The Breeders

This article is about the alternative rock band. For the alleged ecoterrorist organization, see1989 California medfly attack.For other uses, seeBreeder (disambiguation).

The Breedersare an Americanalternative rockband 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 Breeders
The Breeders performing in 2018
Background information
Origin	Dayton, Ohio,U.S.
Genres	Alternative rock
Years active	1989–1995 1996–2003 2008–present
Labels	4AD Elektra
Spinoffs	The Amps Belly Dusty Trails Honey Tongue The Last Hard Men The Kelley Deal 6000
Spinoff of	The Perfect Disaster Pixies Slint Throwing Muses
Members	Kim Deal Kelley Deal Josephine Wiggs Jim Macpherson
Past members	Tanya Donelly Britt Walford Carrie Bradley Richard Presley José Medeles Mando Lopez
Website	thebreedersmusic

The earliest incarnation of the band was formed by Kim Deal andTanya Donellyin 1989 as a side-project alongside their full-time bandsPixiesandThrowing Musesrespectively. To record their debut album, 1990'sPod,Deal and Donelly recruited bassist Josephine Wiggs ofthe Perfect Disasterand drummerBritt WalfordofSlint.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 theSafariEP, 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 rockfans and praise from people such asNirvanafrontmanKurt Cobain,who citedPodas one of his all-time favorite albums.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 rockboom. The album went on to be certifiedplatinumby theRIAA,and is best known for its hit single "Cannonball".

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 TKin 2002 andMountain Battlesin 2008. In 2013, Kim and Kelley had announced that the "classic" line-up (includingJosephine Wiggsand 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 Nervein 2018, the first "classic" Breeders line-up's full-length album together since 1993'sLast Splash.

History

Formation

Lead singerKim Dealperforming with the band, c. 2002

Kim Deal, not fulfilled in her subordinate role as bassist of the Pixies,began writing new material while the Pixies were touringSurfer Rosain Europe withThrowing Muses.As neither band had plans in the immediate future, Deal discussed possible side projects with Throwing Muses guitarist Tanya Donelly.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".

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 Rathskellerin Boston. They were not called The Breeders at this point, but were billed as "Boston Girl Super-Group".The band sent the tape to the Englishindependent record label4ADbecause both the Pixies and the Throwing Muses were signed to the label. Upon hearing the tape, 4AD headIvo Watts-Russellremarked, "This is absolutely magical, beautiful stuff."Deal originally described the band as "the Banglesfrom Hell ".

The name Breeders had previously been used for a band Deal led with her twin sister Kelley."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.

Pod(1990–91)

4AD gave Deal and Donelly a budget of $11,000to make an album. Deal askedthe Perfect Disaster'sJosephine Wiggsto 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 WalfordofSlint.Walford agreed to play on the album under the pseudonym "Shannon Doughton".

A week of rehearsal took place at Wiggs's house inBedfordshire,England, andPodwas recorded in ten days inEdinburgh, Scotland.They used the remaining time to record aPeel Sessionand a video for "Hellbound."Returning to London, they played two shows, the only time that this lineup ever appeared onstage together. Released on 28 May 1990,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, butPodhas a smart, innovative edge all its own. "

Podwas cited byKurt Cobainas 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. "He listedPodas one of the 50 albums he thought were most influential toNirvana's sound in his journal in 1993.In July 2007, Albini said he considered the album among his best works.

SafariandLast Splash(1992–94)

FollowingPod,the members of The Breeders returned to their original bands. The Pixies releasedBossanovain 1990 andTrompe le Mondein 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/SpiritualizeddrummerJon Mattockto record a new song called "Safari." The other three tracks on what became theSafariEP were recorded in New York with Walford and Donelly, who was by then planning to formBelly.Deal then asked her sister Kelley to take over on guitar, even though Kelley did not know how to play guitar.The Pixies became inactive in mid-1992, at which time drummer Jim Macpherson was recruited and The Breeders became a full-time band,opening forNirvanaon their 1992 European tour.

In January 1993, The Breeders went to Coast Recorders in San Francisco to record their second album.Last Splashwas 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 Trackschart.The band contributed a live recording of the song "Iris" to the 1993 AIDS-Benefit AlbumNo Alternativeproduced by theRed Hot Organization.In 1993, they toured supporting Nirvana on theirIn Uterotour, and in 1994,Last Splashreceived a platinumcertificationby theRecording Industry Association of America.Also in 1994, the band secured a prime spot on theLollapaloozatour.This lineup played their last show together on September 5, 1994, at Lollapalooza in Los Angeles, California until reuniting in 2012.

Hiatus

Title TK line-up (pictured: Kim Deal and Mando Lopez) performing in concert

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 MenwithSkid RowsingerSebastian Bach,Smashing PumpkinsdrummerJimmy Chamberlin,andJimmy FlemionofThe Frogs.

Meanwhile, in New York, Wiggs recorded and co-produced theKostars' albumKlassics with a K,aLuscious Jacksonside-project (also touring with them playing drums), released a solo album on theBeastie Boys'Grand Royallabel, and released an album on Atlantic Records under the nameDusty TrailswithLuscious JacksonkeyboardistVivian 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 Squadsoundtrack in 1999.

Title TK(2001–02)

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 Medelesto 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).

The Breeders also performed in an episode ofBuffy the Vampire Slayerin 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 Inchtribute album, "Wig in a Box".

Mountain BattlesandFate to Fatal(2008–10)

The Breeders performing in 2008

Mountain Battleswas 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 Fatalwas released on April 21, 2009. It contains aBob Marleycover ( "Chances Are" ) and a song with vocals byMark Lanegan( "The Last Time" ). The title track was recorded at The Fortress Studios, London, byThe Go! TeamproducerGareth Parton.The music video featured theArch Rival Roller Girls,aSt. Louisroller derbyleague.

They curated an edition of theAll Tomorrow's Partiesfestival in May 2009 in Minehead, England. They played theATP New York 2010music festival in Monticello, New York, in September 2010.

LSXXandAll Nerve(2012–present)

The Breeders performing in Paris, France in 2017.

In 2012, the reunitedLast Splashlineup of Kim and Kelley, Macpherson, and Wiggs announceda tourto 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.A teaser video was made by the band showing the reunited lineup in rehearsal.

In a June 2016 article,Stereogumreported 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.

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 Stonedescribed the song as "a classic Breeders bruiser, clocking it at two minutes, and packed with punchy drums, sugar-rush power chords, and lead riffs".During aBBCinterview withLauren Laverneon 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.The title track was released as the album's second single on the same day.All Nerve,was released as planned on March 2, 2018.

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 forthcoming4ADcovers compilation, entitledBills and Aches and Blues.

The band performed at the22nd Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festivalin April 2023.They went on to undertake a US tour to mark the 30th anniversary ofLast Splashwith Belly in support on some dates, during which Tanya Donelly joined the Breeders onstage for the encore.Early in 2024 they supported theFoo Fighterson theirtour of Australia and New Zealand.

On September 13, 2023,Olivia Rodrigoannounced herGuts World Tourfor February through August 2024.The Breeders opened for her atMadison Square Gardenon April 5−6 and 8–9, and again at theKia ForuminInglewood, California,on August 13–14 and 16–17.Their MSG set on April 8 was praised byBillboard's Andrew Unterberger, who wrote that seeing the band "get the chance to becomearena-rockersthat 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 ",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."When asked about the MSG shows in an interview, Kim Deal said it was odd at first, but after learning Rodrigo knewSt. Vincentand is a fan ofBilly JoelandSheryl Crow,she said "[Rodrigo]'s just really into music. Knowing that, it made more sense. She just really liked us!"

Members

Current members

• Kim Deal– lead vocals, rhythm guitar(1989–1995, 1996–2003, 2008–present),lead guitar(1996–1998)
• Josephine Wiggs– bass, vocals(1989–1995, 2012–present)
• Kelley Deal– lead guitar, vocals(1992–1995, 1998–2003, 2008–present),rhythm guitar(1992)
• Jim Macpherson – drums, percussion(1992–1995, 1996–1997, 2012–present)

Former members

• Tanya Donelly– lead guitar, vocals(1989–1992)
• Carrie Bradley– violin(1989–1993, 1996–1997)
• Britt Walford– drums, backing vocals(1989–1992)
• Jon Mattock– drums(1992)
• Richard Presley – rhythm and lead guitar(2000–2006)
• Mando Lopez – bass(2000–2006, 2008–2012)
• Jose Medeles– drums(2001–2003, 2008–2012)

Touring musician

• Sophie Galpin – violin, guitar, keyboards(2018–present)

Former touring musicians

• Nate Farley – guitar(1996–1997)
• Luis Lerma – bass(1996–1997)
• Cheryl Lyndsey – guitar(2008–2012)

Timeline

Discography

Main article:The Breeders discography

Studio albums

• Pod(1990)
• Last Splash(1993)
• Title TK(2002)
• Mountain Battles(2008)
• All Nerve(2018)

EPs

• Safari(1992)
• Head to Toe(1994)
• Fate to Fatal(2009)

References

Bibliography

• Frank, Josh; Ganz, Caryn (2005).Fool the World: The Oral History of a Band Called Pixies.Virgin Books.ISBN0-312-34007-9.
• Mico, Ted (May 26, 1990). "Let It Breed".Melody Maker.Vol. 66, no. 21.

External links

• Official website
• The BreedersatAllMusic