- Rising star Nell Mescal has been taking the indie-folk scene by storm the last year, with festival performances at All Points East, Boardmasters, Kendal Calling and many more, alongside support for Haim, Pink, Dermot Kennedy and Florence and The Machine. We caught up with her ahead of her first UK headline tour kicking off next week..
- Tell us a bit about yourself! Where are you from and how did you first get into music?
I’m from Ireland! I grew up in a town called Maynooth in Kildare. I grew up in music groups, choirs and glee clubs and then started writing my own stuff!
Who would you say your key inspirations are and how do they play into the music you write today?
I have so many the list is ever hanging but right now I would say Lana, The Japanese House, Adrienne Lenker and Ethel Cain. I just love how they write and perform. I saw Lana Del Ray and Ethel Cain last year and I was so emotional the entire time.
Your new song, ‘Killing Time’ is out Friday. Tell us about the song.
I’m so excited! I have been trying to tell this story for so long and it never felt like the right verse or melody until now. It’s a song about leaving home and looking back on something that shaped me negatively and wondering if the friends I had were only killing time or actually invested in the relationship.
What would you say is your most pinch-me moment so far?
I have so many! Supporting Birdy, Dermot Kennedy and Florence and the Machine was life changing. But I recently played my biggest headline show in Dublin and I embarrassingly cried on stage because of how overwhelming it felt. It was so fun!
Are you excited for tour to kick off next week? What can we expect to see?
I am so excited! You can expect lots of new songs, I’ll be playing guitar which is a newly learnt skill and hopefully you don’t see me crying on stage but I cant promise anything.