Everything you need to know about singer-songwriter Nell Mescal

Irish singer-songwriter Nell Mescal is truly making waves in the indie pop and folk scene right now. Sister of the wonderful Paul Mescal, who you may recognise from hit show Normal People, she's certainly making a name for herself, and it's fair to say her popularity in the music scene is growing.

Quitting school at 18 to pursue her dreams, Nell's journey in the music scene can be heard through her powerful lyrics, in tracks such as 'Homesick' and 'Graduating'. As we prepare for big things from Nell, get to know the indie-pop singer a bit better - with everything you need to know about her right here.

Who is Nell Mescal?

Nell is an Irish singer-songwriter, originally from Maynooth, Ireland. She moved to London at just 18-years-old, after spending a Summer in the big city before her final year of school. In pursuit of chasing her dreams, Nell quit school, moved out of her family home and returned to London to continue making music.

Nell has released multiple tracks since then, including songs such as 'In My Head', 'Orange Juice' and 'Killing Time', and gone on to support the likes of 'Something to Someone' star Dermot Kennedy and Florence and The Machine on tour. In July 2024, you can even catch her performing as a special guest at country superstar Shania Twain's BTS Hyde Park headline show.

WATCH: Nell Mescal 'In My Head' official music video:

How old is Nell?

At the time of writing, Nell Mescal is 21-year-old, having been born on 28th April 2003.

Is she related to Paul Mescal?

She sure is! Nell is the younger sister of Normal People and Gladiators 2 actor Paul Mescal, with her being eight years younger than him.

Nell is often praised for her hilarious 'younger sister energy', with her taking to X (formerly Twitter) last year to poke fun at her big bro, joking he spends his time: 'Watching TikTok edits of himself, probably'.

Nell's journey to fame

Nell moved to London when she was just 18-years-old, following her dream of being a musician. Speaking to The Line of Best Fit, the singer explainer that it took her some time to get into the swing of things, with her track 'Homesick' documenting some of the struggles she felt as began her journey.

She told the publication: "The song’s about being homesick and not wanting to tell anyone because they’ll just be like, ‘Oh, come on, there’s no shame in coming home'", continuing: "I think for me, personally, I was putting a lot of pressure on myself to be like, ‘No, I can do it.’ And thank God I stuck it out."

The track was released in January 2023, three years after her debut single, 'Crash'.

WATCH: Nell Mescal 'Homesick' official music video:

What is Nell Mescal's sound?

Nell's tracks are of the indie-pop genre, with her citing 'Skinny Love' singer Birdy as a huge musical influence. Speaking to The Line of Best Fit, she told them: "It really hit me that (music) was something I definitely needed to do when I started listening to Birdy and when I started finding my own music taste away from what my family would listen to in the car."

Growing up, Nell listened to music her parents would play, enjoying the likes of Mary Chapin Carpenter and Fleetwood Mac. Other musical inspirations Nell has named are Taylor Swift, Bon Iver, the 1975, Finneas O'Connell, Lennon Stella, Jensen McRae and Orla Gartland.

Nell has been described as the 'new voice of Gen-Z pop', with her honest and relatable lyrics resonating with fans. Nell has said: "I genuinely just don’t know how to write any other way", also adding: "I don’t know how to put a facade on. I love bands that have a whole aesthetic, but that’s difficult to hone when it’s just you. I’m not an aesthetic, I’m just a human."

Is Nell going on tour?

Although she doesn't have a full tour lined-up this year, Nell has plenty of live performances lined up for 2024, including a show at the Big Feastival in The Cotswolds on 23rd August.

In some exciting news, it was revealed that Nell would be performing as a special guest for country legend Shania Twain, as she takes to the stage for her BTS Hyde Park headline show. Nell joins a list of special guests including The Corrs, Anne-Marie and Natalie Imbruglia.

Sharing her excitement on Instagram, Nell wrote: 'little me would not believe this let’s go girls 😭'. (sic)

Has she released an album?

Nell has not yet released an entire album, however on 3rd May 2024 she did release her debut EP - titled 'Can I Miss it for a Minute?', which features five tracks.

'Can I Miss it for a Minute?' tracklist:

1) 'Warm Body'

2) 'Yellow Dresser'

3) 'Killing Time'

4) 'Electric Picnic'

5) 'July'

What are her most popular songs?

Since her debut track 'Crash' in 2020, Nell has released a number of popular tracks, sharing snippets of many of her songs on her TikTok account.

Some of her most popular tracks include 'Homesick', which has accumulated over 33k views on YouTube, 'In My Head', which has accumulated over 22k views on YouTube, 'Graduating', which has accumulated over 18k views on YouTube, and 'Punchline', which has also accumulated over 18k views on YouTube.

WATCH: Nell Mescal 'Graduating' official music video:

Is she on social media?

She sure is! You can follow Nell on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, with the handle nellmescal.

Take a look through some upcoming tours to look forward to:

We can't wait to see what Nell does next! 🎶

Now read:

Paul Mescal's amazing career so far

24 of our favourite Irish and Northern Irish celebrities

Get to know 'All for You' singer Cian Ducrot

How to listen to Cool FM:

Tune into Northern Ireland’s number 1 for music, Cool FM on 97.4FM, online, on our Rayo app, your DAB radio, or say ‘Play Cool FM’ on your Smart Speaker. We play you the biggest hits from the world’s hottest artists, from Pete Snodden in the morning to the NI Hit 40.

• nell mescal