Bat for Lashes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bat for Lashes
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Bat for Lashes performing in 2023
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| Birth name | Natasha Khan |
| Born | 25 October 1979 London, England |
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| Years active | 2006–present |
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Natasha Khan (born October 25, 1979), known as Bat for Lashes, is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. She plays many instruments and also produces her own music. She has released six studio albums, starting with Fur and Gold in 2006. Her most recent album, The Dream of Delphi, came out in 2024.
Natasha has been nominated for the prestigious Mercury Prize three times. She is also the singer for the band called Sexwitch, which is a project with the rock band Toy and producer Dan Carey.
Contents
Early Life and Creative Beginnings
Natasha Khan was born in London, England. Her mother is English, and her father, Rehmat Khan, was a famous squash player. She is part of the well-known Khan squash family, which includes her grandfather Nasrullah Khan and uncles Jahangir Khan and Torsam Khan, who were also squash champions.
When Natasha was five, her family moved to Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire. She often watched her family's squash matches. She felt the energy of the crowd and the competitive spirit inspired her creativity. When she was eleven, her father left the family. Natasha then taught herself to play the piano. This became a way for her to express her feelings and ideas.
Natasha faced some tough times in secondary school. She found it hard to fit in and sometimes skipped school. After finishing her exams, she worked in a factory packing cards. While working, she would listen to music she had made and dream up new ideas. With the money she saved, she went on a three-month road trip across the United States and Mexico.
After her trip, Natasha moved to Brighton in 2000. She studied music and visual arts at the University of Brighton. There, she created sound art, animations, and performances. After college, she worked as a nursery school teacher. In her free time, she wrote songs, recorded demos, and performed in Brighton. She chose the name Bat for Lashes because it sounded "Halloween-y" and mixed strong and gentle feelings.
Music Career Highlights
2006–2008: Fur and Gold Album Launch
Natasha's first song, "The Wizard," was released online and as a vinyl record in 2006. She then signed with Echo, a record label that helps new artists. Echo released her first album, Fur and Gold, in September 2006. Later, Parlophone Records re-released the album.
Fur and Gold was very popular with music critics. It was nominated for the 2007 Mercury Prize, a big award in British music. In 2007, she also received the Vanguard Award from ASCAP, a group that supports songwriters. In 2008, she was nominated for two Brit Awards: British Breakthrough Act and British Female Solo Artist. She also toured with the famous band Radiohead in 2008.
2009–2011: Two Suns and New Sounds
Natasha's second album, Two Suns, came out in April 2009. She worked on the album with David Kosten. To find inspiration, Natasha traveled to the Joshua Tree Desert in California. She then went to New York and London to finish writing and recording the songs.
Two Suns is a concept album, meaning it tells a story or explores a theme. It features Natasha's desert-inspired character named Pearl. Natasha experimented with dressing up as Pearl to understand the character better. Living in Brooklyn and hearing new music from bands like TV on the Radio and MGMT also influenced the album's sound. She even worked with the band Yeasayer on some of the album's beats.
Two Suns reached number five on the UK Albums Chart. The first song from the album, "Daniel", became her first big hit. It won an Ivor Novello Award for Best Contemporary Song. The album received mostly positive reviews. Like her first album, Two Suns was nominated for the Mercury Prize. In 2010, she won Best Alternative Act at the UK Asian Music Awards.
In 2010, Natasha worked with Beck on the song "Let's Get Lost" for the Twilight Saga: Eclipse movie soundtrack. She also contributed her song "Sleep Alone" to a charity album called Raise Hope for Congo. The money from this album helped women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
2012–2014: The Haunted Man and Collaborations
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The third Bat for Lashes album, The Haunted Man, was released in October 2012. The first song from the album was "Laura". This album also did well, reaching number six on the UK Albums Chart. Natasha was nominated for Best British Female at the 2013 Brit Awards and for Best Song Musically and Lyrically for "Laura" at the Ivor Novello Awards.
In 2013, Natasha performed at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. She also opened shows for Blur and Depeche Mode. She released a song called "The Bride" with the band Toy. In September 2013, she released "Garden's Heart," a song she made with Jon Hopkins for the movie How I Live Now.
In 2014, Natasha collaborated with Damon Albarn on a song for his solo album. She also contributed to a compilation album called Body of Songs and covered a song for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 movie soundtrack.
2015: ...witch Project
In August 2015, Natasha started hinting at new music on her social media. She then surprised fans at the Green Man Festival in Wales by debuting a new music project. This project was with producer Dan Carey and the band Toy, and they called themselves Sexwitch. Their first album, also called Sexwitch, was released in September 2015. It featured six cover songs from the 1970s.
2016: The Bride Album
On February 19, 2016, a new song called "I Do" was released. It came with a picture of a wedding invitation. On March 11, Natasha released "In God's House," which was the main song from her fourth album, The Bride. The album was released on July 1, 2016, and was later nominated for the 2016 Mercury Music Prize.
2019: Lost Girls Album
On June 10, 2019, Natasha announced her album Lost Girls. The song "Kids in the Dark" was released on YouTube at the same time. The full album Lost Girls came out on September 6, 2019.
2024: The Dream of Delphi Album
Natasha released the title song from her sixth album, The Dream of Delphi, on February 22, 2024. The album was released on May 31, 2024. She then went on a tour in England in June. This album is about the time when Natasha's daughter, Delphi, was born during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.
Artistic Style
Natasha Khan has a deep, wide-ranging singing voice. Music critics have compared her style to other unique artists like Joni Mitchell, Björk, and Kate Bush. Her music is often described as both mysterious and easy to dance to.
Other Creative Projects
Natasha has also explored other creative areas. In 2014, she worked with the fashion company YMC to design a special collection of sportswear and accessories. She also directed and starred in a fashion film called Under the Indigo Moon, for which she composed the music with Beck.
She has also worked in film. In 2014, she wrote and directed a short film called Gotcha. She hoped to turn it into a full-length movie. In 2016, she wrote and directed another short film called Madly. Natasha has also written movie scripts for her albums The Bride (2016) and Lost Girls (2019).
Personal Life
Natasha Khan moved from London to Los Angeles in 2017. She lives in Highland Park with her partner, Australian actor and model Samuel Watkins. They welcomed their first child, a daughter, in July 2020.
Discography
- Fur and Gold (2006)
- Two Suns (2009)
- The Haunted Man (2012)
- The Bride (2016)
- Lost Girls (2019)
- The Dream of Delphi (2024)
Images for kids
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Bat for Lashes at the Primavera Sound festival in 2009.
See also
In Spanish: Bat for Lashes para niños
