After releasing her hit 2007 debut Made of Bricks, Kate Nash got sick of her career. “Touring and doing loads of work all the time was a drag, and I became unenthusiastic about it,” says the British indie-pop singer. “I took a lot of time off so that I could do, like, normal things: hang out with friends, watch films, read books.” Now, Nash is ready for round two: her second album, My Best Friend Is You, will be out April 20th, and six days later, she’ll kick off a nine-date North American tour.
On her new LP, Nash lightens up on her trademark piano pop in favor of slightly punky, girl-group-inspired tunes like “Do Wah Doo” (watch the video above!) and “Kiss the Grrrl” — a nod to her recent obsession with Billy Childish poems (”I love the harshness and dirtiness of them”) and the Shirelles, the Chiffons and the Ronettes. “These girl-group songs sound really joyous, but the lyrics are quite dark and heartbreaking,” she says. With that dichotomy in mind, Nash and her producer, ex-Suede guitarist Bernard Butler, crafted deceivingly upbeat songs like “I’ve Got a Secret,” about coming out of the closet. (Nash also plays drums on the song.) “Someone close to me was going through that recently, and it was a stressful situation,” she says. “It’s sad that someone would have to defend themselves for being gay in 2010.”
This summer, Nash will hit the road for a few dates with the all-female traveling festival Lilith Fair. “It’s really exciting, because it has a great history rather than just being a big party,” says Nash. “It’s a lot of girl power.”
Get the lowdown on 40 more of the spring’s biggest albums.
April 26 – Toronto, ONT @ Mod Theatre
April 28 – Boston, MA @ Great Scott’s
April 29 – New York, NY @ The Bowery
May 1 ...
Article Source: Rolling Stone : Rock and Roll Daily