Kate Nash - Interview

Rhien and Callum headed south, to the wildlands of Northampton (ok it wasn‘t that far!), to speak to Kate Nash. We are all rather jealous of them…

From research we found out that you were founded on Myspace, how do you think that’s revolutionised the music industry?

I think it’s changed it drastically..err.. I think the industry doesn’t know how or how to figure out…because I mean Myspace isn’t even the…I mean it’s moved on since Myspace, there’s Facebook and Twitter, and is it Band Camp?…I don’t know. I was talking to my friend the other day and it was basically amazon is like the new shop; HMV. Facebook is like what you would, you know, before you actually meet someone well now it’s like a lot of friendships are online which is crazy. Umm I think that it’s done really good things and also done some bad things for example it can take a lot of control, power in your own hands, it takes out the middle man. You can do really well on the internet without even realizing. There’s no need for a label I guess because it can spread around the world really quickly; but at the same time people don’t buy music anymore, like records, there’s an art that’s being destroyed there which is really quite sad, I think.

Research told us that you originally wanted to be an actress. Is this still something you’re looking to do?

Yeah! I’d really like to act again. Because I did around a two year theatre course at college and I wanted to act but I got rejected from like, all universities (laughs). Umm…Just one (laughs). So that’s why I turned back to music because, well, I always played and have written songs since I was a kid but then when I was faced with having to… Well I was working in Nandos. thinking, ‘What the f*** am I gonna do?’ The next year just work at Nandos? So that’s when I decided to do a gig. But I would like to act again at some point if the right thing came about.

How do you think shows such as the X Factor have affected the music industry?

Oh, God. I think it’s destroyed the industry basically. Umm, I’m f*** sick of the X Factor. I hate it. I find it disgrace…I actually find it offensive and grotesque. I watched it, the last series and I was like ‘I feel sick, I feel dirty after watching it.’ It’s so mass-produced. There’s like… It’s like there’s so much money in it yet it looks so cheap? Do you know what I mean? It’s a really weird combination. And It was like, so over-blown and everything, I remember I watched one where Katy Perry was on there and they were like ‘oh my God! Katy Perry’s performance! ‘ She came out and there was like dancers and fireworks. And I was like, even the big pop stars who are doing stuff now, it’s all at this level, because like, Cher Lloyd comes out and there’s dancers and fireworks and it’s like ‘Oh my God! ’Laugh‘ they have a tiger walking across the stage!’. You know someone’s been shot and then Katy Perry does the same thing like she’s just going Bam! Bam! Bam! It’s like, it doesn’t thrill me at all anymore. And It’s like, there’s nowhere to progress. Can you imagine going to see Cher Lloyd in a gig? It’s gonna be exactly what you saw in X Factor It’s like, it doesn’t thrill me and I don’t believe any one on X Factor is an artist because it’s about being a celebrity and a singer and you’re singing what other people have written and dressing how the people have dressed you and, it’s the fame game. I don’t respon… I think it’s grotesque. Phew!

Who’s inspired you musically?

Oh erm… I think initially the main band that made me want to write was The Buzzcocks, umm, because, before that I was about like, you had to be like, a Shakespeare of poetry to be able to write songs. And I was always trying to be something else. And I think I was kind of contrived. And then when I got into the Buzzcocks, and punk music I could just write about mundane, everyday stuff. You don’t have to pretend to be somebody else and it can still be relevant and interesting. And then, I mean I love… I love the riot girl bands like Heavens to Betsy… I really like Joan Jet, Giant Drag I’m listening to at the moment, umm Peggy Sue, I really like Nirvana, umm I’m trying to think of new bands, I’m terrible for like listening to new stuff. Brigitte Aphrodite is on tour with me, she’s wicked.

Following on from that question, who are your dream collaborations?

Umm, I always get really scared of collaborations. I think it would be really cool…I’d love to work with Dave Sitek who’s a producer inNew Zealand, TV and radio. Erm, and Kim Gordan, I would like her to produce one of my records one day. Kathleen Hanna from Bikini Kill, Joan Jetlaugh.

Where does the inspiration for each song come from?

Umm, Just, I think, when I’m bored is when I feel most inspired. Like when I’m busy or on the road I can’t really write anything. I haven’t written anything for like a year which is crazy. Umm but when I’m at home and I’m sitting, watching Jeremy Kyle (laughs) then I’m like, I should probably go and write something, like a song; which is really terrible. For three days in a row I think ‘F***, I better go outside.’ Umm but stuff that’s usually happened, stuff with my friends or I like writing about relationships and love and I like to have a sense of humour so I kind of find, the fun things even in like, bad situations. I think that’s kind of a British thing ‘Oh life is s***. Ha Ha Ha.’Laugh.

We found out that you are playing bass for the Receeders; what’s the transition like from solo artist to band member?

It’s really cool actually, it’s really fun and I’ve never been in a band before and I really love it. We have loads of fun like, and it is really collaborative. And we just, well, we’re friends and it’s good for me because I’ve always been too shy to write with people so it’s kind of like branching me out like, ‘right. We have to write.’ Like together, obviously because we’re a band (laughs). And I love playing bass, you know. I never learned how to play bass. I might play it really wrong. And it’s really fun. It’s weird because we both sing, me and Brett sing and I play bass and John Jackson drums and then we usually end up even though we never talk about our lyrics we kind of try and hide…we never tell each other what our lyrics are either, but it… we kind of end up writing about the same thing. It’s really weird. It’s cool I really like it. You should come and see the Receeders they’re coming on tour in like May, so you should come and see the Receeders (laughs) I’m like lining up bands for you now! (laughs)

What advice would you give for young artists?

Umm I would just say, have the confidence to be yourself, umm don’t try to be somebody else, you’ll end up contrived like I was before. Just get it out, get yourself, get your stuff out there, like do a gig and even if you’re so scared… On my first gig I was so scared, I was terrified but it was because I’d got rejected from everywhere. And I was at this low point and I broke my foot and I was like ‘Right.’ Suddenly being scared was better than being bored, you know? Like you just have to, and I was so scared I didn’t know what to eat I was like I can’t eat. I was freaking out I didn’t want to do the gig and then as soon as I did it I had the best time. And then After that I was like ‘this is all I want to do.’ So, it’s just having the confidence and the guts to just actually get up there even just go to that open mic. Because sometimes it’s the nerves telling you or your friends. So go off and play a gig in secret. And yeah, don’t worry about it being perfect because like, when you write music, the more that you write and the more that you play live the better you get. And the more that you realise what you want to be. So you could sit in your bedroom and write songs your whole life just to write the perfect song or be the perfect thing and it never happens before you actually go out there and do it. So it’s just really important to do your first gig. I think.

You can find Kate‘s website here: http://www.myignorantyouth.blogspot.com/

Interview by: Rhien Shephard and Callum Thorn