6 Things You Didn’t Know About Irish Singer Nell Mescal
Nell Mescal is more than just Paul Mescal’s sister—here’s what you didn’t know about the rising star.
At just 21 years old, Nell Mescal has quickly made a name for herself in the music world. While some may recognize her as the younger sister of actor (and heartthrob) Paul Mescal, Nell has been carving her own path with her music and ever-growing fan base. Her path is one that many ambitious artists follow, of leaving a set path of school and moving to a big city to pursue music.
The Irish singer kicked off 2025 with a tour, and she even made her US debut later in the winter. With over 100,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, Nell Mescal’s debut EP, Can I Miss It For A Minute, has struck a chord with fans drawn to her heartfelt lyricism. Across her discography, some of her biggest songs include "In My Head," "Orange Juice, and "Killing Time."
As a seasoned performer, she’s taken the stage at everything from intimate venues to major festivals. She’s also active on TikTok, where she shares singing clips and other behind-the-scenes content with her more than hundred thousand-plus followers. Mescal has firmly established herself as a musician in her own right and a star, beyond just being Paul Mescal’s little sister.
"Especially now, with this EP, I hope that anyone who thinks that [fast fame is] the only reason I’m doing it, listens and realises that I don’t just want to be here for a TikTok moment or whatever," she said in a 2024 interview. "I want to be doing this when I’m like, 70, until I actually can’t do it anymore."
Keep scrolling for some surprising facts about the rising star, including some of her biggest musical achievements to date, who she has performed with on-stage, and more family details.
She just performed for the first time in the U.S.
Although Mescal has had a long list of live performances, it wasn't until this past month that she had her first headlining performance in the United States, performing shows in March 2025 at Baby's All Right in Brooklyn. Her brother, Paul Mescal was just right around the corner, performing at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in the revival of Tennessee Williams's A Streetcar Named Desire.
She dropped out of school to pursue music.
At just 18, Nell Mescal moved to London after spending a summer in the city before her final year of school. Determined to pursue her dreams, she left school, moved out of her family home, and went to London to focus on making music.
She will perform at Reading and Leeds Festival 2025.
Mescal has several UK and Ireland tour dates in April 2025 (details on her website) and is set to perform at Reading and Leeds Festival 2025—playing Leeds on August 22 and Reading on August 24. She’ll also take the stage at Come Together Festival in Newcastle on June 4, joining a lineup that includes Robbie Williams and Kaiser Chiefs.
She and her brother have a very close relationship.
Despite their eight-year age gap, Nell and Paul Mescal share a close bond and frequently support each other’s work. Family is clearly important to the Mescals, as Nell often shares photos with her brothers, Paul and Donnacha, and the rest of their family.
She performed as a special guest for Shania Twain.
Mescal had the unforgettable opportunity to perform as a special guest for country icon Shania Twain during her BST Hyde Park headline show. She shared the stage with a star-studded lineup, including The Corrs, Anne-Marie, and Natalie Imbruglia. Expressing her excitement on Instagram, Nell wrote, “Little me would not believe this—let’s go, girls!”
She performed alongside Phoebe Bridgers.
While touring in 2022, Phoebe Bridgers was in a relationship with Paul Mescal. Before their breakup, Nell had the opportunity to join Bridgers on stage at the O2 Arena, where they performed her song "Georgia" together.
