{{short description|British singer, songwriter and musician (born 1986)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2025}} {{Use British English|date=January 2020}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Nadine Shah | image = Nadine Shah at Resident (53563006232).jpg | caption = Shah in 2024 | birth_name = Nadine Petra Katarina Shah<ref>{{Cite news|last=Behlert|first=Anke|url=https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/die-britische-saengerin-nadine-shah-feministische.2588.de.html?dram:article_id=479689|title=Feministische Küchengeschichten|date=23 August 2020|work=Deutschlandfunk|access-date=14 October 2020|language=de}}</ref> | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=y|1986|01|16}} | birth_place = Whitburn, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, UK | origin = | genre = {{flatlist| * Indie rock * jazz * post-punk * folk rock }} | occupation = {{flatlist| * Singer * songwriter * pianist }} | years_active = 2009–present | label = {{flatlist| * Infectious Music * BMG * Warner * Apollo * 1965 }} | website = {{URL|http://nadineshah.co.uk}} }}
'''Nadine Petra Katarina Shah''' (born 16 January 1986) is a British singer and songwriter.
==Background== Shah was born in Whitburn to an English mother from South Shields of part Norwegian ancestry and a Pakistani father.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/apr/30/nadine-shah-i-was-determied-for-people-to-hear-i-was-pakistani|title=Nadine Shah: 'I was determined for people to hear I was Pakistani'|last=Gibsone|first=Harriet|date=30 April 2015|work=The Guardian|access-date=11 December 2017}}</ref> She moved to London at the age of 17 to start her career as a jazz singer.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/sep/08/nadine-shah-holiday-destination-interview-mercury|title=Nadine Shah: 'My personal life was so awful I wanted to escape'|last=Hutchinson|first=Kate|date=8 September 2018|work=The Guardian|access-date=14 October 2020}}</ref> Shortly after moving, she became close friends with Amy Winehouse.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/nadine-shah-interview-amy-winehouse-kitchen-sink-album-a9607596.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220618/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/nadine-shah-interview-amy-winehouse-kitchen-sink-album-a9607596.html |archive-date=18 June 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Nadine Shah: 'I didn't know what gaslighting was'|last=Rogers|first=Georgie|date=10 July 2020|work=The Independent|access-date=14 October 2020}}</ref>
==Career== thumb|right|200px|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."<ref name=quietus20130723 /> Shah is a keen speaker on the subject of social stigmas towards those suffering from mental health illnesses.<ref>{{cite web|last1=McRuvie|first1=Sarah|title=Nadine Shah – Love Your Dum and Mad|url=http://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/nadine-shah-love-your-dum-and-mad|website=Clash|accessdate=22 July 2015|date=9 July 2013}}</ref>
Shah and Hillier released their second record titled ''Fast Food'' in April 2015.<ref>{{cite web|first=David|last=Jeffries |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/fast-food-mw0002819377 |title=Fast Food – Nadine Shah | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards |publisher=AllMusic |date=7 April 2015 |accessdate=7 May 2015}}</ref> She also made a guest appearance on two tracks of Ghostpoet's album, ''Shedding Skin'', which was released in March 2015.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Murray|first1=Robin|title=Ghostpoet Returns With New Album 'Shedding Skin'|url=http://www.clashmusic.com/news/ghostpoet-returns-with-new-album-shedding-skin|website=Clash|accessdate=22 July 2015|date=8 January 2015}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rugbyadvertiser.co.uk/whats-on/get-carter-gets-refreshed-1-7289602|title=Get Carter gets refreshed|website=www.rugbyadvertiser.co.uk|language=en|access-date=11 December 2017|archive-date=11 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171211213545/https://www.rugbyadvertiser.co.uk/whats-on/get-carter-gets-refreshed-1-7289602|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Her album ''Holiday Destination'' was released in August 2017. It was again produced by Hillier,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://thequietus.com/articles/22921-nadine-shah-interview-3|title=The Quietus {{!}} Features {{!}} A Quietus Interview {{!}} Immigrant Is Not A Dirty Word: An Interview With Nadine Shah|work=The Quietus|access-date=11 December 2017}}</ref> who also plays drums in Shah's live band. The album was nominated for a Mercury Prize in 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mercuryprize.com/news/see-the-2018-shortlist|title=See the 2018 Shortlist|website=www.mercuryprize.com|language=en|access-date=27 July 2018}}</ref>
The fourth studio album ''Kitchen Sink'' came out on 26 June 2020<ref>{{cite web |url=https://diymag.com/2020/06/25/nadine-shah-kitchen-sink-album-review |title=Nadine Shah - Kitchen Sink |work=DIY |date=25 June 2020 |accessdate=4 July 2020 |author=Jamieson, Sarah}}</ref> and found much acclaim from critics. A key theme of the album is what it means to be a thirtysomething woman today.<ref name="Guard20">{{Cite web |date=28 June 2020 |title=Nadine Shah: Kitchen Sink review – razor-sharp observations |website=TheGuardian.com |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/jun/28/nadine-shah-kitchen-sink-review-razor-sharp-observations |access-date=2 July 2020}}</ref> At the time Shah's mother was terminally ill, influencing significant elements of the album with themes of impending 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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2020/11/27/nadine-shah-spotify-royalties/|title=Nadine Shah Unable to Pay Rent Despite 100k+ Spotify Monthly Listeners|website=Digitalmusicnews.com|date=28 November 2020|accessdate=17 February 2021}}</ref>
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 great critical acclaim. Reflecting the Kitchen Sink songs "Wasps Nest" and "Prayer Mat" Shah continuess to explore the theme of grief and loss, and navigates with brutal honesty through her own recent experiences of addiction and rehab. In contrast to 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 such as Depeche Mode and, later in the year, Elbow, at Ludlow Castle.
==Artistry== Shah has been compared to other female artists such as PJ Harvey and Siouxsie and the Banshees,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/aug/24/nadine-shah-holiday-destination-review-simmering-post-punk-from-the-edge |title=Nadine Shah: Holiday Destination review – simmering post-punk from the edge |first=Dave |last=Simpson|publisher=theguardian.com|date=24 August 2017 |accessdate=20 January 2021}}<br />{{cite web|url=https://thequietus.com/articles/23067-nadine-shah-holiday-destination-lead-album-review|title=Perchance To Dream: Nadine Shah's Holiday Destination|publisher=Thequietus.com|date=24 August 2017 |first=Julian |last=Marszalek|accessdate=20 January 2021}}</ref> and is noted for the theatricality of her voice.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/nadine-shah-review-manchester-band-wall-london-tour-tickets-album-a8009036.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220618/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/nadine-shah-review-manchester-band-wall-london-tour-tickets-album-a8009036.html |archive-date=18 June 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Nadine Shah at Band on the Wall|publisher=independent.co.uk|first=Elizabeth |last=Aubrey|date= 19 October 2017|accessdate=20 January 2021}}</ref>
==Personal life== An interview by John Freeman for ''The Quietus'' highlighted that "Mental health is a hugely important issue for Shah."<ref name=quietus20130723>{{cite web|last1=Freeman|first1=John|title=Tales of an Unspoken Plague: Nadine Shah Interviewed|url=http://thequietus.com/articles/12887-nadine-shah-interview|website=The Quietus|accessdate=22 July 2015|date=23 July 2013}}</ref> Shah suffers from endometriosis.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Levine|first1=Nick|title=Nadine Shah: 'I've had to move back in with my parents because my gigs have been cancelled'|url=https://inews.co.uk/culture/music/nadine-shah-interview-fourth-album-kitchen-sink-gigs-rent-455861|website=i|accessdate=14 October 2020|date=25 June 2020}}</ref> 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".<ref>{{cite web|last1=Bray|first1=Elisa|title=Nadine Shah: 'I am just one version of a Muslim woman, and people don't get to see a lot of my kind'|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/nadine-shah-interview-holiday-destination-singer-brexit-muslim-children-drinking-a8661276.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220618/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/nadine-shah-interview-holiday-destination-singer-brexit-muslim-children-drinking-a8661276.html |archive-date=18 June 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|website=The Independent|accessdate=14 October 2020|date=1 December 2018}}</ref> She is separated from filmmaker Matthew Cummins. The couple previously lived together in Ramsgate, Kent.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/features/longread/nadine-shah-shattering-the-expectations-of-an-archaic-society|title=Nadine Shah is shattering the expectations of an archaic society|website=The Line of Best Fit|accessdate=17 February 2021}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://narcmagazine.com/interview-nadine-shah-2/|title=Nadine Shah is shattering the expectations of an archaic society|website=Narc Magazine|accessdate=23 February 2024}}</ref>
===Political views=== 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.<ref name="theguardian1">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/nov/25/musicians-backing-jeremy-corbyns-labour|title=Musicians backing Jeremy Corbyn's Labour|work=The Guardian|date=25 November 2019|accessdate=1 December 2019}}</ref><ref name="theguardian2">{{cite news |last=Gayle|first=Damien|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/nov/25/musicians-backing-jeremy-corbyns-labour|title=Stormzy backs Labour in election with call to end austerity|work=The Guardian|date=25 November 2019|accessdate=1 December 2019}}</ref> In 2020, she voiced her support for the newly elected Labour Party leader Keir Starmer.<ref>{{cite news |last=Power|first=Ed|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/nadine-shah-as-a-woman-you-get-referred-to-as-a-ticking-time-bomb-1.4254539|title=Nadine Shah: 'As a woman you get referred to as a ticking time bomb'|newspaper=The Irish Times|date=23 May 2020|accessdate=14 October 2020}}</ref>
In September 2025, Shah joined the "No Music For Genocide" boycott to geo-block her music from music streaming platforms in Israel in protest of the Gaza genocide.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ferguson |first1=Alasdair |title=See full list of 400 artists banning their music in Israel |url=https://www.thenational.scot/news/25480882.400-artists-ban-music-streaming-platforms-israel/ |work=The National |date=19 September 2025}}</ref>
==Discography== '''Albums''' * ''Love Your Dum and Mad'' (July 2013) * ''Fast Food'' (April 2015) * ''Holiday Destination'' (August 2017) * ''Kitchen Sink'' (June 2020, Infectious Music/BMG/Warner) * ''Filthy Underneath'' (February 2024)<ref>{{cite web |last1=Wilkes |first1=Emma |title=Nadine Shah announces new album 'Filthy Underneath' |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/nadine-shah-announces-new-album-filthy-underneath-3517283 |website=NME}}</ref>
'''Extended plays''' * ''Aching Bones'' (November 2012) * ''Dreary Town'' (April 2013)
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == * {{cite web |url= http://www.thelineofbestfit.com/new-music/introducing/nadine-shah-112286 |title=Introducing: Nadine Shah |first=John |last=Freeman |work=The Line Of Best Fit |date=13 November 2012|accessdate=23 December 2013}} * {{cite web |url= http://www.clashmusic.com/features/otw-464-nadine-shah |title=Ones to Watch #464: Nadine Shah |first=Paul |last=Tucker |work=Clash Magazine |date=8 January 2013 |accessdate=23 December 2013}} * {{cite web |url= https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/oct/05/new-band-nadine-shah |title=Nadine Shah (No 1,366) |first=Paul |last=Lester |work=The Guardian |date=5 October 2012 |accessdate=23 December 2013}} * [https://www.allmusic.com/artist/nadine-shah-mn0003010387/biography Nadine Shah] at [https://www.allmusic.com AllMusic] * {{Discogs artist}}
{{Nadine Shah}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shah, Nadine}} Category:1986 births Category:Living people Category:English women songwriters Category:English people of Norwegian descent Category:English people of Pakistani descent Category:People from Whitburn, Tyne and Wear Category:Musicians from Tyne and Wear Category:British musicians of Pakistani descent Category:21st-century English women singers Category:21st-century English singers Category:Infectious Music artists Category:English Muslims Category:English people of Azad Kashmiri descent