums away in his Nightwatchman guise around the corner, British newcomer Kate Nash is sitting backstage in her dressing room at the Sydney Big Day Out matter-of-factly detailing her thrilling year. In the six months since the release of her debut album Made Of Bricks, the 20-year-old North Londoner has topped the UK chart, earned three Brit Award nominations and found time to work on a new album. Right now though, the horror film obsessive is more excited about the prospect of indulging in an activity a little more treacherous than expected from your average pop star.
“Oh my God, I’m actually going swimming with sharks tomorrow,” Kate begins with a gasp. “I’m a little bit scared, but there’s a group of us going to the beach tomorrow and then taking the boat out. The Big Day Out’s been really, really fun. It’s a nice tour and you get to see a bit of where you are.”
At a London Barfly gig in September, Kate’s finale was marred by a drunken lout shouting “Get your muff out” at the delightfully prim singer. Thankfully Australian audiences on her Big Day Out tour have shown far more decorum.
“The Australians have been really nice. That gig was funny since my boyfriend [Ryan Jarman of The Cribs] threw a pint of beer over that heckler anyway. I think that was a very cool thing to do.”
Despite being far from home and missing Ryan and her family, Kate has found friendly kinship with fellow Brit musician Billy Bragg while on the Big Day Out. A duet on stage with the Bard Of Barking at her Sydney show has left the door open for further collaborations with the celebrated socialist folk singer.
“He got up on stage the other night and it was really great. Maybe we could do something again, perhaps - I’d like to record something together.
“I have got some new songs,” Kate continues of the prospects of a 2008 follow-up to Made Of Bricks. “I actually stayed up last night until five in the morning writing a new one, which was a bit annoying since I was really tired. It doesn’t have a name yet since it’s so brand new, but other new ones include Pickpocket and I Hate Seagulls. Yeah, I do hate seagulls, but that’s not really what the song’s about.”
Bragg’s young acolyte has earned further celebrity accolades from the likes of Prince, who called the auburn haired lass ‘stunning’, and Hot Fuzz and Spaced actor Simon Pegg.
“I met Sheryl Crow and she likes my music, but I also met Simon Pegg and he loves my music. I was just like, ‘Oh my God!’ because I’ve loved Simon Pegg since the Spaced days. He had my first ever vinyl release!”
In a recent Q magazine spread on Kate, a photograph of the singer in her Harrow bedroom revealed a CD shelf stacked perfectly with credible and cool titles that belie her youth. Well, almost perfectly. Nestled between releases from Nirvana, The DFA, Aretha Franklin and Kate Bush sat a Buffy The Vampire Slayer soundtrack.
“I love Buffy The Vampire Slayer, oh yeah!” Kate giggles. “It’s such a lame CD isn’t it? I love Buffy though and I was obsessed by Buffy The Vampire Slayer when I was growing up. I don’t have the DVDs, but I’ve got all the episodes on VHS. I loved Buffy and wanted to be her friend, but I also really loved Xander.”
Although her own acting ambitions remain dormant for the time being, there have been reports of Kate releasing a children’s book of her short stories written with a quirky Roald Dahl bent.
“I write short stories all the time and I don’t know what’s going to happen with that. They’re just simple stories I’m working on and maybe one day I’ll get them published, but it would be really low key and very indie. I’m writing my fanzine [My Ignorant Youth] as well, so that’s always fun. I write it all out, stick it together on a book, get it photocopied and then we give it out at venues or on tour when we chuck ‘em out in the crowd.”
At a time when Amy Winehouse’s musical skills have been overshadowed by her addictions, Kate Nash comes across as an impressively level-headed star with her eyes firmly on the music. In the Sydney Morning Herald last week she said stated of celebrity, “You can’t go and get all fucked up on drugs”.
“I don’t know what context I might have said that in,” Kate admits warily. “I might have meant that men seem to be able to do whatever they want and are glorified, but women in the industry can’t seem to do anything without [reprisals]. I get taken out of context all the time, so it’s weird. There’s nothing you can do about it, but it makes you realise you can’t believe anything that is [allegedly] said by people in the public eye because there is so much bullshit that surrounds you. Half of it is fucking made up.”
Although fellow Big Day Out artist Bjork has again made news for turning to violence to deal with the media, Kate has remained composed… for now.
“I haven’t turned violent, but I have turned aggressive on them. They can be really aggressive and rude and it’s just not fun to be stalked. If someone actually stalks you from one place to another then I think it’s really rude and really weird, but there’s no law against it. I find it really horrible. I don’t get massive trouble because I’ve only had it when I’ve been doing live appearances on radio or when they know where I’m going to be.
“I’m really a private person and try to keep my head.”
Kate Nash plays the Big Day Out Converse Essential Stage at 2.15pm on Fri Feb 1 at the Adelaide Showground. Made Of Bricks is out now through UMA.