Kate Nash was born in London to an English father and Irish mother; she grew up in Harrow, North London. Nash first became interested in music during her childhood. She learned how to play the piano at Sandbach School. She attended St. John Fisher School (in Pinner) and moved onto the St Joan of Arc Catholic School, Rickmansworth. She was taught guitar by teacher Louis Michelle. She studied Theatre at the BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology in South London. She auditioned at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School but was rejected, after which she fell down a flight of stairs, breaking her foot. During her recovery, she was housebound and unable to move, so her mum bought her an electric guitar. Nash used this time to focus on her songwriting: she began to write some new songs, finished old ones and decided that she would book a gig at a local bar in Harrow called Trinity on Gayton Road for herself, to showcase her songs. She subsequently decided to start a career in music. Af