4.52am Issue: 041 6th July 2017 The Nancy Kells Issue

I took much more seriously, and then I
started putting more time into writing
and creating songs that were planned
out and reworked over time. I think I
always had all these songs inside me,
but it wasn't until I had the confidence
to play the guitar and keys that the
music was able to truly come out of me.
With the music I do now, I try to
embrace and combine the
experimentation that comes from just
messing around and finding happy
mistakes along with planned song
writing and working and reworking a
song many times over until it is where I
want it. I think you can hear both things
in my music now.”
So what instruments do you play,
and when did you learn?
“I play guitar and keys and sometimes a
little bass. I also use a drum machine
and toy instruments sometimes. I took
piano lessons as a kid and learned notes
and chords that way, but I didn't learn
how to play guitar or bass until I got that
toy bass and then a guitar, but really I
just know chords and play by ear. I don't
know my scales or anything. I think I am
a better songwriter than I am a guitarist
for sure.”
Which instrument feels the most
natural to you when it comes to
writing?
“I usually write songs on my guitarusually
my classical- at least these days,
but sometimes it happens on keys.
Your music is so varied, who would
you consider has influenced you
most?
“Thank you so much for saying that. That
is such a tough question because I listen
to so many different types of music, but
probably a lot of the foundation comes
from the music I was into as a kid and
teenager. I think you can hear the new
wave/goth/industrial/punk influence at
the base of what I am doing, but I am
definitely influenced by a large range of
different stuff. I also got into some
rap/hip-hop, jazz and reggae as a teen
and of course classic and psychedelic
rock, and then later in my 20s I got into
some other stuff like the indie music of
that time and also oldie stuff and 20s
through 40s type music.
The first band I got really into was the
Go-Go's back in 4th grade. Cocteau Twins
and This Mortal Coil are likely two you can
hear in my music. Wire and Nick Cave
have been two long favourites of mine
since I was a teen. I was hugely into
anything Will Oldham did for many years.
I still am but started to lose interest after
‘The Letting Go.’ I am still in love with
that early Palace Brothers/Palace Music
and Bonnie 'Prince' Billy stuff. I think the
older I got, the more I became more
interested in learning and listening to
women musicians of all genres. I think
most of the music (not all, but most) of
the musicians or bands I listened to
growing up were mainly male centred or
mainly made of men. It really wasn't