to help fund her music tour, she all but broke the internet. ‘Don’t be sad,’ she wrote on Instagram. ‘It’s very empowering and selling pics of my arse is fun and funny, sex is fun and funny.’and Alison Brie praised Nash’s decision, others questioned how ‘empowering’ it is. And while much of the resulting debate was thoughtful and inquisitive, some was undoubtedly steeped in sexism.
Nash funds most of her music and touring herself. She has a crew and band of 10 people, with touring costs amounting to an average of £10,000 a day. ‘My fees come in under that too,’ she explains. ‘And that’s just bringing a backdrop with my name on it for show production, no extra lights and stripped back as much as possible.’
For Nash, it’s about more than just money - she wants to make a statement about the state of the music industry. ‘The music industry is corrupt, broken and has failed artists completely,’ she explains. ‘The level of success that is required to make profit has become so inaccessible for most people. The major labels have set it up so that themselves and a bunch of tech bros can profit in the millions and even billions and musicians are getting poorer.
In fact, the sneering reaction goes beyond just stigma around sex work – it’s indicative of larger attitudes towards female sexual agency. ‘If a woman earns her own money and has complete control over her body and sexuality certain people don’t seem to like it,’ Nash says. ‘We’re very indoctrinated about sex and society expects certain things from us. It’s sad because you’ll likely feel freer and have better sex if you have an open mind. And I respect sex workers very much.