Growing up in Harrow, London, Nash first became interested in music during her childhood when she learned to play the piano. She attended St. John Fisher school and moved on to the St. Joan of Arc School in Rickmansworth. Her talents were harnessed further when she wrote songs for her GCSE in Music and her time studying at the BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology in Croydon, South London. However, her first love was acting and so in 2005 she made moves to start a career in acting by auditioning at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and was rejected. After her rejection she fell down a flight of stairs, breaking her foot. During her recovery Nash was unable to go anywhere and found solace in song writing. She began to write some new songs, finished old ones and decided that she would book herself a gig at a local bar to showcase her songs. From this experience she decided to start a career in music.
Nash's early live performances saw her play a number of cover versions. After a few gigs, Nash uploaded her music to the popular website MySpace. Her music soon began to receive support from users of the site and Nash found herself a manager, proceeding to look for producers.
Fellow MySpace star Lily Allen has stated that she believes Nash is the "next big thing", and she has also garnered support from publications such as Vogue and NME, the latter dubbing her as "chavtronica". Nash has been compared to Lily Allen, because of their storytelling lyrics, the dry sense of humour that fuels their songs as well as distinctive London accents. Some people have commented that Nash sounds like Catherine Tate when she sings. Others have compared some of her songs to music by Regina Spektor.
Nash has stated that her biggest influence has been Regina Spektor and has an extensive list of influences on her myspace page. Some of her influences include, "London, punk, Bored Teenagers and John Cooper Clarke".
Nash's début release was a double-A side single released through independent record label Moshi Moshi in February 2007. The release was limited to 1000 copies and was available on only 7" vinyl. The first A-side, "Caroline's a Victim", is a synth-fuelled song about Nash's friend Caroline. A video for the song was released and received notable airplay on MTV2. The video, directed by Kinga Burza, featured Nash playing a variety of instruments at the same time that "Caroline" sits in her room "playing killer beats", taking photographs, trying on different outfits and sitting at her computer checking a social networking website.
The second A-side to the single was "Birds", an acoustic number that tells the story of a boy's inept attempts to try and explain to his girlfriend how he feels about her, all the while the girl remains despondent about the situation.
During the promotion for "Caroline's a Victim"/"Birds", Nash supported Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly on his national tour before embarking on her own headlining tour, which took her around the UK.
In April 2007, Nash was signed to the Polydor offshoot Fiction Records. A month later, Nash was mocked through a parody of her song, "Caroline's a Victim" entitled "LDN Is A Victim". The song mocked Nash and Lily Allen, amongst others, for singing in a Cockney-drawl, despite their privileged backgrounds.
Nash's second single and first through Fiction Records, "Foundations", which she co-wrote with producer Paul Epworth, was released on June 25, 2007 and reached number two in the official UK Singles Chart.
Following "Foundations", Fiction announced plans to bring forward the release of Nash's debut album to August 6, 2007. The album, Made of Bricks, produced by Paul Epworth, included many of the tracks she had been performing on her two nationwide tours. The album was leaked to filesharing networks days before its commercial release, and has received mixed reviews, The Independent describing it as being in "pole position for worst album of the year." The album reached number 1 in the UK charts.
During mid-2007, Nash performed at numerous festivals including Wireless Festival, Bestival, the Electric Gardens, Glastonbury, Latitude, Reading and Leeds, Oxegen and T in the Park. She made her official TV performance debut on Later with Jools Holland.
Nash features on rapper Kano's album London Town, in a song titled "Me & My Microphone". She is also featured in the song "Look What You've Done" from Lethal Bizzle's latest album, Back To Bizznizz.
Regarding the recording of a new album, Nash told NME that she had been inspired by The Supremes and has written a song called "Cat Song" in their honour. She is also set to release a duet single with Billy Bragg, a cover of The Shangri-Las "Give Storey A Great Big Kiss".
On 20 February 2008 she received a BRIT award for Best Female artist.
In April 2010 she released her sophomore album in 'My Best Friend Is You". With the singles "Do-Wah-Doo" and "Kiss that Grrrl" following close behind.
Mansion Song
Kate Nash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I wanna be fucked and then rolled over
Cause I'm an independent woman of the 21st century
No time for knits, I want sex and debauchery
I read glamor and the guardian
I like flowers & I'm hardy & I take cocaine
I don't give a fuck about her I want your name
Like the best of men Like the worst of pain
Inflicted on another young girl again
Impressed by another guitar hero
He's a top score & you're a zero
You're out of your league
There ain't no rubber on the tracks it's gravel
You fall hard, cut quick and it's an STD, a cut knee
You're a side of stage grasp, a laugh
An after show party in a bath
Fucked and expected to be fucked
A gasp from an uninformed intruder
The crowd go wild and things get ruder
They're already out of hand and there's no-one here
To take your hand. It's a cold shower and a scramble
For a dirty pair of knicker, don't get yours mixed up with hers
Now get out of bed, get out of bed, get out get out get get out of bed
Get up, get down & get undressed! Cause that's what you
Do best, strip, strip strip n shag, fuck get fucked 'n drag,
And be impressed, by the better sex, take a piece of raw
Vegetable and hold it to your breast and say you stood
For nothing. You were just a hole that lacked passion,
Another undignified product of society. That girl
Should have been a mansion.
In "Mansion Song," Kate Nash sings about society's expectations and stereotypes for women. She begins with a desire for the "hip rock 'n' roll sinister," indicating her wish to defy societal norms and expectations. She then goes on to express her desire for sex and debauchery, challenging the traditional image of an independent woman. In the line "I like flowers & I'm hardy & I take cocaine," she juxtaposes contrasting ideas of femininity and rebellion.
As the song continues, Nash sings about the objectification of women and the pressure to conform to male expectations. The verses "Fucked and expected to be fucked / A gasp from an uninformed intruder" give insight into the sense of violation and powerlessness often felt by women in sexual encounters. Overall, the song speaks to the notion that women are often judged and valued solely on their sexual availability to men, rather than their own worth and individuality.
Line by Line Meaning
I fancy the hip rock 'n' roll sinister
I am attracted to the dark and edgy side of rock music
I wanna be fucked and then rolled over
I want to have sex and be treated like an object
Cause I'm an independent woman of the 21st century
Just because I am a woman in the modern era does not mean I cannot embrace my sexuality
No time for knits, I want sex and debauchery
I am not interested in domestic activities, I want to engage in wild sexual behavior
I read glamor and the guardian
I am attracted to both highbrow and lowbrow media
I like flowers & I'm hardy & I take cocaine
I can be both delicate and strong, and I also engage in drug use
I don't give a fuck about her I want your name
I am only interested in you and not anyone else
I can get fucked like the best of men
I am just as capable of engaging in sexual activity as any man
Like the best of men Like the worst of pain
I can experience pleasure and pain just like anyone else
Inflicted on another young girl again
I am aware that society perpetuates harm onto women
Impressed by another guitar hero
I am attracted to musicians who are highly skilled and admired
He's a top score & you're a zero
The musician is highly valued, while I am not
You're out of your league
I am not considered good enough to be with the musician
There ain't no rubber on the tracks it's gravel
The situation is dangerous and could result in harm
You fall hard, cut quick and it's an STD, a cut knee
Engaging in risky behavior can result in both physical and emotional harm
You're a side of stage grasp, a laugh
I am seen as a background character rather than a star
An after show party in a bath
I am not treated with respect and am expected to participate in sexual activity even in strange environments
Fucked and expected to be fucked
I am treated like an object and not a human being
A gasp from an uninformed intruder
Others who witness my situation do not understand the harm being done to me
The crowd go wild and things get ruder
Others are entertained by my objectification and harm
They're already out of hand and there's no-one here
The situation is out of control and I am alone
To take your hand. It's a cold shower and a scramble
I am left to pick up the pieces and deal with the consequences of my actions
For a dirty pair of knicker, don't get yours mixed up with hers
I am not valued and am expected to wear unclean clothing
Now get out of bed, get out of bed, get out get out get get out of bed
I am stuck in a negative situation and need to escape
Get up, get down & get undressed! Cause that's what you
I am expected to participate in sexual behavior without question
Do best, strip, strip strip n shag, fuck get fucked 'n drag,
I am expected to engage in sexual activity frequently and without regard for my own wellbeing
And be impressed, by the better sex, take a piece of raw
I am expected to be impressed by men who engage in sexual behavior frequently
Vegetable and hold it to your breast and say you stood
I am objectified to the point where even a vegetable is seen as more valuable than me
For nothing. You were just a hole that lacked passion,
I am seen as nothing more than a receptacle for sexual activity
Another undignified product of society. That girl
Society has failed me as a woman and allowed me to be treated poorly
Should have been a mansion.
I am a valuable person who should be treated with respect and dignity
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: KATE MARIE NASH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind