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Nadine Shah

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Nadine Shah
Shah in 2017
Shah in 2017
Background information
Birth nameNadine Petra Katarina Shah[1]
Born (1986-01-16) 16 January 1986 (age 38)
Whitburn, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, United Kingdom
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • pianist
Years active2009–present
Labels
Websitenadineshah.co.uk

Nadine Petra Katarina Shah (born 16 January 1986) is a British singer and songwriter.

Background

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Shah was born in Whitburn, South Tyneside, to an English mother from South Shields of part Norwegian ancestry and a Pakistani father.[2] She moved to London at the age of 17 to start her career as a jazz singer.[3] Shortly after moving, she became close friends with Amy Winehouse.[4]

Career

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Shah in 2016

Her debut album, the Ben Hillier-produced Love Your Dum and Mad, was largely inspired by the tragic deaths of two young men. "There are two boys that this album is predominantly about," she continues. "During the period of time these songs were written two very close friends took their own lives."[5] Shah is a keen speaker on the subject of social stigmas towards those suffering from mental health illnesses.[6]

Shah and Hillier released their second record titled Fast Food in April 2015.[7] She also made a guest appearance on two tracks of Ghostpoet's album, Shedding Skin, which was released in March 2015.[8]

In February 2016, Hillier and Shah scored the music to the Northern Stage production of Get Carter. This included original pieces and the re-imagining of music by North East band The Animals.[9]

Her album Holiday Destination was released in August 2017. It was again produced by Hillier,[10] who also plays drums in Shah's live band. The album was nominated for a Mercury Prize in 2018.[11]

The fourth studio album Kitchen Sink came out on 26 June 2020[12] and found much acclaim of critics. In some of the lyrics she considers what it means to be a thirtysomething woman today.[13] At the time Shah's mother was terminally ill, influencing significant elements of the album with themes of pending loss and the impact not only upon herself but also her father, (in the song "Prayer Mat").

The timing of the release placed it within the challenges of covid restrictions affecting all of the UK, meaning tours and appearances were no longer possible. Shah continued to widely promote the album where possible, including a well-received virtual "meet & greet" on the QJam platform. She eventually got the chance to perform the album live, appearing at the Edinburgh Festival in August 2021 with a full song-by-song performance of Kitchen Sink, including some older tracks in the encore.

Shah provided testimony to the UK government's Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee as part of an ongoing probe into the economics of music streaming in November 2020, citing a lack of transparency regarding musicians' royalty payments.[14]

Following a period of personal turmoil Shah performed an intimate career-spanning concert in a rehearsal space in Brighton on 19 July 2022, with a capacity of only 100 guests.

On 23 February 2024 she released her fifth album "Filthy Underneath" to much critical acclaim. Reflecting the Kitchen Sink songs "Wasps Nest" and "Prayer Mat" Shah continues the theme of grief and loss, and navigates with brutal honesty through her own recent experiences of addiction and rehab. In contrast with Kitchen Sink, Filthy Underneath is supported by widespread touring of the new album as both headliner (in concert venues and a number of store gigs) and also in support of acts Depeche Mode and, later in the year, Elbow at Ludlow Castle.

Artistry

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Shah has been compared to other female artists such as PJ Harvey and Siouxsie and the Banshees,[15] and is noted for the theatricality of her voice.[16]

Personal life

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An interview by John Freeman for The Quietus highlighted that "Mental health is a hugely important issue for Shah."[5] Shah suffers from endometriosis.[17] She is a Muslim, and of her career in music, she said "[if] it inspires any young Muslim women to pick up a guitar and play a song, that’s brilliant".[18] She is separated from filmmaker Matthew Cummins. The couple previously lived together in Ramsgate, Kent.[19] Following the death of her mother from cancer in August 2020, Shah developed PTSD. She struggled with addiction and attempted suicide around Easter 2022, before moving into a rehab facility for two months. Shah currently resides in Newcastle.[20]

Political views

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In November 2019, along with 34 other musicians, Shah signed a letter endorsing the Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn in the 2019 UK general election with a call to end austerity.[21][22] In 2020, she voiced her support for the newly-elected Labour Party leader Keir Starmer.[23]

Discography

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Albums

Extended plays

  • Aching Bones (November 2012)
  • Dreary Town (April 2013)

References

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  1. ^ Behlert, Anke (23 August 2020). "Feministische Küchengeschichten". Deutschlandfunk (in German). Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  2. ^ Gibsone, Harriet (30 April 2015). "Nadine Shah: 'I was determined for people to hear I was Pakistani'". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
  3. ^ Hutchinson, Kate (8 September 2018). "Nadine Shah: 'My personal life was so awful I wanted to escape'". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  4. ^ Rogers, Georgie (10 July 2020). "Nadine Shah: 'I didn't know what gaslighting was'". The Independent. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  5. ^ a b Freeman, John (23 July 2013). "Tales of an Unspoken Plague: Nadine Shah Interviewed". The Quietus. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  6. ^ McRuvie, Sarah (9 July 2013). "Nadine Shah – Love Your Dum and Mad". Clash. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  7. ^ Jeffries, David (7 April 2015). "Fast Food – Nadine Shah | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
  8. ^ Murray, Robin (8 January 2015). "Ghostpoet Returns With New Album 'Shedding Skin'". Clash. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  9. ^ "Get Carter gets refreshed". www.rugbyadvertiser.co.uk. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
  10. ^ "The Quietus | Features | A Quietus Interview | Immigrant Is Not A Dirty Word: An Interview With Nadine Shah". The Quietus. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
  11. ^ "See the 2018 Shortlist". www.mercuryprize.com. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
  12. ^ Jamieson, Sarah (25 June 2020). "Nadine Shah - Kitchen Sink". DIY. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  13. ^ "Nadine Shah: Kitchen Sink review – razor-sharp observations". TheGuardian.com. 28 June 2020. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  14. ^ "Nadine Shah Unable to Pay Rent Despite 100k+ Spotify Monthly Listeners". Digitalmusicnews.com. 28 November 2020. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  15. ^ Simpson, Dave (24 August 2017). "Nadine Shah: Holiday Destination review – simmering post-punk from the edge". theguardian.com. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
    Marszalek, Julian (24 August 2017). "Perchance To Dream: Nadine Shah's Holiday Destination". Thequietus.com. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  16. ^ Aubrey, Elizabeth (19 October 2017). "Nadine Shah at Band on the Wall". independent.co.uk. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  17. ^ Levine, Nick (25 June 2020). "Nadine Shah: 'I've had to move back in with my parents because my gigs have been cancelled'". i. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  18. ^ Bray, Elisa (1 December 2018). "Nadine Shah: 'I am just one version of a Muslim woman, and people don't get to see a lot of my kind'". The Independent. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  19. ^ "Nadine Shah is shattering the expectations of an archaic society". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  20. ^ "Nadine Shah is shattering the expectations of an archaic society". Narc Magazine. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  21. ^ "Musicians backing Jeremy Corbyn's Labour". The Guardian. 25 November 2019. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
  22. ^ Gayle, Damien (25 November 2019). "Stormzy backs Labour in election with call to end austerity". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
  23. ^ Power, Ed (23 May 2020). "Nadine Shah: 'As a woman you get referred to as a ticking time bomb'". The Irish Times. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  24. ^ Wilkes, Emma. "Nadine Shah announces new album 'Filthy Underneath'". NME.
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