Latest news with #KateNash
The Guardian
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘British feminism needs reshaping': Kate Nash on her new single about trans rights
In Kate Nash's new single, released last week, the 37-year-old musician and actor has coined a new acronym, Germ: 'girl, exclusionary, regressive, misogynist'. In the lyrics, she states: 'You're not radical … You're not rad at all,' and that 'using feminism to erase the rights of others and endanger them is inherently un-feminist'. It arose from Nash seeing 'trans-exclusionary radical feminist' – the contentious term 'terf' – as something of a misnomer. Those who espouse gender-critical views are, in her opinion, neither radical nor feminist. The song was written in response to last month's supreme court ruling that the legal definition of 'woman' ought to be based on biological sex (a judgement that doctors at the British Medical Association have called 'scientifically illiterate'). 'I have a lot of trans people in my life that I care about,' Nash tells me on the day the track is released. 'This feminist-trans 'debate' – it's not a debate to me. A friend of mine was the victim of a hate crime last year. I took the ruling very personally.' She says the time felt right for her to speak out. 'The LGBTQIA+ community supports women so much, and they have been there for me in my life and career. That's why I think cis women really owe it to trans people to step up at this moment. This song is for that community.' Within hours of the song going live, Nash was trending on X. On the one hand, Nash was praised by LGBTQ+ advocates and allies for showing support for trans people at a time when their rights are being eroded. 'A lot of the queer community have been really grateful,' says Nash. 'I've received some beautiful messages about what it means, when there's so much uncertainty and fear and a loss of confidence for a lot of trans people. That's been really moving.' On the other hand, gender-critical voices online suggested that Nash was 'enabling abusers' by calling for trans women to be admitted into single-sex spaces. Nash finds the accusation 'absurd'. Critiquing different ideologies is important, she says, 'but there's a difference between critical thinking and what's happening in this debate. I'm really open to nuanced conversations. I was preparing myself for this really amazing argument that stitches me up, a big 'gotcha' moment'. But all the insults are calling me old, a bint, a slag, a has-been. I'm shocked at how juvenile and misogynistic the comments are.' 'Germ', Nash is aware, is another insult now added into the mix. 'I'm taking my artistic liberty there as a musician – I can be highbrow and I can be lowbrow. But I also do think it's important for feminists to voice that transphobia is not feminist, so I stand by it.' She is ready for the inevitable backlash. 'I've been trolled since I was 18. Bring it on. I'm OK with whatever insults people want to throw at me – I can handle it. It's not going to be as difficult as what a trans person is having to go through at this moment.' She hopes the song encourages others to speak up despite it being such a divisive subject. 'It felt like a scary thing to voice, because it's this hot topic, but as a musician you can make something that's quite fun and catchy and a little bit empowering.' Nash has long been an advocate for women's rights, calling herself a feminist in interviews since she started releasing witty, acerbic songs in the mid-2000s, before Taylor Swift and Beyoncé made the term a pop cultural concern. She is worried that the label has been hijacked by a gender-critical group who are 'very vocal and very organised', and that resources would be better spent finding solutions to more pressing problems faced by women, such as sexual violence and femicide, which occur overwhelmingly at the hands of men. 'Taking away the rights of vulnerable people who are not a threat is obviously the wrong thing to be doing,' she says. 'I'm not willing to trample on people that have less autonomy over their bodies and less safety in the world than me in order to protect myself. I do not think cis women are more important or better than trans people.' Nash also made headlines earlier in the year by announcing she was selling photos on OnlyFans to help subsidise her tour. This was done in part to make a serious point about the ways the music industry is failing artists, especially those from working-class backgrounds: 'Artists can't make money from touring and they can't make money from recorded music.' Nash explains that touring comes with a whole raft of costs, such as renting a tour bus, paying for a band and crew, food, petrol, hotels. Streaming was 'built unethically from the start', she says, with major labels and streaming services defining the terms and conditions – not artists – and not updating pre-streaming contracts to reflect the new reality. 'Who you listen to isn't where your money directly goes, and I don't think that's right. The way the music industry has been structured, historically, has been exploiting artists. And we've been exploited yet again.' Nash has personal experience of the shadier side of the business. Her former manager misappropriated large amounts of her money during the mid-2010s. (They reached an out-of-court settlement.) During a lengthy legal battle, Nash had to move back in with her parents. 'It was a really difficult thing for me to experience,' she says. 'But overall I think it's informed me, and I feel capable of speaking on issues like this now. I feel really empathetic to artists – it's made me aware of how toxic the environment is.' The decision to sell her pictures online drew criticism, with people accusing Nash of being a bad influence on young girls. 'I'm a fantastic influence for young girls,' she counters. 'I've fought my entire career for young women – representation is extremely important to me.' The photos were also a way of taking control of her sexuality. As an actor on Netflix series Glow, 'I've been naked on TV,' she says. 'I've simulated a threesome. I use my body all the time on stage to move, to sing, to connect with an audience. But if I'm completely in control of it, that's 'wrong'. Is it wrong? Our bodies are so politicised, and the world has an opinion about how to prevent us from being able to make choices about them.' Last weekend, Nash premiered Germ at the Mighty Hoopla festival along with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Later this month she will headline Glastonbury's Left Field stage on the Saturday night. She is excited to play the song in front of an audience: 'I think that will be quite a punk, exciting moment in the set.' Nash is undeterred by the internet noise the song has caused. 'I mean, sure, attack me online, but I'm still right,' she says. 'I wanted to leave a record in musical history of a feminist who is outspoken as a cis woman: this is my opinion, and I don't want the loudest cultural voice in the room to be anti-trans. That is not what feminism has taught me.'
Telegraph
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Kate Nash takes swipe at JK Rowling in new pro-trans single
Kate Nash has taken an apparent swipe at JK Rowling in a new pro-trans single. Germ, a spoken word track, consists of a repeated declaration that an unnamed 'girl' is 'exclusionary, regressive, misogynist' for raising concerns about transgender issues. Nash has said it is transphobic to exclude trans women from female-only lavatories and sports, and declared in the track that she had 'never felt threatened by a trans person'. The track appears to reference the Harry Potter author posing with a cigar to celebrate the Supreme Court ruling that trans women are legally male. It states: 'you can call a cigar a cigar' but 'a cigar cannot be compared to a human being can it, you f---ing idiot'. Nash also shared the image of JK Rowling with a cigar to her Instagram story to promote the track, along with the words 'a trans exclusionary feminist will always be a GERM'. In the song, the unnamed 'girl' is also accused of aligning herself with 'Peterson, Musk and Trump'. The track goes on to state that 'society is nonsense', and quotes a Guardian article, which claims trans people are more likely to face violence. While Rowling is unnamed, the track appears to reference her vocal opposition to allowing biological men to participate in women's sports and enter women's bathrooms. Rowling has become the most high-profile gender-critical figure in recent years and has been vocal in her defence of women-only spaces. Nash shot to fame in 2007 when her album Made of Bricks reached number one. Earlier this year, she revealed that she was making money with her 'bum' by putting images on OnlyFans. The performer said the money generated would fund future tours.
North Wales Live
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- North Wales Live
Win VIP tickets to see Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Bloc Party and more at Splendour festival
What better way to enjoy a festival than with VIP tickets and a luxury hotel stay! Well you're in luck as we're giving away two VIP weekend tickets to this year's Splendour festival. Taking place from July 19 - 20 2025, Splendour is held at Wollaton Hall & Deer Park in Nottingham and features multiple stages of music, comedy, a funfair and more. The impressive music line-up includes Bloc Party, Kaiser Chiefs, Travis, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Kate Nash, Jake Bugg, Clean Bandit and lots more! You can see the full line up at: Both Bloc Party and Kaiser Chiefs will be celebrating the 20th anniversaries of their era-defining albums. On Saturday, Bloc Party will be performing songs from their debut album Silent Alarm alongside a selection of greatest hits. On Sunday, Kaiser Chiefs will be playing a set celebrating their iconic debut album Employment, including bangers like I Predict A Riot. The prize includes a two night stay at the nearby Orchard Hotel which is just a ten minute walk from the venue! Once at the festival, your VIP wristband will give you entry to Splendour's fully accessible VIP Garden Area. This wristband will give you access to a whole host of luxuries to make your festival experience truly special including garden activities, fast track entry, gourmet food, luxury toilets, a big screen and seating area, a well stocked cash bars (no need to queue for tokens) and a gin garden. If you can't see the entry form, click here. The prize is a Superior double/twin room for 2 guests including breakfast for 2 nights at The Orchard Hotel including complimentary parking. The prize is only valid over Splendour weekend and no cash alternative will be offered. At least one guest will need to be over 18 years over. The competition closes at 23:45 on 8th June. Good luck!
Wales Online
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Win VIP tickets to see Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Bloc Party and more at Splendour festival
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info What better way to enjoy a festival than with VIP tickets and a luxury hotel stay! Well you're in luck as we're giving away two VIP weekend tickets to this year's Splendour festival. Taking place from July 19 - 20 2025, Splendour is held at Wollaton Hall & Deer Park in Nottingham and features multiple stages of music, comedy, a funfair and more. The impressive music line-up includes Bloc Party, Kaiser Chiefs, Travis, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Kate Nash, Jake Bugg, Clean Bandit and lots more! You can see the full line up at: Both Bloc Party and Kaiser Chiefs will be celebrating the 20th anniversaries of their era-defining albums. On Saturday, Bloc Party will be performing songs from their debut album Silent Alarm alongside a selection of greatest hits. On Sunday, Kaiser Chiefs will be playing a set celebrating their iconic debut album Employment, including bangers like I Predict A Riot. The prize includes a two night stay at the nearby Orchard Hotel which is just a ten minute walk from the venue! Once at the festival, your VIP wristband will give you entry to Splendour's fully accessible VIP Garden Area. This wristband will give you access to a whole host of luxuries to make your festival experience truly special including garden activities, fast track entry, gourmet food, luxury toilets, a big screen and seating area, a well stocked cash bars (no need to queue for tokens) and a gin garden. If you can't see the entry form, click here. The prize is a Superior double/twin room for 2 guests including breakfast for 2 nights at The Orchard Hotel including complimentary parking. The prize is only valid over Splendour weekend and no cash alternative will be offered. At least one guest will need to be over 18 years over. The competition closes at 23:45 on 8th June. Good luck!
BBC News
11-04-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Stendhal: Lightning Seeds and Kate Nash headline 2025 festival
The Lightning Seeds and Brit award winning singer-songwriter Kate Nash are among the headline acts at this year's Stendhal annual summer event runs from 4 to 6 July on Ballymully Cottage Farm near Limavady, County festival bill also includes comedian Ed Byrne, country singer Lisa McHugh, The Orb and Joshua in its15th year, organisers say the line-up balances established names with the very best up-and-coming acts. "We have grown from a daydream into the island of Ireland's largest and longest-running independent festival and we can't wait to celebrate that with everyone this summer," festival director Ross Parkhill said. What is Stendhal? Stendhal Festival is an annual outdoor event featuring music, comedy, dance, poetry, workshops and family-friendly name is a reference to Stendhal syndrome - a psychological condition resulting in dizziness experienced by people exposed to things of great festival is situated in the picturesque rural setting of Ballymully Cottage Farm in Roe Valley, about three miles outside the town of uniquely for Northern Ireland's music scene, the festival features a campsite for ticket holders to stay on site. Who else is performing this year at Stendhal? Among the confirmed acts announced on Friday are DJ Marc McCabe who is set to make his Stendhal debut and Mercury and Choice Award nominated singer-songwriter Fionn well as Joshua Burnside a number of Northern Irish acts are also confirmed including The Woodburning Savages, The Florentinas, Duke Special, Huartan, Problem Patterns and The Folk'd Up, Junior Brother, Bog Bodies, Bicurious, Nerves and Babyrat are also on the line-up.
