The British singer-songwriter Kate Nash has had a wild ride. She started off as a teenage MySpace phenom, and her 2007 debut Made Of Bricks was a #1 album in the UK. After her 2010 sophomore record My Best Friend Is You, Kate Nash went independent ad self-released two more albums. She also started acting; I really liked her as Rhonda “Britannica” Richardson on all three seasons of GLOW. She also scored Only Gold, a stage musical that debuted in New York in 2022. And now, Kate Nash has signed with Kill Rock Stars, the label that brought us Bikini Kill, Elliott Smith, and Sleater-Kinney.
Kate Nash’s last album, the Kickstarter-funded 2018 LP Yesterday Was Forever, came out on Nash’s own Grrrl Gang label, so it seems fitting that she’s now on the label that was at the center of the early-’90s riot grrrl explosion. Along with that announcement, Nash has shared her new single “Change,” which she recorded in Copenhagen with co-writer Frederik Thaae. It’s a plainspoken track about dealing with hopelessness while struggling through everyday life, and it builds up to a huge orchestral crescendo. Here’s what Nash says about the new song and about joining the KRS roster:
“Change” is about relationships and how they are ever-evolving, constant effort is required to maintain good relationships. You can’t become complacent with others or with yourself. But you also have to learn to accept when a relationship is over, whether it’s a romantic relationship or a friendship or a working relationship or even something within yourself that has become toxic or negative in some way. Things end, and that’s ok. My mum always told me to sleep on it if I was having trouble with something. She always said it’ll be easier to deal with in the morning, and that thought still comforts me now. When the sun comes up, it’s a new day, and there’s a new opportunity to make changes, make your bed, make a cup of coffee and be honest with yourself.
Twelve years of independence as an artist has taught me so much. It’s given me a stronger sense of self and an undeniable commitment to my work. It’s forced me to face unique challenges and to practice discipline in regard to my art. I am so excited to take every lesson with me into this new chapter as I sign to Kill Rock Stars, who are such an important indie label with incredible music history and impeccable music taste. Meeting Slim, Rob, and Sydney made me feel like I could be at home on a label again. My favorite thing in the world is to collaborate with good people. I can’t wait to put records out together and to see where this journey takes us.
Listen to “Change” below.
