Nadine talks Britney, Girls Aloud reunion, Tesco and more.
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Going back, you have over 20 Top 10 singles.
Yes!
What would your favorite be?
Oh my God. My favorite single? If I had to play one, I might say “Something Kinda Ooooh.” I could listen to a little of that right now. That’s the thing. Sometimes I’ll just think, like “What do I want to hear? ‘Something Kinda Ooooh.’”
So you can listen to your own music?
Yeah! I love it! I was a huge Girls Aloud fan, which made it so brilliant to be able to go and do live shows and perform. When you love what you’re doing, and you love the music, it’s like…This is really a job? This is the best job.
So what would you say of your albums–there were a lot of singles, but a lot of them didn’t make it as singles. Which one would have wished was a single?
Um, oh God. What did I love doing? We did a lot of the stuff live. We got to do a lot of albums live, so then it meant it was almost like a single. You could fully indulge. I liked “Watch Me Go.” That one, love that track.
Yes, that was brilliant on tour.
Yeah, I loved that on tour. I was just with the mic the whole time… [Sings] “I just wanna do it to ya baby, watch me go…” Woo! [Laughs] Love that one. Love “Graffiti My Soul.”
Yes! Now, I heard that was originally for Britney. What happened?
Brian Higgins wanted it as a single. Britney didn’t want it as a single, so Brian said “Let me take that.” So when we got it, we first heard it with Britney’s vocal on it…
Oh, really? That exists?
Yeah, it exists. Yeah! It’s in existence.
Oh my God. That’s amazing.
I know! [Laughs]
I love that one because it’s so punchy and rocky, and that’s really–around What Will The Neighbours Say?, that’s really where you got your grit…
Yeah! Yeah.
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Still. You had a reign that was just unstoppable. The whole decade, really. Now, Nicola also said something about being very excited to return to record an album. Is that going to happen?
I assume so. I’m going to assume that that’s what’s going to happen, because in order for us to get back and do more stuff, we need new material. Or we could do a little more Greatest Hits. Because when you do a live show, the greatest hits is always good to do because people know the songs. We’ll get under the discussions about that.
Is there already something underway for a live show?
We’re definitely going to do it. In our reunion, we’re definitely going to do some live stuff, of course. We love the live stuff. Who knows where we’re going to appear from this time? We might appear from New York, like a zip-line from New York to London. [Laughs] We’ve had some crazy entrances.
[Laughs] That’s really funny. So you had that huge reign, and then everyone started to do their own thing. And then your solo album came out. So what would you say–it wasn’t a completely different sound, but it was a lot of live instrumentation, a lot of real belting like that–what did you seek to do with your solo album different from Girls Aloud?
I just–because I’m an EMI writer, I’ve always had a lot of material and a lot of songs and stuff, so I had just a huge catalog. It was like, which way do I go with this? Do we go funk? Do we go more pop? Do we go more ballad-based? What do we do? So I decided to just put on stuff that wasn’t a complete departure from Girls Aloud because this was just for the UK, so this wasn’t a massive departure but it was–I had written every song, so it was a very good opportunity as a songwriter to get a band together and do some great shows. It was just a moment of me being able to be an artist and do it for the artistry rather than go on a massive whirlwind. It was kind of just a nice moment in time.
So were you happy with the end product and with how it turned out? I know–you know, with the limited release at Tesco–what do you think about the whole album process? Were you happy with how it turned out?
I was really happy. I’d done it with one distributor who were very supportive. They’re a huge company, but they don’t do it specifically as a label does it, so it’s a whole different process. It was like ten times more work for me. Twenty times more work. So I was really happy how it turned out because I knew how much personal work we’d put into it, and the fact that I’d opened up a label called Black Pen Records. I had one of my best friends from school helping me out with it. So, it was kind of like just us. When the single charted and it was charting against these people from these huge labels and massive promotion teams, and here we are: It’s not on iTunes, it’s one distribution, and it’s in the 20′s? I was like… [Squeals] “I’m so happy!” We had major celebrations. Jumped around the house, you know. We’re just like two Irish girls competing with people who’ve been doing it since before we were born. So it was a massive achievement.
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It’s amazing that you accomplished that as an independent label compared to everyone else sort of dominating the charts at the time. From that, you came here to New York. And just completely–a 180–you’ve been working with DJ Vito Fun and everything like that. What happened? Did you decide you wanted to embark on something new?
Yeah! We were going to do–Vito and I were always going to work together. It happened to be that I was at home in L.A. at the time, and I had this like [Sings] “Duh, dum dum, Duh, dum dum”–this like little tune in me head and I was like bopping around the house. I thought “Oh! I think this would be good. I could hear drums on it, so then I sent that vocal piece to Vito and Damian.
The intro?
The intro! And that’s the TV blaring in the background. That’s my house in L.A.! I was like, “I don’t know if there’s anything you can do with this, but can you hear what I hear? I hear a track here. Do you?” And they made a track, and I came out from L.A., Damian came out from Tokyo, Vito came from Brooklyn. We all got together, wrote “Sweetest High” in like 2 or 3 days in the studio. Got it mixed, got it mastered, and two weeks later, we were like “Let’s put it up on iTunes! Yeah! Why not?” You know? And that’s literally what happened.
Wow! So are you thinking you’re going to keep doing that? Are you sort of experimenting writing now, or…?
Yeah, well I have lot of material. I have a lot of stuff. I’ve worked with a lot of amazing producers, and I’m always in the studio. So, there’s always something to put out there. So we’re kind of going on that organic “What should we do next? Which way will we do something?” path. Tonight, if I get the track through for “Insatiable,” I’m probably going to do that at Splash. And then we’re doing something with “Rumours” from the Insatiable album. We’re trying to do like an anti-bullying campaign with The Trevor Project. So things like that. We’re getting a lot of things from the album.
Oh, that’s incredible. So are we working towards another album?
Yes. Always. Always, always always.
Perfect. Okay, just some fun ones now. Ready? Favorite Madonna song?
[Gasps] Um… [Groans]. “Like A Virgin.”
Yeah? Favorite Britney song?
[Moans] I got to say–well, what’s your favorite one to listen to or your favorite one to dance to? If we’re talking about dancing here, that’s why I went with the Madonna one because she did all the cute, like [vogues] “Like A Virgin.” So we’ll do Britney’s–see, I like Britney’s new stuff at the moment, but…let’s do Britney’s “Toxic.”
Okay. Favorite song of all time?
Oof. That is so tough! I’m like trying to like…
I know! Some of your favorite songs then?
Okay. I love, oh…let’s do Michael Jackson‘s [starts singing Jackson 5's "I Want You Back"] Wait, what is it, what is it?
Oh! “I Want You Back!”
Yes, yes! I was like…where is it?! [Laughs]
Okay, wait. Let’s talk about Nadine’s Irish Mist, because this is like–I love the idea that you have a restaurant just, like, here. My friends and I want to embark on a journey because we hear that the Mist Burgers are delicious.
They’re unbelievable. The food is really great. Like, I love to cook and experiment with new flavors. I don’t care about the bar, I just want the food to be good. So we have a chef from Alabama. He does really good, like, smoked barbeque stuff. We have some Mexican chefs that do Mexican food and Mexican-flared fusion–like Mexican-Irish stuff, and then we have an Irish chef.
So you’re really heavily involved in it too, it sounds like! That’s good! Most people when they have a restaurant, they attach their name to it and sort of let it go.
Yeah! Yeah, no. When I’m in L.A., I try and eat there as often as possible. It’s just amazing having your own chef and team of people. I love it. I love it.
I’m going to visit for sure.
Please do. Right on the beach, got the harbor right there…
Of course! Alright, what are you listening to right now?
Lykke Li. I like that a lot. I want to get the new Maroon 5 because I like their “Moves Like Jagger” song.
And have you heard Nicola’s…?
Yes! “Beat Of My Drum! I have! Of course!
Little girl growing up!
[Gleefully yelps] I know! Me and Nicola were the youngest in the band. I always felt like I was much older than Nicola for some reason. We’re the same age, but, I don’t know? I always see her as a baby.
Do you still talk to them at all?
I haven’t or saw, or…well, I spoke to Nicola when her song came out. Like, “Good luck! Great, great, great!” That was my birthday. I haven’t spoken to any of the girls in a long time…
Who doesn't realize it? Me or Nadine? If it's me, then this makes sense. I'm not a big Girls Aloud fan anyway so I wouldn't know.
Didn't they have a huge argument or something that resulted in the other four girls not talking to Nadine?
Oh, no, I meant her. Ms. Coyle.
It's very weird, because they were the only girl group to NOT have any drama for such a long time - especially in comparison to their closest competition, Sugababes.
Basically - they won Popstars, had their first number one single, signed a five album contract. Their third album didn't do as well as the first two, and I think the group and the label just expected to release a Greatest Hits and call it a day. Around this time, Nadine got separate management and moved to L.A.
Cue... Something Kinda Oooh becoming one of their biggest hits, and the Greatest Hits going 4x platinum in the UK. I don't think anyone was expecting this - least of all Nadine. She had already made LA/Venice Beach her home.
She's also been known as the main singer of the group.
Then a little thing called X-Factor came calling ...
It's very weird, because they were the only girl group to NOT have any drama for such a long time - especially in comparison to their closest competition, Sugababes.
Basically - they won Popstars, had their first number one single, signed a five album contract. Their third album didn't do as well as the first two, and I think the group and the label just expected to release a Greatest Hits and call it a day. Around this time, Nadine got separate management and moved to L.A.
Cue... Something Kinda Oooh becoming one of their biggest hits, and the Greatest Hits going 4x platinum in the UK. I don't think anyone was expecting this - least of all Nadine. She had already made LA/Venice Beach her home.
She's also been known as the main singer of the group.
Then a little thing called X-Factor came calling ...
Ah, I see. My only exposure to Girls Aloud is their music. I know the girls' names, their albums and songs, but I don't know anything about their backstory. It's been 3 years since they last did anything together, right? I know Insatiable bombed and Cheryl is huge now. Nicola's flopping too, right?
Ah, I see. My only exposure to Girls Aloud is their music. I know the girls' names, their albums and songs, but I don't know anything about their backstory. It's been 3 years since they last did anything together, right? I know Insatiable bombed and Cheryl is huge now. Nicola's flopping too, right?
I need to brush up on my UK Pop.
Yes, the last thing they did together was in September 2009 for two Wembley Stadium concerts.
Cheryl has become the most successful of the group and Nicola's Beat of My Drum debuted at number 27 on the UK singles chart. I haven't kept up with it since then but I think she's still holding up decent. I really don't know.
Yes, the last thing they did together was in September 2009 for two Wembley Stadium concerts.
Cheryl has become the most successful of the group and Nicola's Beat of My Drum debuted at number 27 on the UK singles chart. I haven't kept up with it since then but I think she's still holding up decent. I really don't know.
Doesn't #27 in the UK translate to like #77 in the US?
Doesn't #27 in the UK translate to like #77 in the US?
Possibly?
LOL. I didn't wanna call it a flop or anything cause I know it's hard out there but after seeing all the hype and attention It got on here - I expected it do better.
