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Hysteria. PMS. feelings? (Kate Nash | A Response)

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Kate Nash blog entry

By Kate Nash

Editorial note: apparently, there’s been a certain amount of negative ‘reaction’ to the new Kate Nash song ‘Under-Estimate The Girl’. The song is loud and angry and empowered, and not cute or dorky or shit like that. (Not that there’s fuck wrong with dorky or cute.) You can hear it here. Anyway, like I say, there’s plenty of people out there who don’t like the idea of ‘their’ Kate being like that – so she wrote them a reply on her blog. I figured I’d ask her permission to reprint it on Collapse Board, seeing as like she’s almost a regular contributor round these parts.

Take it away, Kate.

Just sitting in a bar in Liverpool and listened to a conversation about how some new girl that was hired isn’t very pretty. they said she was gonna be pretty but she isn’t.

Fucking hell man.

So anyway wanted to write a little about Under-estimate the Girl. Seems like people have gone bat shit crazy over this. It’s pretty interesting to watch. It’s funny, exciting, kind of thrilling, and sometimes a bit sad.

Just saw a pole on heat magazine… “WHO WANTS THE OLD KATE NASH BACK?!”

It’s weird to me because I guess it’s like when you haven’t seen someone for years and they’re like ‘WOAHHH you look so different’ and you’ve seen yourself in the mirror everyday so you don’t notice changes.

I’m extremely proud of the work I have done on both of my albums before now. Made of Bricks and My Best Friend Is you. In my mind they are sort of musical time capsules of how I was feeling at that time in my life and they were the songs that I wanted to write and the stories I wanted to tell. But just to let you all know, I will never make those albums ever again. I believe it is important to push boundaries, to try new things, and not to re-create. Art and humans alike are supposed to grow and change. Jeez if I was still the same person I was when I was 16 that would be fucking shit! And the same goes for everyone. And if I’m the same person I am now in 6 years that will be shit too.

I wrote this song one night after rehearsal and I was emotional and pissed off and I wanted to shout about it.

Any of my fans who have actually followed what I’ve been doing for the past few years will get it. Anyone who has listened to Model Behaviour, a b side to merry happy in 2008, to mansion song, I just Love you more, and I’ve Got a secret. Listened to me reference the buzzcocks as one of my favourite bands. To be honest anyone who has Caroline’s a Victim and Birds on Vinyl my first ever release. A decision I made because the songs were chalk and cheese and so am I. I have always said that I do whatever I want musically and I try out different things and do what I feel. Sometimes I’m happy sometimes I’m sad and Sometimes I’m pissed off.

Anyone who knows about the work I’ve been doing in schools with girls will get this. I have interviewed over 90 teenage girls over the past year about how they feel too ugly/fat/disgusting and bad about themselves to even think about starting a band or becoming a musician. THIS IS FUCKED UP!! The media and our celebrity obsessed culture is destroying the self esteem of our youth. We have become ruled by reality tv shows where 25 years olds get plastic surgery and botox to look younger and more attractive, we watch singing contests in which a bullying culture is encouraged. We watch youtube videos and laugh at a kid on the verge of suicide because he is bullied for being ginger. Magazines introduce us to women by age and weight first. No wonder everyone is so scared and hates themselves so much. I feel like we’re being told that we’re rubbish and if we buy into some product that just continues to fill the pockets of rich white men then we will feel better. Well here’s some news for you…we won’t. Whatever if you hate/love the song, there might still be something you like on the new record, there might not. If you want a 16 year old girl back, you can still buy “made of bricks” in most record shops. I’m proud of the work I did then but don’t expect me to ever recreate it.

It’s funny how a woman is slayed for expressing anger. I must be hysteric. PMSING HARDCORE. trying to be punk. How about I’m just sick of crap uninspired chart music, bullies and sexism. I’ve been hurt and I’m angry and playing bass and shouting about it makes me feel better. That’s all it is. And if that freaks people out then good.

Thanks so much to all my amazing beautiful long time supporters who grow with me. This small UK tour is amazing because you are truly the dedicated ones and you get it. You don’t know how much that means to me. I hope we can change the world for the better in some way. And whenever you try and do that you get attacked for it. But I’d rather be scared than bored. I’m excited for you guys to hear the rest of the album. It’s a real mix of angsty shouting, pop harmonies, surfy twangy sounding guitars and big bass sounds.

Anyone who sends me videos/mp3s of songs they have written themselves, I’ll post it on my blog and tumblr. It can be as lo-fi as you like. Be yourselves and don’t be afraid, it can be whatever you want, no judgement from me, music is opinion and expression and you have the right to express yourselves. I’ve got your back and fuck some magazine who tells you you’re not good enough. We’ve all got spots, flaws and things that we like that others don’t. Don’t worry about it.

Send any original songs to beyourselfyoufabulousstain@gmail.com

Positive vibes. Love you guys. Gonna get ready for tonight’s show now.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx <3

Editorial P.S. – here’s a link to an X-Ray Spex song Kate and I did together.

35 Responses to Hysteria. PMS. feelings? (Kate Nash | A Response)

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