Early Group History
Hersh enlisted her stepsister, Donelly, to help form the group while they were attending Rogers High School. The two served as guitarists, lead vocalists, and songwriters for the group; drummer David Narcizo joined shortly thereafter. Hersh originally named the group "The Muses". Since the band was no longer composed of only female musicians after Narcizo joined, they decided to shift to a name with fewer gender-specific connotations, "Throwing Muses". (More recent interviews with Kristin state that they were never called "The Muses" or "Kristin & The Muses.")
Early recordings were made in 1983 but not released. A self-titled EP was released in 1984 on their Blowing Fuses label. The group self-released a set of demos in 1985, later known as The Doghouse Cassette, garnering a number-one college radio hit, "Sinkhole," that year. The demos came to the attention of Ivo Watts-Russell, who signed them as the first U.S. band on the 4AD Records label and released their self-titled debut album in 1986.
The group also co-released some of their later albums on Sire/Reprise Records and Rykodisc. With cover stories about them published in most major British music publications of the 1980s, they became one of the first successful alternative rock acts to be led by two female singer/guitarists.
The band's personnel has changed over the years. Bassist Leslie Langston left after 1990, replaced by Fred Abong, but returned briefly to record tracks on Red Heaven in 1992. Donelly left Throwing Muses after 1991's The Real Ramona, first to perform in The Breeders and afterwards to form Belly. Abong left in 1991, soon joining Belly, and was succeeded by Bernard Georges in 1993. Since 1992, the group has been a trio composed of Hersh on guitar and vocals, Georges on bass, and Narcizo on drums. During the mid-1990s, Hersh also began a solo recording career, releasing the album Hips and Makers, alongside her band work.
Read more about this topic: Throwing Muses
Famous quotes containing the words early, group and/or history:
“... business training in early life should not be regarded solely as insurance against destitution in the case of an emergency. For from business experience women can gain, too, knowledge of the world and of human beings, which should be of immeasurable value to their marriage careers. Self-discipline, co-operation, adaptability, efficiency, economic management,—if she learns these in her business life she is liable for many less heartbreaks and disappointments in her married life.”
—Hortense Odlum (1892–?)
“The trouble with tea is that originally it was quite a good drink. So a group of the most eminent British scientists put their heads together, and made complicated biological experiments to find a way of spoiling it. To the eternal glory of British science their labour bore fruit.”
—George Mikes (b. 1912)
“Indeed, the Englishman’s history of New England commences only when it ceases to be New France.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)