Predictably, the facts as they are presented create an attractive portrait of the artist as a young social media star on the move.
Sans record label, she decided to take matters into her own hands. She left her North London home and headed west to Southern California to advance her career. She soon found out how tough it is to promote yourself all by your onesies in the land of sunshine and plastic surgery.
A bit of a crusader for gender equality, she often speaks with younger girls who aspire to music careers, encouraging them to persist despite the industry’s sexist biases. A noble cause, however, the film might serve as a cautionary tale or at least a reality check for those pondering a showbiz career.
Once situated in a sunny place for shady people, Burbank, Nash found that her sense of hope slowly turned to despair. Promotional ventures didn’t work out. Money grew tight, she downsized her living accommodations, sold off her clothes. Adding insult to injury, her new American manager, Gary, allegedly used her credit card without permission to pay for his wedding and was summarily fired. She eventually successfully sued him for repayment.
During the trial, he and his attorney made a ham-fisted attempt to hush up the matter as a condition of the settlement, which to Nash’s credit she declined. Still, the film simply refers to him as Gary, without revealing his last name, even though he appears on camera in several segments, moments that were obviously filmed during happier times.
“…likely please Kate Nash’s fan base and attract a few more followers.”
Will this ruin him in the industry? Hardly, says Nash. There are many out there who respect industry sharks and would be happy to work with him.
It’s worth noting that all of this takes root in the era when the Internet and technology were supposed to create a major power shift in the media. Much had been made of the do-it-yourself possibilities for artists who now have the relatively cheap gizmos to home-produce their music and distribute it. Of course, those optimistic predictions have not quite panned out.
