Musician Kate Nash on Her Irish Heritage and the Reality of Touring

Flora Neighbour: Your new album is influenced by your Irish heritage. Did a particular place inspire one of the songs?

Kate Nash: My family are from Galway, Sligo and Cavan, so I really wanted to explore these places in my artistry. But the track Christmas Eve is actually about my granny and grandad meeting on O’Connell Street in Dublin on Christmas Eve. I’ll always have an affinity with Dublin as that’s where their journey started.

FN: What do you hope people will take from the album?

KN: It’s quite a dense record, with some heavy topics, but I want it to be empowering. I also hope that people feel a lot of happiness. Irish music is innately joyful, so I hope it’s uplifting to listen to as well as quite emotional. Nowadays, people are much more open to exploring their heritage, so I think now’s the right time to release this music.

FN: Where should everyone visit while in Ireland?

KN: I’d send people to the west coast and tell them to drive up the Wild Atlantic Way. Visit Spiddal in Galway, as it has great places to eat and drink. There’s somewhere right next to my studio, actually, called Builín Blasta Cafe & Bakery. It serves delicious traditional Irish food and overlooks Spiddal Beach.

I’d also tell people to take a road trip through County Clare. Driving through Burren National Park, with its wild landscapes, is one of the most amazing things you can do. I often stop off en route at Homestead Cottage — a Michelin-starred restaurant that serves a seasonal menu and is set in a 200-year-old house.

(Come to This Irish Region For Otherworldly Rock Formations.)

FN: Your US tour starts in November. Are there any places you’re excited to visit?

KN: I love Boston. It has the best dive bars, coffeeshops and just good people. I also love visiting Los Angeles. I lived in Mount Washington and then Atwater Village for around 10 years, so it’s fun going back. Just being outside in nature was healing. There were incredible hikes close to my home and a mountain at the end of my street!

FN: Does touring ever bring up challenging travel experiences?

KN: Being a musician is like being part of a travelling circus. Many things can go wrong, like your equipment breaking. I almost lost my mind towards the end of a tour in Boston once: I was mid-shower when a clump of someone else’s hair fell on me! Another time in the early part of my career, I lost my passport at the end of a six-week tour in Mexico. My team just left me there and my manager told me to figure out how to get back on my own.

FN: Who’s your ideal travel companion and where would you take them?

KN: I genuinely love travelling with my band — I’d pick them over anyone else. I’m always up for a spontaneous adventure with those who are excited about experiencing new things. If there are challenging moments, I want to be with people who’ll laugh about them later — like a clump of hair falling onto my naked body! I’d take them to Colombia, I think, as I love it there — it has incredible views and delicious food.