Sinead Butler
Nov 25, 2024
Today, BBC Radio 4
Kate Nash has defended her 'Butts For Tour Buses’ OnlyFans campaign as the singer says she is "creating jobs with my bum".
The 37-year-old revealed in a recent BBC Radio 4 interview the account has allowed her to hire an extra crew member as well as help subsidise her tour which began on Thursday (21 November).
Nash told the Today programme the music industry is “completely broken” and as a result musicians are “going to have to find solutions to fund their art”.
“It’s very funny, I think it is also fun to do and my industry is completely broken, I don’t think it’s sustainable and I think it’s a complete failure, I think it will collapse as well," the 'Foundations' singer said.
“So I do think people are going to have to find solutions to fund their art.
“I think it’s quite empowering and I’m also creating jobs with my bum now, for example, I couldn’t bring a crew member that’s on tour with me in the UK to Europe, but now I can, because of my OnlyFans website.”
From her own experience, Nash claimed between 2022 to 2024 there has been a “30.3 per cent increase” in putting on live shows, plus the additional rising costs of accommodation, food, staff and travel.
OnlyFans isn't the only income avenue Nash has explored as she detailed: “At one point I was selling Star Wars jewellery from a comic book shop on livestreams.”
She went on to explain why she decided to join OnlyFans, noting her busy schedule as a touring musician and how it has caused "a bit of a stir".
“I don’t really have time in my schedule to get another type of job, and this was an idea that I just thought of because I’ve made a record this year, I’m on three tours in a row and that’s a massive financial strain," Nash said.
“I was just kind of feeling the pressure of that and I thought this is something that I could do.
“I think it will perhaps cause a bit of a stir and a conversation. I don’t think if I posted my tour poster and said the music industry is struggling right now, artists are struggling, support us, help me pay good wages, blah, blah, blah, I don’t think I’ll be here on Radio Four talking about it.
She added: “I think the reason people are talking about me going on tours is because I’m selling pictures of my a** now, I’ve already been working my a** off for years,and now I’m just going to get paid really well for it, I’m going to pay my employees really well for it too.”
Meanwhile, Nash also took to Instagram on Sunday (24 November) to answer those who say her joining OnlyFans is a “sad” thing.
“Don’t be ‘sad’ that I started an onlyfans to fund my tours,” she wrote.
“It’s very empowering and selling pics of my arse is fun & funny, sex is fun & funny. Women being in control of their bodies is vital and something we should all be standing by & fighting for.”
“If you could remove shame and sadness from your perception of sex work you can help empower sex workers,” she added. “Is what I’m doing sex work? I’m not sure, you tell me but I love supporting sex workers especially when they are in control and setting their own boundaries. I am a SUPERFAN of women in charge of their bodies and sex lives and feminist porn creators.”
In the caption, Nash commented: "Mostly, people I respect have told me I’m punk as f*** and that they are proud of me and my fans are excited. But I want to address the words ‘sad’ and ‘need’ being thrown around."
Elswhere, Nash isn't the first artist to join OnlyFans as singer Lily Allen made headlines when she joined the platform under the username "FTSE500" earlier this year when she began posting snaps of her feet on the platform.
The 'Smile' singer similarly defended her move to join the platform as she claimed she's earning more money selling pictures of her feet on OnlyFans than she does from her music streams on Spotify.
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