Bat for Lashes Artistfacts

October 25, 1979
Bat For Lashes is Natasha Khan. Her father is a Pakistani who moved to London and married an Englishwoman.
Natasha Khan comes from a squash-playing family. She has attributed some of her early creative spark to hearing the crowd's applause at professional squash matches featuring her former-professional-squash-playing father, Rehmat Khan. He went on to coach her mother's cousin, Jahangir Khan, who is considered one of the greatest squash players in the history of the game.
According to an interview with Q magazine, Khan says she has "no latent talent" for squash.
Khan's world fell apart when her father home when she was 11. She found comfort in nursing a horse abandoned in a nearby field; her love for the equine species has inspired several of her songs including "Horse and I," the opening track on her debut album.
She studied music and visual arts at the University of Brighton, and she then taught at a nursery school. Khan dedicated her spare time to developing songs, recording demos and gigging in Brighton.
Natasha Khan's debut album, Fur and Gold, was met with critical acclaim and received a nomination for the 2007 Mercury Prize. She was also chosen by The Guardian as one of the newspaper's women of 2007, a significant accolade as Khan was the only musician to appear on their list.
Uncut Magazine asked Natasha Khan what Bat for Lashes means. She replied: "It just sounded like the music to me. 'Bat' because I've always been obsessed with Halloween and nocturnal animals and subconscious realms. And 'lashes' because it sounds quite feminine but also a bit heavy metal. Also sadomasochistic!"

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