Alison Mosshart

Alison Mosshart
Performing in July 2010.
Background information
Also known as	VV, Baby Ruthless
Born	(1978-11-23)November 23, 1978
Origin	Vero Beach,Florida,United States
Genres	Post-punk revival alternative rock psychedelic rock garage rock blues rock indie rock
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter
Instrument(s)	Vocals, guitar
Years active	1995–present

Alison Nicole Mosshart(born November 23, 1978) is an Americansinger,songwriter, artist, and thelead vocalistfor therockbandsThe KillsandThe Dead Weather.She started her musical career in 1995 with theFloridapunk rockbandDiscountwhich disbanded in 2000.She then co-founded the Kills with British guitaristJamie Hince(formerly ofScarfoandBlyth Power) in 2000 in London.

InThe Kills' first album, Mosshart was known by her stage name "VV" and Hince was known as "Hotel".

In early 2009, she joined thesupergroupThe Dead Weather,formed byJack White,along withJack LawrenceandDean Fertita.In that band, her stage name is "Baby Ruthless".

Musical career

Discount

Mosshart formed pop-punk band Discount (for which she was the singer) at the age of 17 with skateboarding friendsinVero Beach, Florida.The band recorded their first album,Ataxia's Alright Tonightwhen the band members were still in high school, and began touring aggressively throughout the DIY punk underground in North America and Europe.As a front-person, Mosshart distinguished herself through her intense, erratic, and earnest stage presence.Discount's subsequent album,Half Fiction,was subsequently named the 50th Greatest Pop-Punk Album of all time byRolling Stonemagazine.The bandmoved from Vero Beach to Gainesville,and released their final album,Crash Diagnosticin 2000.The album reflected a move toward more angular sounds and detached lyrics than the emotionally frank pop-punk of the previous two albums.After touring in support of the album, the band played their last show in Gainesville in August 2000.

The Kills

Before the two even met, Mosshart, while on tour with Discount, overheard Hince playing music in a squat above where she and the band were staying.She finally approached him, after which they started playing around with some music ideas. After she went back to Florida, she continued writing songs with Hince, by sending her ideas overseas to London where he lived. She became very exhausted and ill, so after saving money, Mosshart moved to London and the duo officially started.She has tattooed the date of their first concert on her left hand: 14 February 2002.

In 2003,The Killsreleased their first albumKeep on Your Mean Side.In 2005, they released their follow-up albumNo Wow.

In 2008,Midnight Boomwas released, and singles "U R A Fever", "Cheap and Cheerful", and "Sour Cherry" got much more exposure than the Kills' previous singles on shows and movies likeHouse M.D.,90210,The House Bunny,Friday the 13th (2009 film),andThe Losers.

On January 11, 2011, Mosshart announced the name of the new albumBlood Pressures.It was released April 5 in the U.S. and April 4 elsewhere. The album is their most commercially successful to date. During the 'Blood Pressures' tour they celebrated their 10-year anniversary on February 11, 2012. They have released a photography book called Dream & Drive of their past 9 years with the photographer Kenneth Capello.

On June 26, 2014,The Killsopened for Jack White in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Dublin, for White's Lazaretto tour. Mosshart joined White to perform White's song "Love Interruption", and both Mosshart and Hince joined White to perform Leadbelly's "Goodnight Irene".

On June 3, 2016,The Killsreleased their albumAsh and Ice.

The Dead Weather

Alison Mosshart and Jack White performing live with the Dead Weather at theGlastonbury Festival,June 26, 2009.

Mosshart is one of the original members of thealternative rockbandThe Dead Weather,formed in late 2008. She had performed previously withJack WhiteandJack LawrenceandThe Raconteurs,prior to this band's formation. She singslead vocalsand playsrhythm guitar.

She co-wrote (with Dean Fertita) the band's first single "Hang You from the Heavens",which was released on March 11, 2009. Mosshart also wrote" So Far From Your Weapon "and co-wrote the other eight of the ten original tracks on their debut albumHorehound.

In 2010, a second album -Sea of Cowards- was released. The lead single, "Die By the Drop", was written by Mosshart, Fertita, and Lawrence.

Mosshart and White jammed withSeasick SteveandJohn Paul Jonesfor the 2011ITunes Festival.

White's Third Man Records released a book made by Mosshart for her three bandmates called Shark Infested Soda Fountain containing pictures she took during their tour.

In 2014, she joined Jack White on stage for his show at Bridge School Benefit to perform "I Cut Like A Buffalo" (fromHorehound) and "Love Interruption" (from White's solo albumBlunderbuss) with him while Dean Fertita was playing guitar.

On August 29, 2013,The Dead Weatherannounced that they had returned to the studio to record a follow-up to 2010'sSea of Cowards.Announcement of their third album,Dodge and Burn,came in July 2015 for a release in September by Third Man Records. Along with four previously released tracks, remixed and remastered, the album features eight new songs.

Art

Mosshart debuted her artwork as part of ArtNowNY's collaborative exhibit, Push It, in 2014. Her primary medium is paint.

In 2015 she had first solo art show, Fire Power, at the Joseph Gross Gallery in New York.

In 2016 she featured in the Impossible Project in Berlin where she exhibited photographs.

Fashion

In April 2011, Mosshart contributed to Vogue.co.uk's "Today I'm Wearing"feature, sharing a picture of her outfits each day for one month.

In 2013, she teamed up with French brand Surface to Air to design her ideal leather jacket.

The model andfashion designerAlexa Chungcites Mosshart as a style idol in a 2010 Vogue UK piece.

Personal life

Mosshart grew up inVero Beach, Florida.

She has a brother, Matthew Mosshart, who is a chef.

Mosshart maintains a residence inLondon, England,as well as inNashville, Tennessee.

Since 2022, she is in a relationship with actorDamian Lewis.

Discography

See also:The Kills discography

With Discount

• Ataxia's Alright Tonight(1996)
• Half Fiction(1997)
• Crash Diagnostic(2000)

With The Kills

• Keep on Your Mean Side(2003)
• No Wow(2005)
• Midnight Boom(2008)
• Blood Pressures(2011)
• Ash & Ice(2016)
• Little Bastards(2020)
• God Games(2023)

With The Dead Weather

• Horehound(2009)
• Sea of Cowards(2010)
• Dodge and Burn(2015)

Appears on

• "State Of 6pm" and "Voice Of The Actors": vocals onPalatkaalbumThe End Of Irony(1999)
• "Meds":vocals onPlaceboalbumMeds(2006)
• "Dolls (Sweet Rock and Roll)" and "Suicide Sally & Johnny Guitar": vocals onPrimal ScreamalbumRiot City Blues(2006)
• "Paris Summer": live performance vocals onLast Shadow PuppetsCD singleMy Mistakes Were Made For You(2008)
• "Fire and the Thud" withArctic Monkeys:co-wrote the song and did backing vocals on albumHumbug(2009)
• "Rolling in on a Burning Tire": vocals withthe Dead WeatheronThe Twilight Saga: Eclipsesoundtrack(2010)
• "Tomorrow Never Knows":vocals withCarla Azaron soundtrack forSucker Punch(2011)
• "What A Wonderful World":vocals withthe Forest RangersonSongs of Anarchy: Music from Sons of Anarchy Seasons 1–4(2011)
• "The Passenger":vocals withthe Forest RangersonSons of Anarchy Volume 2Soundtrack (2012)
• "Unwelcome Company": vocals on Henry Wagons solo EPExpecting Company?(2012)
• "It's Just Forever": vocals onCage the ElephantalbumMelophobia(2013)
• "Trying to Believe You're Mine": vocals withthe Forest RangersonSons of AnarchySeason 7soundtrack.
• "'Til the End Of the Night" and "Wild Love": vocals onJames Williamsonsolo albumRe-Licked(2014)
• "England's In My Bones": vocals onGang of FouralbumWhat Happens Next(2015)
• "The Sky Is a Neighborhood",and" La Dee Da ": vocals onFoo FightersalbumConcrete and Gold(2017)
• "He Is": vocals onGhostsingle "He Is"(2017)
• "Hey Lover": vocals onMini Mansionssingle "Hey Lover" from the albumGuy Walks Into a Bar...(2019)
• "El Naufragio (Salvavidas)": vocals onDiamante Eléctrico's single "El Naufragio (Salvavidas)" from the album "Buitres & Co."(2019)

External links

• Mosshart performing "Salute Your Solution" with the Raconteurs
• Mosshart performing "Steady, As She Goes" with the Raconteurs