The Breeders | |
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.jpg) The Breeders performing in 2018 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Dayton, Ohio, U.S. |
| Genres | Alternative rock |
| Works | Discography |
| Years active |
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| Labels | |
| Spinoffs | |
| Spinoff of | |
| Members |
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| Past members |
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| Website | www |
The Breeders are an Americanalternative rock band based inDayton, Ohio, consisting of membersKim Deal (rhythm guitar, lead vocals), her twin sisterKelley Deal (lead guitar, vocals),Josephine Wiggs (bass guitar, vocals) and Jim Macpherson (drums).
The earliest incarnation of the band was formed by Kim Deal andTanya Donelly in 1989 as a side-project alongside their full-time bandsPixies andThrowing Muses respectively. To record their debut album, 1990'sPod, Deal and Donelly recruited bassist Josephine Wiggs ofthe Perfect Disaster and drummerBritt Walford ofSlint. Kim's sister Kelley was brought into the band as a third guitarist (though at the time, Kelley had never played guitar before) in 1992 to record theSafari EP, and shortly thereafter Tanya Donelly left to concentrate full-time on her own new band,Belly, leaving Kelley Deal as the sole lead guitarist; Britt Walford left as well around the same time. While the band's first record was not initially a commercial success, the band had developed a following amongindie rock fans and praise from people such asNirvana frontmanKurt Cobain, who citedPod as one of his all-time favorite albums.[1] Meanwhile, the band prepared to record their next album.
In 1993, the Pixies broke up, leaving Deal to concentrate on The Breeders as her full-time band. Kim recruited local Dayton musician Jim Macpherson (previously a member of indie rock band the Raging Mantras) to replace the recently departed Walford on drums, cementing the Breeders' best-known line-up. The band's most commercially successful album,Last Splash, was released in 1993 during the early 1990salternative rock boom. The album went on to be certifiedplatinum by theRIAA, and is best known for its hit single "Cannonball".[2]
A year after the success ofLast Splash, drug and alcohol issues forced the band into hiatus in 1994, while both the Deal sisters did separate stints in rehab in the following years. During the band's hiatus, Kim Deal formed the short-lived alternative rock bandThe Amps, recording a single album,Pacer, in 1995. In the late 1990s, Kim and Kelley reformed The Breeders with a new line-up (including members of the bandFear) and released two more albums,Title TK in 2002 andMountain Battles in 2008. In 2013, Kim and Kelley had announced that the "classic" line-up (includingJosephine Wiggs and Jim Macpherson) had reunited for the first time since the 1990s for a new series of tours celebrating the 20th anniversary of the band's hit albumLast Splash. They released their fifth albumAll Nerve in 2018, the first "classic" Breeders line-up's full-length album together since 1993'sLast Splash.
Kim Deal, not fulfilled in her subordinate role as bassist of the Pixies,[3] began writing new material while the Pixies were touringSurfer Rosa in Europe withThrowing Muses. As neither band had plans in the immediate future, Deal discussed possible side projects with Throwing Muses guitarist Tanya Donelly.[4] They recruitedCarrie Bradley, violinist and vocalist in Boston bandEd's Redeeming Qualities, and recorded a short demo tape. Tracks on the demo tape included early versions of "Lime House", "Doe", and "Only in 3's".[5]
With the help of three different drummers—David Narcizo,Mickey Bones, and Carl Haarer—and bassist Ray Halliday, Deal and Donelly completed their demo tape and subsequently played one show atThe Rathskeller in Boston. They were not called The Breeders at this point, but were billed as "Boston Girl Super-Group".[5] The band sent the tape to the Englishindependent record label4AD because both the Pixies and the Throwing Muses were signed to the label. Upon hearing the tape, 4AD headIvo Watts-Russell remarked, "This is absolutely magical, beautiful stuff."[6] Deal originally described the band as "the Bangles from Hell".[7]
The name Breeders had previously been used for a band Deal led with her twin sister Kelley.[3] "Breeders", a gay derogatory slang term for heterosexuals, was chosen because Kim Deal found it humorous and also reflected her love of horror films, specifically referencingDavid Cronenberg's 1979 filmThe Brood.[8]
4AD gave Deal and Donelly a budget of $11,000[9] to make an album. Deal askedthe Perfect Disaster'sJosephine Wiggs to play bass. The two had first met when Perfect Disaster supported the Pixies in London in 1988. Deal askedSteve Albini, who had worked on the Pixies' 1988 albumSurfer Rosa, to record the album. The Breeders did not have a drummer, so Albini suggestedBritt Walford ofSlint. Walford agreed to play on the album under the pseudonym "Shannon Doughton".[10]
A week of rehearsal took place at Wiggs's house inBedfordshire, England, andPod was recorded in ten days inEdinburgh, Scotland.[6] They used the remaining time to record aPeel Session and a video for "Hellbound."[11] Returning to London, they played two shows, the only time that this lineup ever appeared onstage together. Released on 28 May 1990,[10]Pod, although not commercially successful, received positive reviews from alternative and mainstream critics alike;The New York Times' Karen Schoemer wrote: "The angular melodies, shattered tempos, and screeching dynamics recall elements of each of the women's full-time bands, butPod has a smart, innovative edge all its own."[12]
Pod was cited byKurt Cobain as one of his favorite records ever: "The main reason I like [the Breeders] is for their songs, for the way they structure them, which is totally unique, very atmospheric. I wish Kim was allowed to write more songs for the Pixies, because 'Gigantic' is the best Pixies song, and Kim wrote it."[13] He listedPod as one of the 50 albums he thought were most influential toNirvana's sound in his journal in 1993.[14] In July 2007, Albini said he considered the album among his best works.[1]
FollowingPod, the members of The Breeders returned to their original bands. The Pixies releasedBossanova in 1990 andTrompe le Monde in 1991, but by the end of 1991 were becoming less active. Deal, with time off from the Pixies, visited Wiggs in Brighton, and they went into a London studio withSpacemen 3/Spiritualized drummerJon Mattock to record a new song called "Safari." The other three tracks on what became theSafari EP were recorded in New York with Walford and Donelly, who was by then planning to formBelly.[15] Deal then asked her sister Kelley to take over on guitar, even though Kelley did not know how to play guitar.[16] The Pixies became inactive in mid-1992, at which time drummer Jim Macpherson was recruited and The Breeders became a full-time band,[10] opening forNirvana on their 1992 European tour.[17]
In January 1993, The Breeders went to Coast Recorders in San Francisco to record their second album.Last Splash was released in August 1993 to widespread acclaim and commercial success. Three singles were released from the album, including "Cannonball", which made it to no. 2 on theBillboardModern Rock Tracks chart.[18] The band contributed a live recording of the song "Iris" to the 1993 AIDS-Benefit AlbumNo Alternative produced by theRed Hot Organization. In 1993, they toured supporting Nirvana on theirIn Utero tour, and in 1994,Last Splash received a platinumcertification by theRecording Industry Association of America. Also in 1994, the band secured a prime spot on theLollapalooza tour.[17] This lineup played their last show together on September 5, 1994, at Lollapalooza in Los Angeles, California until reuniting in 2012.
In 1995, Kelley was involved in a drug bust, which put The Breeders on an indefinite hiatus. Kim formed a side project,The Amps, with Macpherson, Dayton locals bassist Luis Lerma (member of The Tasties) and guitarist Nate Farley, who later joinedGuided by Voices. In October 1995, The Amps released the albumPacer.
Following drug rehab, Kelley startedThe Kelley Deal 6000, also formingThe Last Hard Men withSkid Row singerSebastian Bach,Smashing Pumpkins drummerJimmy Chamberlin, andJimmy Flemion ofThe Frogs.
Meanwhile, in New York, Wiggs recorded and co-produced theKostars' albumKlassics with a K, aLuscious Jackson side-project (also touring with them playing drums), released a solo album on theBeastie Boys'Grand Royal label, and released an album on Atlantic Records under the nameDusty Trails withLuscious Jackson keyboardistVivian Trimble.
In 1996, Kim reclaimed The Breeders moniker, but with essentially The Amps' lineup plus violinistCarrie Bradley, and played a few California dates. They made an unsuccessful attempt at recording a third studio album in 1997. Kelley Deal rejoined the band the following year and wrote and recorded songs with her sister, although the only material released during this period was a cover of The Three Degrees' take on James Gang's "Collage", recorded forThe Mod Squad soundtrack in 1999.[17]
The Deal sisters recruited new personnel to play several live shows in 2001, and returned to the studio with guitarist Richard Presley, bass player Mando Lopez, and drummerJose Medeles to record the third Breeders studio album,Title TK, withSteve Albini. This lineup was profiled in a short documentary film entitledThe Breeders: The Real Deal (Netherlands, 2002).[19]
The Breeders also performed in an episode ofBuffy the Vampire Slayer in early 2002. They were approached by the production staff after they had been playing the show's theme, written byNerf Herder, as a regular part of their concert set. The episode is entitled "Him", and aired November 5, 2002; they sang their song "Little Fury" at the Bronze. They also contributed the track "Wicked Little Town: Hedwig Version" to the 2003Hedwig and the Angry Inch tribute album, "Wig in a Box".
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Mountain Battles was released in April 2008 on4AD. It features Kim and Kelley, Jose Medeles, and Mando Lopez. They went to Refraze Recording Studio inDayton, Ohio to record and mix the majority of the tracks.
The Breeders' third EP,Fate to Fatal was released on April 21, 2009. It contains aBob Marley cover ("Chances Are") and a song with vocals byMark Lanegan ("The Last Time"). The title track was recorded at The Fortress Studios, London, byThe Go! Team producerGareth Parton. The music video featured theArch Rival Roller Girls, aSt. Louisroller derby league.[20]
They curated an edition of theAll Tomorrow's Parties festival in May 2009 in Minehead, England. They played theATP New York 2010 music festival in Monticello, New York, in September 2010.
In 2012, the reunitedLast Splash lineup of Kim and Kelley, Macpherson, and Wiggs announceda tour to coincide with a 20th anniversary reissue by 4AD ofLast Splash, entitledLSXX. The tour began in the US, continued in Europe, Australia, and South America, and included theDeerhunter-curated All Tomorrow's Parties festival.[21] A teaser video was made by the band showing the reunited lineup in rehearsal.[22]
In a June 2016 article,Stereogum reported that the band was in their Ohio studio recording a follow-up toMountain Battles, and thatCourtney Barnett, who was in town for theNelsonville Music Festival, recorded some backup vocals for one of the album's songs.[23]
A single, "Wait in the Car", was released on October 3, 2017: as well as the digital release, it came out as three different seven-inch records limited to only 1,500 copies.Rolling Stone described the song as "a classic Breeders bruiser, clocking it at two minutes, and packed with punchy drums, sugar-rush power chords, and lead riffs".[24] During aBBC interview withLauren Laverne on October 13, 2017, Kim revealed that the band expected to release a new album in 2018, possibly on the 4AD label. 4AD announced on January 9, 2018, that the new album,All Nerve, would be released on March 2, 2018.[25] The title track was released as the album's second single on the same day.[26]All Nerve, was released as planned on March 2, 2018.[27]
In March 2021, the band released their first new recording in over three years: A cover ofHis Name is Alive's "The Dirt Eaters." The cover is part of a forthcoming4AD covers compilation, entitledBills and Aches and Blues.[28]
The band performed at the22nd Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April 2023.[29] They went on to undertake a US tour to mark the 30th anniversary ofLast Splash with Belly in support on some dates, during which Tanya Donelly joined the Breeders onstage for the encore.[30][31] Early in 2024 they supported theFoo Fighters on theirtour of New Zealand.[32]
On September 13, 2023,Olivia Rodrigo announced herGuts World Tour for February through August 2024.[33] The Breeders opened for her atMadison Square Garden on April 5−6 and 8–9, and again at theKia Forum inInglewood, California, on August 13–14 and 16–17.[33] Their MSG set on April 8 was praised byBillboard's Andrew Unterberger, who wrote that seeing the band "get the chance to becomearena-rockers that should have long been theirs by right of their inspired '90s work – which has also since extended to excellent albums in the '00s and '10s – was a very powerful thing",[34] and said that Rodrigo including them "goes beyond a new artist paying her respects to those who came before her, I think, and serves to help connect and re-strengthen a timeline that was at serious risk of being totally severed."[34] When asked about the MSG shows in an interview, Kim Deal said it was odd at first, but after learning Rodrigo knewSt. Vincent and is a fan ofBilly Joel andSheryl Crow, she said "[Rodrigo]'s just really into music. Knowing that, it made more sense. She just really liked us!"[35]
Current members
Current touring musicians | Former members
Former touring musicians
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