Six years ago, the British singer-songwriter Nadine Shah gave an interview to Wisden, a publication nicknamed the Bible of Cricket. A rather unusual platform, one would think, for a fiercely uncompromising indie rocker to choose for a media interaction.

Yet, as Shah said to the publication, “If you’re Pakistani, cricket is like mother’s milk.”

She was born to a Pakistani father and an English mother with some Norwegian ancestry, and derived her passion for the game from her subcontinental genes.

Her love for cricket began as a child, when her father began to take her to the Durham County Cricket Club. Here, during matches, batsmen would rub her head for luck before heading out. Her father encouraged her love for the game with keepsakes that included a glove autographed by the Pakistani cricketer Javed Miandad, which she still has.

Shah, now 38 and one of Britain’s rising stars in contemporary music, has said that her experiences with cricket influenced her understanding of community and belonging, themes that often appear in her songs.

Her music blends elements of indie rock, folk and electronic, creating a captivating sound that reflects her complex identity and social consciousness. Raw emotion and poetic lyrics add to the listening experience. Perhaps the most striking thing about it all is her vocal prowess. Gifted with a theatrical voice, Shah is able to express a wide range of emotions as she sings. She is a skilled guitarist and pianist to boot.

Earlier this year, she released her fifth studio album, Filthy Underneath, a raw and deeply personal collection that reflects a remarkable ability to transform personal trauma into compelling art. In 2020, after the death of her mother from cancer, Shah developed post-traumatic stress disorder. She struggled with addiction and attempted suicide, before joining a drug-rehabilitation programme. The album follows from those experiences.

It opens with Even Light, which sets the tone with its gothic paranoia and static fuzz. A standout track is French Exit, which closes the album on a poignant note.

This track is a stark recounting of her suicide attempt in 2022, delivered with a haunting honesty. The spare synth loops and matter-of-fact lyrics make for a chilling yet humanising portrayal as she sings:

Just a French exit / A quiet leaden way out… /

Blue polka-dot top / And matching trousers /

Reapplied lipstick / A clown who counts the downers.

Food for Fuel is another highlight, showcasing the influence of Shah’s Pakistani heritage with its Sufi-inspired harmonies. This track, along with You Drive, I Shoot, which features metronomic beats and robotic rhythms, reflect the repetitive and medicalised final months of her mother’s life.

Despite the heavy subject matter, Shah manages to infuse moments of dark humour and musical exhilaration into the album. Topless Mother, with its playful, gibberish lyrics, will likely become a fun sing-along at her gigs. Greatest Dancer is a touching tribute to the time she spent with her mother watching Strictly Come Dancing. The song’s thunderous glam rock drums and swirling synths offer escapism from the album’s heavier themes.

Shah’s musical career began in earnest with the release of her debut album, Love Your Dum and Mad, in 2013. But it was with Holiday Destination (2017) that her status as a soaring star on the British indie scene was solidified. She was nominated for the Mercury Prize in 2018.

In these earlier albums, she delved into themes of identity and belonging, explored the complexities of relationships and the human condition. Her music has evolved over the years, but her commitment to social justice has remained constant.

In recent years, she has toured extensively and collaborated with a number of prominent artists, perhaps most notably with Suede and Johnny Marr at an Audley End concert earlier this year.

As a proud Briton with Pakistani and Muslim heritage, she is a powerful role model. Shortly after she was nominated for the Mercury Prize, she told The Independent: “If it inspires any young Muslim women to pick up a guitar and play a song, that’s brilliant.” Recalling two young women in hijab mouthing “Thank you” after a show, she added: “That is a memory that’s going to stay with me forever. It makes me want to do more. I am just one version of a Muslim woman, and people don’t get to see a lot of my kind.”

(To write in with feedback, email sanjoy.narayan@gmail.com)

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