Photo of Nadine Shah by Valerio Berdini.
Without a question of doubt Nadine Shah has been one of the years stand out artists what with the release of her critically acclaimed debut album, Love Your Dum and Mad, and a support tour with Depeche Mode. She just came off a long tour headlining in her own right and managed to find time to answer a few questions set by fellow artist and Louder Than War writer Laura “She Makes War” Kidd. Nadine has a couple more dates before the end of the year, details of which can be found at the foot of this feature.
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Louder Than War: Hi Nadine! You’ve been touring extensively this year – how did it all go? What towns, venues or people stood out for you?
Nadine Shah: I’ve just finished now. It was great though. Firstly we headed out on our European tour, playing a few festivals and our own headlined shows. I loved Germany, Holland Belgium and France. Us Island monkeys sometimes forget that we are a part of Europe don’t we? I’ll be spending a lot more time playing outside of England from now on (better food). We then went on tour supporting Depeche Mode in Germany, now that was bloody mental. I needed a bit of a kick up the arse to actually get on stage the first night, there were around 25 thousand people so it was more than a little daunting. Luckily, Depeche fans are ace, really welcoming to us. It was one of my most favourite experiences to date.
What do you enjoy most about touring and what makes for a good Nadine Shah show?
Touring kind of feels like a really long school trip, kind of a holiday but you’re still under strict supervision and can’t do exactly what you want all the time. What makes for a good show? A crowd that is stood up and enthusiastic, I like to interact with the audience a bit.
What’s your favourite song to play live and why?
“The Devil”.. we get people dancing to that one sometimes.
What’s the worst gig you’ve ever played? How does it compare to the worst job you’ve ever had to do?
Worst gig … it was this thing for T4 YEARS ago, I was put on the wrong stage by accident. I ended up going on after Pixie Lott and before the Sugababes. The kids in the audience bloody hated me haha poor buggas. I’m lucky, I’ve not particularly hated any job that I’ve ever done. Most of them were with decent people.
How would you describe your music in one sentence?
Maria Callas singing Interpol.
What piece of musical gear couldn’t you perform without?
My stage piano
What is success to you?
Making work that i’m proud of… and my mam and dads mates knowing who i am.
What drives you to make music?
I’m not particularly skilled or trained at anything else so I put all my energy into music as it’s my trade now I suppose. This being so, I now treat music making just like any other job. Everyone has to work, so I have to make music.
What is inspiring you at the moment?
Too many guitar bands, I’m trying to learn but haven’t quite got the knack of it yet. I’m enjoying the noise making though.
Do you have any new musical tips to share?
I’ve got Kurt Vile “Walkin on a Pretty Daze” on repeat right now.
What are your plans for the next six months?
Starting the new record, more touring and trying to decorate my flat to make it look less like a smack den. xx
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As mentioned Nadine has two more dates before the end of the year, both in London:
- Thurs 19 Dec London The Barfly XFM Xposure (Tickets).
- Tues 25 March 2014 London XOYO support from She Makes War. (Tickets).
Online Nadine can be found at her Website, or on Facebook, Twitter or Youtube.
All words by Laura Kidd, aka She Makes War, whose website can be found here: shemakeswar.com.
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