Kate Nash's Fall to Fame
When British indie-pop singer Kate Nash produced her debut album, "Made of Bricks," she was feeling like a pound of bricks. Nash discovered a penchant for songwriting at 17 after a tumble down a flight of stairs forced her to stay home with a broken leg. She was offered a record deal after MySpace traffic approved of her efforts to quell boredom with an electric guitar.
Although Nash has gone from an unknown teenage girl writing in her bedroom to an international pop star, some things don't change -- including the inability to stand. Nash recently sprained her ankle and couldn't stand when she stopped by "The Early Show" to promote her recently released album "My Best Friend Is You."
Nash was quick to recognize the irony in her foot injuries, noting that a fall nudged her along the songwriting trajectory, and five years later, she is recovering from a post-performance accident.
"Actually my first record -- the reason I started taking it more seriously was because I was held up with a broken foot for a few weeks, and I was rejected from colleges," said Nash. "My mom and dad bought me my first electric guitar. So I decided as soon as my foot was healed, I was going to start doing gigs."
Nash didn't need much of a warm-up. The first song she wrote called "Birds" wound up on her original album. Similarly, Nash released her new CD April 19, and there is already talk about her single, "Do-Wah-Doo." The 1960's inspired song tackles schoolyard bullies.
"It was just an idea for a song I based off of something from school," said Nash. It's about "this friend, this guy -- we grew up together."
As a sophomore album, "My Best Friend Is You," expands upon Nash's focus on relationships and love, touching on xenophobia and gender issues. Her official biography says the sequel is "about trying to find a happy medium" between the young, naïve Nash and the cynicism she developed after making it to the top.
Although Nash's name is a staple on the British pop scene, she is not satisfied with her first album's visit to the number one on the U.K. charts or the Brit Award's Best Female Solo Artist. The 22-year-old singer has set her sights on the States. Nash hopes to leave her mark on the U.S. music scene with her new album and North American tour.