By Michelle Norris
She is one of the quirkiest female artists to date, boasting a string of hit singles, enthusiastic stage performances and the ability to sing about whatever she feels like, Kate Nash has put her own unique stamp on the music industry.
Since becoming a Myspace phenomenon back in 2006, Kate’s world has been thrust into overdrive. With her UK number one album Made of Bricks going platinum, hits including Foundations and Mouthwash, as well as a Brit Award for Best Female Artist in 2008, Kate’s sixties style music was not something to be messed with!
And after taking a short break from the industry in August 2008, Kate Nash is back with her second album My Best Friend is You and the ever so catchy single Do Wah Dooh. But when she caught up with In2 last week, she was quick to explain how important it was for her to take a break from the world of fame to help her career.
“I wanted to get out of touring,” confesses Kate. “I think you can lose perspective creatively and also on what you want to do, so I took some time off to do basic things like pass my driving test, write and see my friends. Luckily, I have a really supportive label so I was able to do that.”
Indeed, Kate was able to enjoy some well deserved ‘me-time’ as well as hanging out with her ‘first proper boyfriend’ Ryan Jarman from The Cribs. But Kate also thought it was important to spend time giving back to the community and took part in charity work at her local home town of Harrow.
“I did a few projects with the Wish Centre charity which basically supports women who have been victim of domestic violence and children who self harm,” says the 23-year-old. “I had fun creatively and got back to my roots, it helps keep it exciting and a sense of worth to it all.”
And after working with Bernard Butler, the producer of Duffy’s album Rockferry, Kate re-entered the charts with her second album My Best Friend is You this year, and released the first single from the album Do Wah Doo.
“There’s definitely a development of growth in my writing,” she confesses. “I experimented with electronic sounds, it’s a big step away from pop. There’s more of a link to the sixties which I was listening to at the time.”
And this Sunday you can see and hear Kate Nash’s new music at Virgin Media’s V Festival in Hylands Park. But Kate warns us that she won’t be holding back in her performance…
“It’s important for me to put my all into every show,” she says. “For me it’s a way of getting stuff out of my system and putting it into that performance.”
Don’t miss Kate Nash at the Nissan Duke Arena on Sunday 22 August. For more information about Kate and her upcoming performances visit www.katenash.co.uk.