New York Blog

Kate Nash headlines the Bowery Ballroom on Wednesday, January 9. It is already sold out.

photo by Alice Rosenbaum

Hugs And Kisses

The Continuing Outbursts of Everett True

THIS WEEK: Kate Nash, part one

Listen. I conducted this interview--what--almost two months ago, same night as a Kate Nash show in Brighton.

She vaguely disappointed on stage, like someone behind her told her she should be courting a certain indie demographic and she was only half-listening but took on board some of the suggestions--there were too many thuds on the drum and flaunting of the guitar, vocals not mixed high enough...and what's more, I didn't appreciate the rudeness of her own personal security man. Ms Nash's songs, on record, are quite charming: sexy, bubbly, self-deprecating, filled with pus and ephemera, everyday and sometimes spiteful, beats that recall 2007, a voice that's way better than the album may lead you to believe. Dry sense of humour, Mockney accent, guests on Kano's album, mates of Lily Allen (whom she's been compared to). . . derided by the serious 'critics', but fuck it. Who wants to be considered one of them? Pitchfork only gave it 5.5--but Jesus. Pitchfork grade albums.

Kate Nash is quite the major star in the UK: a Number One single ('Foundations': achieved around the time of this interview) and album (Made Of Bricks) will see to that. But anyway: reason this transcript hasn't appeared before is cos my two-and-a-half-year-old son Isaac went and hid it. We found it, in his tape box nestling next to The Gruffalo and Dr. Seuss.

As you join us, we're talking about recent shows, backstage at the Concorde 2.

"...was one boy who kept crowd-surfing. It was very funny. They got so excited during 'Merry Happy' they threw this pint of water on stage and it landed all over me: and I was laughing, 'Ah-ah', it was so cool. It was the first time I felt like what I was on a mission to do was getting through."

So the kids sing along with every song...

"Yeah."

. . . do you just stop sometimes and listen?

"First, I used to be laughing. It was so funny people knew all the words. Now, I try really hard to concentrate. And also...um...sorry, sometimes I get a hole on my brain..."