Kate Nash is the British starlet that everyone seems to have an opinion about: either they love her or hate her. Briefly speaking with Kate, though, she's so normal it's weird. You'd think that fame and success could easily warp someone, but Kate is such a cool chick that it's almost like she has this whole fame thing in the palm of her hand. Hopefully she won't end up bat-shit crazy like some other pop starlets of late. I doubt it... she's got a good head on her shoulders. SuicideGirls spoke to Kate during a mid-tour shopping escapade, while on the road in support of her current release, Made of Bricks.
Garret Faber: I listened to "Model Behaviour" and it's really punk.
Kate Nash: Oh, did you like it?
GF: I thought it was amazing, it showed some real growth.
KN: I love playing that song; it's about this party I went to which was the worst party ever. I went home and I was just like, "I hate everyone!" The party was really gross, basically about what the song was saying.
GF: You don't have to suck dick to succeed ... Where did that line come from?
KN: Yeah, well [laughs] that was a line to all those models at that party. It was just a bunch of vain people fawning over each other like, "Oh my God, I'm so interesting, who are you? Oh my God." The worst people in the world to meet: random celebrities and hangers on just grabbing all over each other and being gross. I was like, "You don't have to suck dick to succeed. You don't have to be disgusting." I've done my thing and I've won an award. I'm not like them; I'll never be like them. You don't have to sell your soul to society to be happy and do good stuff. That's what the songs about.
GF:That's amazing! A lot of people get big, but then to get bigger they totally sell out. It hurts when good artists go bad. How do you feel about the fame? Do people recognize you on the regular like, "Holy shit! Kate Nash!"
KN: Sometimes, it's weird. On the flight over here a bunch of 12-year-old girls asked me for my autograph and I'm like, "We're on a plane....but okay!"
GF: Have you gotten to meet any of your idols?
KN: Regina Spektor!
GF: Oh my God! Regina? What's she like?
KN: She's so cool, very cool. She reassured me about certain things, it was cool.
GF: What's she like in person? Does she have any weird personality traits?
KN: She's really funny and sweet, and really small, tiny.
GF: What are you doing for your 21st birthday? Remember, you're not supposed to mix liquor and beer.
KN: I do that all the time! I'm okay with it. I can't mix wine with certain things, though. I'll get sick.
GF: What made you decide to cover White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army"?
KN: I love the White Stripes, I had to do a cover for Radio One, so I picked that. I've never met them but I want to record with Jack White. [Laughs]
GF: Whats the most beautiful thing you've seen recently?
KN: Oh my God, literally this morning I saw a beluga whale in real life. At an aquarium, they're so cool. Jellyfish are insanely beautiful. I'm getting a swordfish.
GF: You went to acting school?
KN: I went to college for that for a few years.
GF: Are you going to start acting anytime soon? Can you act?
KN: I want to do short films, I love writing, I've got a fanzine.
GF: What is it?
KN: It's called My Ignorant Youth. I distribute it myself though. I'm at that point in life where most people only want to get fucked up and get laid. I'm really not interested in doing that; I want to change society and I believe in revolution. I feel I should say something, especially to all these young girls who come to my shows. I wanted to make something inspiring with my fanzine and have people just read it.
GF: I'll totally write for your magazine.
KN: You should do it!
GF: Have you heard of the war in Uganda, and the Invisible Children and all that?
KN: Yeah?
GF: I wrote a paper about it, and it hurt to know that like, throughout all this stuff I deal with, children die everyday and it gets mostly ignored over here.
KN: I know, it's sad. You should put that in the fanzine.
GF: Do people really want to read about that?
KN:You have to spread the word.
GF: Let's talk about something not so depressing. On MySpace, do you ever read your fans' bulletins?
KN: Sometimes I do, when I get a chance. I like to see whats going on with people. I also read all the comments people send to me.
GF: I read that story about how you were about to get signed and you went to the bathroom to call your family and none of them answered their phones.
KN: Yeah! I was crying in the toilet; I couldn't decide what to do. I called my family and none of them answered! I was like, "What if I make the wrong decision?"
GF: How did you decide whether to sign that contract or not?
KN: I called my best friend and she was like, "It's fine. You have a Mom, you're a normal person. Calm down." She was right.
GF: Do you worry about the fame eating you up like Brittney Spears?
KN: I think if that started to happen, my friends would get me. My parents would get me and stop it from happening. I'm a strong person, my album's called Made Of Bricks. You've got to make the right decisions and not screw yourself and not get fucked up. You've got to be honest with yourself about what people expect from you. If you let it all get to you, you'll definitely go insane.
GF: What do you dream about when you go to sleep?
KN: I have the worst nightmares. They're weird. I have really dark nightmares. I had one recently that I was driving this truck around. I go through this shady neighborhood to this dodgy house. I was thinking there were probably drug dealers in this house... it was that kind of house. So, for whatever reason, I'm in this house, but it's fine. I go to the bathroom and there's this dog and the dog's just looking at me. As soon as I come out the toilet, this dog is vicious, it was like biting me and barking at me and I had to run from it and it was chasing me. I knew the dog was going to kill me so I jumped in my truck and drove off. I've had that dream like five times and every time, the dog is nice when I go in, but the dog is killer when I come out of that bathroom!
GF: What does it mean?
KN: I found it significant, like, the time that I arrived things were fine, but the time that I left it wasn't fine. I'm gonna start writing these dreams down, I think.
Kate Nash is on tour now. For more information go to www.myspace.com/katenashmusic.
Garret Faber: I listened to "Model Behaviour" and it's really punk.
Kate Nash: Oh, did you like it?
GF: I thought it was amazing, it showed some real growth.
KN: I love playing that song; it's about this party I went to which was the worst party ever. I went home and I was just like, "I hate everyone!" The party was really gross, basically about what the song was saying.
GF: You don't have to suck dick to succeed ... Where did that line come from?
KN: Yeah, well [laughs] that was a line to all those models at that party. It was just a bunch of vain people fawning over each other like, "Oh my God, I'm so interesting, who are you? Oh my God." The worst people in the world to meet: random celebrities and hangers on just grabbing all over each other and being gross. I was like, "You don't have to suck dick to succeed. You don't have to be disgusting." I've done my thing and I've won an award. I'm not like them; I'll never be like them. You don't have to sell your soul to society to be happy and do good stuff. That's what the songs about.
GF:That's amazing! A lot of people get big, but then to get bigger they totally sell out. It hurts when good artists go bad. How do you feel about the fame? Do people recognize you on the regular like, "Holy shit! Kate Nash!"
KN: Sometimes, it's weird. On the flight over here a bunch of 12-year-old girls asked me for my autograph and I'm like, "We're on a plane....but okay!"
GF: Have you gotten to meet any of your idols?
KN: Regina Spektor!
GF: Oh my God! Regina? What's she like?
KN: She's so cool, very cool. She reassured me about certain things, it was cool.
GF: What's she like in person? Does she have any weird personality traits?
KN: She's really funny and sweet, and really small, tiny.
GF: What are you doing for your 21st birthday? Remember, you're not supposed to mix liquor and beer.
KN: I do that all the time! I'm okay with it. I can't mix wine with certain things, though. I'll get sick.
GF: What made you decide to cover White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army"?
KN: I love the White Stripes, I had to do a cover for Radio One, so I picked that. I've never met them but I want to record with Jack White. [Laughs]
GF: Whats the most beautiful thing you've seen recently?
KN: Oh my God, literally this morning I saw a beluga whale in real life. At an aquarium, they're so cool. Jellyfish are insanely beautiful. I'm getting a swordfish.
GF: You went to acting school?
KN: I went to college for that for a few years.
GF: Are you going to start acting anytime soon? Can you act?
KN: I want to do short films, I love writing, I've got a fanzine.
GF: What is it?
KN: It's called My Ignorant Youth. I distribute it myself though. I'm at that point in life where most people only want to get fucked up and get laid. I'm really not interested in doing that; I want to change society and I believe in revolution. I feel I should say something, especially to all these young girls who come to my shows. I wanted to make something inspiring with my fanzine and have people just read it.
GF: I'll totally write for your magazine.
KN: You should do it!
GF: Have you heard of the war in Uganda, and the Invisible Children and all that?
KN: Yeah?
GF: I wrote a paper about it, and it hurt to know that like, throughout all this stuff I deal with, children die everyday and it gets mostly ignored over here.
KN: I know, it's sad. You should put that in the fanzine.
GF: Do people really want to read about that?
KN:You have to spread the word.
GF: Let's talk about something not so depressing. On MySpace, do you ever read your fans' bulletins?
KN: Sometimes I do, when I get a chance. I like to see whats going on with people. I also read all the comments people send to me.
GF: I read that story about how you were about to get signed and you went to the bathroom to call your family and none of them answered their phones.
KN: Yeah! I was crying in the toilet; I couldn't decide what to do. I called my family and none of them answered! I was like, "What if I make the wrong decision?"
GF: How did you decide whether to sign that contract or not?
KN: I called my best friend and she was like, "It's fine. You have a Mom, you're a normal person. Calm down." She was right.
GF: Do you worry about the fame eating you up like Brittney Spears?
KN: I think if that started to happen, my friends would get me. My parents would get me and stop it from happening. I'm a strong person, my album's called Made Of Bricks. You've got to make the right decisions and not screw yourself and not get fucked up. You've got to be honest with yourself about what people expect from you. If you let it all get to you, you'll definitely go insane.
GF: What do you dream about when you go to sleep?
KN: I have the worst nightmares. They're weird. I have really dark nightmares. I had one recently that I was driving this truck around. I go through this shady neighborhood to this dodgy house. I was thinking there were probably drug dealers in this house... it was that kind of house. So, for whatever reason, I'm in this house, but it's fine. I go to the bathroom and there's this dog and the dog's just looking at me. As soon as I come out the toilet, this dog is vicious, it was like biting me and barking at me and I had to run from it and it was chasing me. I knew the dog was going to kill me so I jumped in my truck and drove off. I've had that dream like five times and every time, the dog is nice when I go in, but the dog is killer when I come out of that bathroom!
GF: What does it mean?
KN: I found it significant, like, the time that I arrived things were fine, but the time that I left it wasn't fine. I'm gonna start writing these dreams down, I think.
Kate Nash is on tour now. For more information go to www.myspace.com/katenashmusic.
VIEW 18 of 18 COMMENTS
two_windmills:
I like a couple of her songs, but she's not a fav or mine. sad.
miro:
I met her a few years ago when I was assisting on a shot she was in. She's lovely, very quiet and reserved. I'm not that keen on her music, but I have nothing bad to say about her.