CMAT Reflects on Women in Music
CMAT spoke to NME at the Brits 2025 about how the success of the last party reaffirms a new era for women in the music industry.
- Read more: CMAT: “Irish have always been brilliant – but there are many injuries”
Irish singer-songwriter Siara Mary-Alis Thompson, known as CMAT, caught up with NME on the red carpet last night (March 1). She shared her admiration for the artists nominated this year, especially highlighting the last party, which she credits for inspiring other women in music.
Celebrating Female Artists
The group received the Brits Rising Star Prize last year and was nominated for four awards this year, taking home the Best New Artist accolade. They used their acceptance speech to advocate for greater representation in major music venues.
“I am very openly a big fan of the last party, they are such a lighthouse for me,” CMAT told NME. “On that day, there were no women visible for miles. There were no women in indie because they weren’t allowed to be seen.”
“They were not put at the forefront at a time when guitar music was fading, and the industry didn’t think it necessary to revive it by encouraging women to participate. So, to see so many women not just here, but winning amazing awards, makes my heart sing.”
CMAT also commented on the female pop artists who have dominated the charts over the past two years, such as Charlie XCX, Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, and Chappell Roan. She explained why she believes there has been such a significant response from fans.
“I think this is because women have faced many barriers for so long. When those barriers began to open, artists like me and the last party were just girls in our teenage bedrooms looking for inspiring women. It motivated us to encourage other girls to step out of their bedrooms.”
She hinted that new material might be on the horizon.
“There’s a lot of new music, and it’s coming very soon. I spent all of September in a hole in New York working on it. It’s done now. I went a little crazy, but it sounds great,” she shared.
“I’m really focused on writing songs that resonate well with live performances because my live band is such an important part of what I do. They help me become a successful artist in the UK who can sell concert tickets. I couldn’t achieve this without my band, so I wrote an album for them and for myself to stand out.”
Speaking about her upcoming shows with Sam Fender, CMAT mentioned that she hasn’t met the hitmaker yet, but she is a big fan of his latest LP “People Watching.”
“I love the new album! I liked it almost six months ago when he just published snippets on Instagram, and I thought it sounded amazing,” she said, calling it “beautiful.”
New music from CMAT will celebrate her first release since the 2023 single “Crazymad for me.” NME gave the record a four-star review, stating: “CMAT will have you in stitches one moment and emotionally captivating the next. It is brilliant—inventive, intoxicating, delightful camp—it continues to surpass all expectations and remains absolutely unmatched.”
Elsewhere on the Brit 2025 red carpet, the last party spoke with NME about the much-anticipated follow-up to their debut album “Prelude to Ecstasy,” initiating a discussion around the mental health of artists.
Visit here for tickets to the upcoming CMAT show and read the full list of winners from the Brit Awards 2025 here.
The post CMAT says that the last lunch party has become a new era for women in the indie scene: “It makes my heart sing” first appeared on NME.
https://www.nme.com/news/music/cmat-brits-interview-last-dinner-party-inspiring-women-sam-fender-new-music-3842738?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=cmat-brits-interview-last-dinner-party-inspiring-women-sam-fender-new-music
