Singer-songwriter Nell Mescal — ‘I’m very lucky as I’m surrounded by a lot of people who have fabulous advice to give’
Teenager Nell Mescal left school early to move to London and pursue her dream of becoming a singer. She was fully supported by her parents, who, of course, already know a thing or two about stardom thanks to their son, Paul. Here, Nell tells how her experiences with bullying inspired her new single, and how she’s been able to turn to Phoebe Bridgers for career advice
"Covid-19 and spending so much time at home made me realise online school didn’t work for me, and sitting around doing nothing solidified it in my mind — there are things I need to do." Picture by Lee Malone.
"I had a difficult time with peers and really wanted to be somewhere else.” Picture by Lee Malone
If a Mescal from Maynooth sounds familiar, that’s because Nell’s the sister of the man who made GAA shorts sexy as hell playing the brooding Connell Waldron in Normal People — actor Paul Mescal. Picture by Lee Malone.
“I’m such a huge fan of Phoebe so getting to know her on a personal note is so wonderful." Picture by Lee Malone.
One night, back in London, as she sat in her pyjamas on her bed with her keyboard, a song about the pain and sadness she felt at school just tumbled out of her. Picture by Lee Malone.
"Covid-19 and spending so much time at home made me realise online school didn’t work for me, and sitting around doing nothing solidified it in my mind — there are things I need to do." Picture by Lee Malone.
For many parents, having their teenage daughter arrive home to announce she’s dropping out of school a few months before her Leaving Cert — let alone the news that she’d decided to move to London to become a singer — would be up there among ‘worst nightmare’ scenarios. But not for Nell Mescal’s parents, Dearbhla and Paul.
Instead of losing the plot or pleading with her to stick it out for a few more months at school in Maynooth, Co Kildare, the Mescals took it all in their stride, telling her: “Go do what makes you happy.”
“My parents totally backed me,” says Mescal, who’s just turned 19. She’s chatting to me today from her new houseshare in London. She’s mid-pack, though, because in a few days she is moving in with songwriter pal, Dubliner Lucy Blue. Mescal’s also on cloud nine having performed her new single, Graduating — which was released on Friday — at Barn on the Farm in the UK. It may have been her first ever festival performance, but she’s already enjoyed some rockstar shenanigans this summer, hanging out backstage at Glastonbury with superstar Phoebe Bridgers — but more of that later.
If a Mescal from Maynooth sounds familiar, that’s because Nell’s the sister of the man who made GAA shorts sexy as hell playing the brooding Connell Waldron in Normal People — actor Paul Mescal. Seems the Mescals are by no stretch normal people, but a very talented family altogether.
If a Mescal from Maynooth sounds familiar, that’s because Nell’s the sister of the man who made GAA shorts sexy as hell playing the brooding Connell Waldron in Normal People — actor Paul Mescal. Picture by Lee Malone.
If a Mescal from Maynooth sounds familiar, that’s because Nell’s the sister of the man who made GAA shorts sexy as hell playing the brooding Connell Waldron in Normal People — actor Paul Mescal. Picture by Lee Malone.
“It was scary for [my parents] but I was so sure of myself it was the right thing and that eased their minds,” says the family’s youngest child of her decision to leave school early. “They were really ready to jump if I was.”
That reaction is not what one might typically expect from a sensible Garda officer mum and a schoolteacher dad, but the Mescals are knee-deep in the arts and just get it, according to their only daughter. In fact, the couple first fell in love while performing in an am-dram production of Pirates Of Penzance.
“My dad has been an actor and musician all his life and plays piano whenever he can. And mum is so creative, too, so we were surrounded by that. And they wanted me to go off and do whatever I wanted to do.”
The notion to ditch school to be a singer wasn’t a flash in the pan; it’s all Mescal has ever wanted to do. She’s been singing since she was in nappies, joining youth choir SpeakUp SingOut at age 11, and has always performed in musical theatre and pantomimes. She wrote her first song, Now, at 12 or 13 and dreamed of playing the title role in Annie on Broadway. At 14, her mum bought her a voucher for some recording studio time for a Christmas present. When Covid-19 struck, Mescal decided to bite the bullet and release the few tracks she had made with engineer and musician Johno Leader.
She held her breath when sheposted Crash and Déjà vu, but social media blew up with love for the Maynooth teenager, who also posted soulful covers of tracks by singers she loves such as Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift and Birdy.
“When Covid-19 happened, I released things and people started listening and that was really unexpected and so wonderful,” she says. “Covid-19 and spending so much time at home made me realise online school didn’t work for me, and sitting around doing nothing solidified it in my mind — there are things I need to do.”
Within a few months, she’d amassed thousands of fans on social media and Brown Thomas picked one of her self-penned originals, Missing You — which she wrote at just 14 — as the feature track for their Christmas window display and accompanying ad campaign in 2020.
Fast forward a few months and Mescal’s unique voice had captured the attention of music honchos in the UK. She couldn’t wait to pack her bags after her fifth-year exams and, once restrictions allowed, hopped on a plane to London for the summer. There, she met her new management company, made music, got to know the industry and started figuring out her sound. “I was living on my own for three months — I didn’t want to move back home. Three months felt like a lifetime.
"I had a difficult time with peers and really wanted to be somewhere else.” Picture by Lee Malone
“At the end of the summer, my dad came over to help me with my piano and suitcases and then I was back at school the next week — it was a huge transition. I didn’t want to go back to school at all but I’m glad I did to solidify my thoughts.”
In the end, Mescal only lasted six weeks back at school before she made her final decision to follow her heart back to London. But there were also other factors at play.
“I had a difficult time with peers and really wanted to be somewhere else,” she reveals. “There were people who just weren’t nice to me for a while and I was battling with feeling nobody understood what I was going through.
“You sit alone at lunch, you walk the halls alone with your head down, trying to figure out how to get from A to B. Bullying and people not being very nice to you is a universal experience but it can feel so isolating at times. You can miss out other people who are in the same boat, and if you spot each other in the crowd you can come together and make some great friends. I was so lucky to make one of my best friends through that.”
Bullying comes in many forms and as a teenager, when life, feelings and friendships are in constant flux, it’s difficult to define if there aren’t any bruises to point to. Mescal tries to vocalise her own experiences: “I’d been bullied when I was younger but it’s different when you’re older — it’s polarising and just, like, someone ignoring you and you feel so alone. It was so hard to come to terms with. It’s such a pivotal age of everyone trying to fit in, and when someone is doing something a bit different — like when I went away for a while — I got left behind a little bit. When I got back to school, I felt nobody really cared about me any more. That’s difficult to deal with, especially as you just want to fit in.
“I went back to school but it wasn’t my favourite thing; I realised my time was up there. I wondered, ‘Why am I putting myself through this stuff that’s so difficult when there’s this whole new world out there I’ve just dipped my toes into?’ It was such a strange time. People around me said I could take myself out of that situation and I’d still be OK. I was lucky to have a great family and supportive teachers and wonderful friends.
“It was an emotionalmonth-and-a-half battling with myself on if it was the right thing to do but, ultimately, I couldn’t have made a better decision.”
“Those three months away felt like years. As much as I was working, I spent a lot of time on my own. That was scary sometimes but a really great thing to sit with myself. I learned so much about myself and grew up a lot — and, in other ways, not at all.
“Going home showed me how much I had in London. It’s been a whole school in itself and because of the opportunities I had, it made the decision easier. It was made quickly in the end because I’d been thinking about it for a while.”
Among those Mescal turned to for advice were her brothers Paul (26) and Donnacha (23) a recent university graduate, who she describes as her best friends.
“Being able to watch Paul and see how he’s been dealing with this new life he’s stepped into has been so interesting. He’s so supportive and always talking to me and chatting back and forth with advice, which is really nice.”
In July 2020, at the height of Connell-mania, Paul joined Nell at the piano at home in Celbridge for a harmonised duet of Nothing Arrived, by Irish band Villagers, and posted it on Instagram. Paul’s a talented singer in his own right but when he posted a song solo, he captioned it: ‘My sister is better than me!’
Mescal says he’s being modest. “Paul is a really great singer. He surprised us all at 17 when he showed his voice. He plays piano and a bit of guitar. It’s always nice when we get together and sing some songs together. It’s very loud and the harmonies don’t often work but sometimes we get some nice stuff out of it.”
But Paul, hands down, bagged the gong for ‘best brother ever’ when he arrived home in Maynooth with his American girlfriend (now rumoured fiancée) Phoebe Bridgers — one of Nell’s music idols, who was nominated for four Grammy awards last year, including Best New Artist and Best Rock Song.
“I’m such a huge fan of Phoebe so getting to know her on a personal note is so wonderful." Picture by Lee Malone.
“I’m such a huge fan of Phoebe so getting to know her on a personal note is so wonderful. We send each other snippets of songs we’re working on. Getting feedback from someone who inspires me every day has been really helpful and is so mind-blowing and so helpful. I’m so lucky.
“Phoebe’s incredible, I saw her set at Glastonbury and I sobbed the entire time. I did get to hang out backstage for a short time but then I ran to see the next person on my list.
“I started listening to her in my early teens, I loved Stranger In The Alps and then with Punisher there was a whole new level of freaking out. I met her before she came home for Christmas.”
So, how did she cope meeting herfor the first time? “Was I fangirling? Oh yeah. Probably a very embarrassing moment for me but it just went by so quickly. It was just crazy because I look up to her so much and she’s just the most wonderful person. Getting to know her, I feel so lucky. I wanted to cry — I think I might have cried that evening.
“We sang together a few times at home. She put her face in a TikTok video for 0.1 seconds because she didn’t want to make it a big deal. Seeing her at Glastonbury, her full set live was so special. It continues to be the shock in my life that Phoebe is in it.”
Was Bridgers among her confidantes as she grappled with turning to music full-time?
“She’s always really helpful in giving general advice, and giving me her time, so having someone like her to talk to is so amazing. She finished high school and hit the gigging circuit. I’m very lucky as I’m surrounded by a lot of people who have fabulous advice to give.”
But there’s no plans for the pair to record together any time soon. Mescal laughs: “Well, I feel like Phoebe’s schedule is a bit crazier than mine…”
Between writing and recording, Mescal’s a busy bee too, but she has a quiet afternoon on the day we chat and, afterwards, she’s off to get a tattoo of an angel cherub on her arm.
“I’m so excited! I’ve gotten really into reiki healing [a form of energy healing that originated in Japan]and wanted something to symbolise some angels. I’m a certified reiki healer as of last month; I got my certificate. It’s a magical healing spiritual thing — we put reiki out into the world. It’s so lovely. I do a call every few weeks with my wonderful reiki healer at home in Maynooth, Alvagh Cronin. It sorts the head. Any time I go home I’m straight to Alvagh’s room for a few hours.
One night, back in London, as she sat in her pyjamas on her bed with her keyboard, a song about the pain and sadness she felt at school just tumbled out of her. Picture by Lee Malone.
One night, back in London, as she sat in her pyjamas on her bed with her keyboard, a song about the pain and sadness she felt at school just tumbled out of her. Picture by Lee Malone.
“It’s reassurance, like someone lighting a candle for you before an exam, sending you good energy. You can feel that.
“I’ve been going to reiki since I was 11 — my mum’s been doing it since she was young so it’s always been around me.”
Her mother brought her own good energy to Barn in the Farm in London, watching from the wings as her daughter performed Graduating live for the first time. The crowd loved it and it was a particularly special moment for Mescal because it’s one of the most personal songs she’s written.
One night, back in London, as she sat in her pyjamas on her bed with her keyboard, a song about the pain and sadness she felt at school just tumbled out of her. It took her just an hour to write but family, friends and her management loved it and told her to put it out into the world.
“I have my keyboard with me, so I pull it up onto the bed. Usually when it’s late at night, when I should be going to bed, I get rushes of inspiration, so I sit for a few hours and brood over the piano. I’m sure my housemates love me!
“I’m glad I didn’t go to sleep early that night because Graduating is trying to piece together that I’m not the only one going through bullying and people being mean and banding together against another person. Writing it was so cathartic for me, to get that out and to be able to show we all go though it at one point.”
Fans on her Instagram and TikTok enjoy regular raw live performances, with her recent cover of Kate Bush’s Running Up That Hill causing quite a stir when she posted it to Instagram.
“Kate Bush is a huge inspiration of mine and recording [Graduating], we had elements of some of her songs in there as I’m such a huge fan. I’ve loved that song for so long and when it found its way on to Stranger Things, it was such a huge moment. I thought it would be wrong not to cover it.”
For now, between writing and recording, as her former classmates celebrated their graduation from secondary, Mescal’s life is about exploring, making new friends and finding her way in her brave new world. “And trying to get as much life experience so I’ve things to write and talk about,” she smiles.
‘Graduating’ is out now. Follow @nellmescal on Instagram Photography and art direction: Lee Malone. Hair and make-up: Charlotte Kraftman, using vegan products. Clothes: Nell’s own
