Bat for Lashes

Bat for Lashes Artistfacts

  • October 25, 1979
  • Bat For Lashes is Natasha Khan. Her father is a Pakistani who moved to London and married an Englishwoman.
  • Natasha Khan comes from a squash-playing family. She has attributed some of her early creative spark to hearing the crowd's applause at professional squash matches featuring her former-professional-squash-playing father, Rehmat Khan. He went on to coach her mother's cousin, Jahangir Khan, who is considered one of the greatest squash players in the history of the game.
  • According to an interview with Q magazine, Khan says she has "no latent talent" for squash.
  • Khan's world fell apart when her father home when she was 11. She found comfort in nursing a horse abandoned in a nearby field; her love for the equine species has inspired several of her songs including "Horse and I," the opening track on her debut album.
  • She studied music and visual arts at the University of Brighton, and she then taught at a nursery school. Khan dedicated her spare time to developing songs, recording demos and gigging in Brighton.
  • Natasha Khan's debut album, Fur and Gold, was met with critical acclaim and received a nomination for the 2007 Mercury Prize. She was also chosen by The Guardian as one of the newspaper's women of 2007, a significant accolade as Khan was the only musician to appear on their list.
  • Uncut Magazine asked Natasha Khan what Bat for Lashes means. She replied: "It just sounded like the music to me. 'Bat' because I've always been obsessed with Halloween and nocturnal animals and subconscious realms. And 'lashes' because it sounds quite feminine but also a bit heavy metal. Also sadomasochistic!"

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