Kate Nash on Irish history, heritage and covering Sinéad O'Connor
Singer-songwriter Kate Nash is releasing a cover of Sinéad O'Connor's 'Famine' to explore her Irish heritage and the lack of historical education regarding Britain's role in the Irish Famine. The project aims to spark conversations about English identity and historical awareness.
Why it matters
It highlights the intersection of pop culture and historical reckoning, specifically regarding colonial legacies in modern British society.
Image source, Jude Harrison Image caption, For her latest video Kate Nash collaborated with artist and activist Tia O'Donnell, who embroidered the phrase "The English Don't Know Their History" onto a duvet
Singer-songwriter Kate Nash believes many English people are disconnected from parts of their own history, and her latest single is an attempt to start a conversation about why.
She has recorded a cover of Famine, Sinéad O'Connor's 1994 song about one of Ireland's darkest periods, using it to explore wider questions about how Britain's role in the famine is remembered.
For Nash, the project was also deeply personal.
Born in London to an Irish mother, she attended a Catholic school, spent childhood holidays in the Republic of Ireland and the first instrument she learned was the tin whistle, despite long claiming it was the piano.
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