Kate Nash in LA

After releasing her sophomore album, My Best Friend is You, in March, English pop star Kate Nash is back on the road for the second time this year.

Nash will cross the pond to kick off the second leg of her North American tour, playing three consecutive nights in Southern California at the House of Blues in San Diego Oct. 27, the Glasshouse in Pomona Oct. 28 and the Music Box in Los Angeles Oct. 29.

Compared to the first leg of the tour, Nash hopes to bring a more interactive element to the stage with her.

“I am hoping to make it more interesting visually actually,” Nash said. “The show that I am bringing to the U.K. and Europe is going to be kind of cool with like lights, shadows and video projections. I think I am going to bring some of it to America. I am not 100 percent sure, but I am hoping.”

After Nash’s debut album Made of Bricks peaked at number one on British charts in 2007, she had a lot of pressure to live up to with her sophomore album. While My Best Friend is You didn’t sell as well as Made Of Bricks, it did create a lot of buzz with fans and critics alike.

Made of Bricks may be the perfect debut album with poppy love songs and digs at ex-boyfriends. However, My Best Friend is You takes a turn towards depression, yet with a sound sometimes reminiscent to The Supremes.

“I think it depends on what mood you are in. I mean, that kind of affects what you write about,” Nash said. “If I am just kind of pissed off or angry, then I write a bit darker. And if I am in like a happy mood, then I’d write something a bit more fun and poppy and upbeat.”

The album’s stark contrast between the strong influences of 50s girl pop groups and the mid-90s Riot Grrrl movement creates a jumble of characteristics that seem to define Nash.

The 50s girl group influence appears on several tracks, including the first single, “Doo-Wah-Doo,” and its follow up, “Kiss That Grrrl.” With their piano-driven melody and lyrics depicting scenes of love triangles, both songs are reminiscent of the ballads from yesterday.

“I listen to The Supremes and The Shirelles… and it sounds also very upbeat and joyful, but they are actually quite sad a lot of the time,” Nash said. “And the lyrics can be really like dark and moving, so I like that contrast as well.”

Although it is expected that Nash will play her hits “Doo-Wah-Doo,” “Kiss That Grrl” and “Foundations,” she promises to also bring an old favorite out of retirement on this tour.

“I am going to bring back ‘Mariella’ because loads of people have been asking for that…and I haven’t played it in ages,” Nash said.

Tickets are currently on sale for Nash’s Southern California concerts on and Katenash.co.uk.