British singer-songwriter Kate Nash—best known for her 2007 indie-pop breakthrough Made of Bricks—has joined OnlyFans to pay off her touring debts, shedding light on a deeper crisis in the modern music industry.
After completing tours across North America and Europe in support of her latest album 9 Sad Symphonies, Nash told NPR she was “essentially going into debt” just by doing her job. Despite nearly two decades of success, including sold-out shows and a prominent acting role on Netflix’s GLOW, Nash found herself staring down a stack of unpaid invoices last fall.
So, she did what many struggling artists now consider: she launched an OnlyFans campaign—dubbed “Butts 4 Tour Buses”—featuring cheeky content ranging from photos to erotic food comedy videos. Within six days, she paid off all her bills.
Critics blasted her move online, accusing her of setting a dangerous precedent. Nash fired back, saying people were “threatened by her agency” and missing the point. “This is what it takes to survive as a musician now,” she said, citing streaming payouts that amount to fractions of a penny and skyrocketing touring costs that leave even sold-out artists in the red.
Artists like The Black Keys, Animal Collective, and Santigold have all recently canceled tours, citing financial strain. Even major festivals are reporting slower ticket sales. The pressure, many argue, stems from the chokehold Live Nation and Ticketmaster have on the live music ecosystem—controlling ticketing, promotion, venues, and artist management.
The DOJ is now suing Live Nation over antitrust violations, and similar investigations are brewing overseas.
Meanwhile, Nash’s story illustrates how far artists must go just to break even. Whether it’s selling music, merch—or “Cake Nash” videos—creatives are doing what it takes to survive a broken industry.
"Kate Nash, Coachella 2014" by Thomas Hawk is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.
