Kate Nash has released her take on ‘Famine’, the 1994 Sinéad O’Connor track from ‘Universal Mother’ that addressed the Great Hunger through a blend of spoken word and hip-hop. Nash’s version introduces an original verse alongside tin whistle, the first instrument she ever picked up.
Holding dual British-Irish nationality through her Dublin-born mother, Nash returned to O’Connor’s back catalogue after the singer’s death in 2023. With nationalism on the rise both in the UK and internationally, Nash describes the release not as an accusation but as what she calls “an invitation to interrogate our histories both personal and national”.
Reflecting on what drew her to the track, Nash says: “I was inspired by the phrase: ‘The English can’t remember history, while the Irish can’t forget it.’ I was never educated about An Gorta Mór, either at school or within my family.”
Speaking about the decision to write an additional verse, she adds: “I believe England must acknowledge its actions and history in order for true healing, understanding and growth to take place.”
Nash also speaks to O’Connor’s lasting influence on her own work, stating: “I strongly agree that education is a crucial step towards peace. I would not be the artist I am today without Sinéad’s perspective, her bravery and sensitivity. My intention is to honour her voice and continue to spread her message.”
The tin whistle part carries its own personal significance. Nash learnt the tune at primary school, and she describes its inclusion as “a nice sort of symmetry … retracing my own personal musical history to cover a song about this pivotal historical moment between Ireland and England, my two nationalities.”
An accompanying video, co-directed by Nash, features artist and activist Tia O’Donnell. O’Donnell embroidered the phrase “The English Don’t Know Their History” onto a duvet that was subsequently displayed outside Parliament and at other locations.
Nash appeared earlier this year as a contestant on the seventh series of The Masked Singer. She also has several live appearances lined up.
Upcoming live dates include:
MAY
1 Liverpool Sound City, Liverpool, UK
3 Liverpool Sound City, Liverpool, UK
23 Bearded Theory, UK
JULY
22 Galway International Arts Festival, Galway, Ireland
