Alison Mosshart

Last updated
Alison Mosshart
Alison Nicole Mosshart.jpg
Performing in July 2010.
Background information
Also known asVV, Baby Ruthless
Born (1978-11-23) November 23, 1978 (age 45)
Origin Vero Beach, Florida, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar
Years active1995–present
Partner Damian Lewis (2022–present)

Alison Nicole Mosshart (born November 23, 1978) is an American singer, songwriter, artist, and the lead vocalist for the rock bands The Kills and The Dead Weather. She started her musical career in 1995 with the Florida punk rock band Discount which disbanded in 2000. [1] She then co-founded the Kills with British guitarist Jamie Hince (formerly of Scarfo and Blyth Power) in 2000 in London. [2]

Contents

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

In early 2009, she joined the supergroup The Dead Weather, formed by Jack White, along with Jack Lawrence and Dean 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 friends [3] in Vero Beach, Florida. The band recorded their first album, Ataxia's Alright Tonight when the band members were still in high school, and began touring aggressively throughout the DIY punk underground in North America and Europe. [4] As a front-person, Mosshart distinguished herself through her intense, erratic, and earnest stage presence. [5] Discount's subsequent album, Half Fiction , was subsequently named the 50th Greatest Pop-Punk Album of all time by Rolling Stone magazine. [6] The band moved from Vero Beach to Gainesville[ failed verification ], and released their final album, Crash Diagnostic in 2000. [7] The album reflected a move toward more angular sounds and detached lyrics than the emotionally frank pop-punk of the previous two albums. [8] 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. [9] 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.[ citation needed ] She has tattooed the date of their first concert on her left hand: 14 February 2002.

In 2003, The Kills released their first album Keep on Your Mean Side . In 2005, they released their follow-up album No Wow .

In 2008, Midnight Boom was 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 like House M.D., 90210, The House Bunny, Friday the 13th (2009 film), and The Losers.[ why? ]

On January 11, 2011, Mosshart announced the name of the new album Blood 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. [10] They have released a photography book called Dream & Drive of their past 9 years with the photographer Kenneth Capello. [11]

On June 26, 2014, The Kills opened 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 Kills released their album Ash and Ice.

The Dead Weather

Alison Mosshart and Jack White performing live with the Dead Weather at the Glastonbury Festival, June 26, 2009. The Dead Weather Glastonbury 2009-1.jpg
Alison Mosshart and Jack White performing live with the Dead Weather at the Glastonbury Festival, June 26, 2009.

Mosshart is one of the original members of the alternative rock band The Dead Weather, formed in late 2008. She had performed previously with Jack White and Jack Lawrence and The Raconteurs, prior to this band's formation. She sings lead vocals and plays rhythm 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 album Horehound .

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 with Seasick Steve and John Paul Jones for the 2011 ITunes Festival. [12]

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. [13]

In 2014, she joined Jack White on stage for his show at Bridge School Benefit to perform "I Cut Like A Buffalo" (from Horehound ) and "Love Interruption" (from White's solo album Blunderbuss ) with him while Dean Fertita was playing guitar. [14]

On August 29, 2013, The Dead Weather announced that they had returned to the studio to record a follow-up to 2010's Sea of Cowards . [15] 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. [16]

In 2016 she featured in the Impossible Project in Berlin where she exhibited photographs. [17]

Fashion

In April 2011, Mosshart contributed to Vogue.co.uk's "Today I'm Wearing" [18] 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. [19]

The model and fashion designer Alexa Chung cites Mosshart as a style idol in a 2010 Vogue UK piece. [20]

Personal life

Mosshart grew up in Vero Beach, Florida.

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

Mosshart maintains a residence in London, England, as well as in Nashville, Tennessee. [17]

Since 2022, she is in a relationship with actor Damian Lewis. [21] [22] [23]

Discography

With Discount

With The Kills

With The Dead Weather

Appears on

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack White</span> American musician (born 1975)

John Anthony White is an American musician who served as the guitarist and lead singer of the rock duo the White Stripes. A key artist of the 2000s garage rock revival, he is known for his distinctive musical techniques and eccentricity. He has won 12 Grammy Awards among other accolades. Rolling Stone included him on their 2010 and 2023 lists of the greatest guitarists of all time. The New York Times called White "the coolest, weirdest and savviest rockstar of our time" in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Kills</span> English-American rock duo

The Kills are an English-American rock duo formed by American singer Alison "VV" Mosshart and English guitarist Jamie "Hotel" Hince. They are signed to Domino Records. Their first four albums, Keep On Your Mean Side, No Wow, Midnight Boom, and Blood Pressures, all reached the UK Albums Chart. Their fifth studio album, Ash & Ice, was released in 2016 and reached the top 20 of the UK Albums Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Raconteurs</span> American rock supergroup

The Raconteurs are an American rock band from Detroit, Michigan, formed in 2005. The band consists of Jack White, Brendan Benson, Jack Lawrence, and Patrick Keeler (drums). Lawrence and Keeler were originally members of the Greenhornes, while White and Lawrence went on to become members of the Dead Weather.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blanche (band)</span>

Blanche is an American alternative country band from Detroit, Michigan. Their music is based in Americana, early country, and folk blues, with a touch of haunting Southern Gothic stylings and garage rock mentality. Blanche is known for wearing vintage fashion of the early to mid-20th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Greenhornes</span> American garage rock band

The Greenhornes were an American garage rock band from Cincinnati, Ohio, formed in 1996 by vocalist/guitarist Craig Fox, bass guitarist Jack Lawrence and drummer Patrick Keeler. They released their debut album Gun For You in 1999, followed by a self-titled album in 2001. A third studio album, Dual Mono, was released in 2002, with the band taking a small hiatus. The Greenhornes returned in 2005 to release a new EP, East Grand Blues, and a compilation album, Sewed Soles. During this time, Lawrence and Keeler formed The Raconteurs with Detroit musicians and personal friends Jack White and Brendan Benson, leaving very few performances and interaction with Fox. In 2010, the band reunited once again to record a studio album, Four Stars, their first in eight years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Discount (band)</span> American punk rock band

Discount was an American punk rock band based in Gainesville, Florida. The band originally formed in Vero Beach, Florida in 1995, but relocated to Gainesville in 1998. They performed their last show on August 19, 2000 at Market Street Pub in Gainesville, Florida. Members have gone on to form The Dead Weather, The Kills, The Kitchen, The Terror In Tiny Town, Black Cougar Shock Unit, Unitas, The Routineers, The Draft, Laserhead, Stolen Parts, Monikers, Young Ladies, and Blab School.

<i>Keep on Your Mean Side</i> 2003 studio album by The Kills

Keep on Your Mean Side is the debut album by UK based indie rock band The Kills. Originally released on March 10, 2003, through Domino Recording Company, it was later reissued on May 4, 2009, with five additional bonus tracks.

<i>As Friends Rust / Discount</i> 1998 EP by As Friends Rust and Discount

As Friends Rust / Discount is a split extended play by Gainesville, Florida-based melodic hardcore band As Friends Rust and Vero Beach, Florida-based punk rock band Discount. It was released by Belgian record label Good Life Recordings in December 1998 on compact disc and 7" vinyl. In promotion of the release, As Friends Rust and Discount embarked on a six-week European and United Kingdom tour, from December 1998 to January 1999, accompanied by Swedish hardcore group Purusam. The European tour included a stop to play at the Good Life Winter Festival, in Kortrijk, Belgium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dean Fertita</span> American rock musician (born 1970)

Dean Anthony Fertita is an American rock multi-instrumentalist. He is best known as a keyboardist and occasional guitarist of the hard rock band Queens of the Stone Age, and as the guitarist and keyboardist for the Dead Weather.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Dead Weather</span> American rock band

The Dead Weather is an American rock supergroup, formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 2009. Composed of Alison Mosshart, Jack White, Dean Fertita and Jack Lawrence. The Dead Weather debuted at the opening of Third Man Records' Nashville headquarters on March 11, 2009. The band performed live for the first time at the event, immediately before releasing their debut single "Hang You from the Heavens".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hang You from the Heavens</span> 2009 single by The Dead Weather

"Hang You from the Heavens" is the debut single by American alternative rock band The Dead Weather. It was released on March 11, 2009 and was backed with a cover of Gary Numan's "Are 'Friends' Electric?". The single was released through iTunes and on a 7" vinyl limited to 150 copies, all of which were given to the crowd at the band's debut performance at the opening of the Third Man Records headquarters. The 7" was later released through their website, and record stores.

<i>Horehound</i> (album) 2009 studio album by The Dead Weather

Horehound is the debut studio album by American rock band the Dead Weather. It was released on July 10 in Australia, July 13 in Europe, and July 14, 2009 in North America. The album was recorded at Third Man Studios during a three-week session in January 2009. The first single from the album, "Hang You from the Heavens", was released through iTunes on March 11, 2009, and on vinyl on April 18, 2009. "Treat Me Like Your Mother" was released as the second single from the album on May 25, 2009. The third single from the album was set to be "I Cut Like A Buffalo" and includes a cover of The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band's "A Child of a Few Hours is Burning to Death" as a B-side. The album debuted at No. 6 on the U.S. Billboard 200 Album Charts and at No. 14 on the UK Album Charts. As of 2010, sales in the United States have exceeded 163,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Treat Me Like Your Mother</span> 2009 single by The Dead Weather

"Treat Me Like Your Mother" is a single released by the alternative rock band The Dead Weather. It is the second single released off of the band's debut album Horehound. The single was released on May 25, 2009, and released with the album on July 14, 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Cut Like a Buffalo</span> 2009 single by The Dead Weather

"I Cut Like a Buffalo" is the third track from the album Horehound, by the alternative rock group The Dead Weather in 2009. It was also released as the third single from the album. Jack White is the sole writer of this song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Die by the Drop</span> 2010 single by The Dead Weather

"Die by the Drop" is the first single from The Dead Weather's second album Sea of Cowards. It was released on March 30, 2010 in the United States and April 25 in the UK. The single includes the B-side "Old Mary".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue Blood Blues</span> 2010 single by The Dead Weather

"Blue Blood Blues" is the second single to be taken from the album Sea of Cowards by the alternative rock group the Dead Weather. It was released digitally on June 25, 2010.

<i>Blood Pressures</i> 2011 studio album by the Kills

Blood Pressures is the fourth studio album by indie rock band the Kills. It was released on April 1, 2011 in Australia, on April 4, 2011 in Europe, and on April 5, 2011 in the United States and Canada. The album was recorded at Key Club studio in Benton Harbor, Michigan, the same studio where the band had previously recorded both No Wow and Midnight Boom. The album was promoted by four singles: "Satellite", "Future Starts Slow", "Baby Says" and "The Last Goodbye".

<i>Crash Diagnostic</i> 2000 studio album by Discount

Crash Diagnostic is the third and final album by punk band Discount. It was released in 2000 on New American Dream.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tape Song</span> 2008 single by The Kills

"Tape Song" is the fourth single from indie rock band The Kills' third full-length album, Midnight Boom. It was released on November 16, 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Future Starts Slow</span> 2011 single by The Kills

"Future Starts Slow" is the second single from indie rock band The Kills' fourth studio album, Blood Pressures (2011). It was released on June 27, 2011 through the independent label Domino. The song has been featured as the opening theme for the American TV miniseries Political Animals (2012), starring Sigourney Weaver. It was also featured in episodes of Altered Carbon, Person of Interest, The Vampire Diaries, Walker Independence, and Kaos.

References

  1. ↑ Ankeny, Jason. "Biography: Discount". Allmusic . Retrieved 13 April 2010.
  2. ↑ Phares, Heather. "The Kills | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 2017-01-05.
  3. ↑ "We've Got A File On You: Alison Mosshart". 2020-12-11.
  4. ↑ Svitil, Greg (1996). "Alison Mosshart (Discount)". Veils of Teeth.
  5. ↑ Heller, Jason (29 April 2009). "The curious transformation of Alison Mosshart". AV Music.
  6. ↑ "50 Greatest Pop-Punk Albums". Rolling Stone. 15 November 2017.
  7. ↑ Denberg, Betsey (3 November 2011). "The Kills' Alison Mosshart -- The Discount Years". New Times Broward-Palm Beach.
  8. ↑ Opie, Russell (13 June 2007). "Discount Crash Diagnostic". Collective Zine.
  9. ↑ Cody, Dan (29 September 2016). "Profiles: Alison Mosshart, a Woman of Many Parts". No Majesty.
  10. ↑ "The kills-10 anniversary show NYC (full concert)". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-15. Retrieved 2014-07-16.
  11. ↑ "The Kills - Official Online Store". Kills.dominorecordco.com. Archived from the original on 2018-08-21. Retrieved 2014-07-16.
  12. ↑ "Write me a few lines ( ft Jack White & Alison Mosshart )- Seasick Steve iTunes Festival 2011". YouTube. 2011-07-03. Archived from the original on 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2014-07-16.
  13. ↑ "VAULT PACKAGE #14". Third Man Records. Archived from the original on 2014-07-14. Retrieved 2014-07-16.
  14. ↑ "Photo show". Jackwhiteiii.com. Retrieved 2014-07-16.
  15. ↑ "Jack White Brewing New Songs With the Dead Weather | SPIN | Music News". SPIN. 2013-08-30. Retrieved 2014-07-16.
  16. ↑ "We Talked to Alison Mosshart About Her Debut Solo Art Show: 'Fire Power' | NOISEY". 18 June 2015. Retrieved 2016-06-29.
  17. 1 2 Eckardt, Stephanie. "Alison Mosshart, Rockstar and Photographer, Prefers to Hang Out in Sports Bars". W Magazine. Retrieved 2017-01-05.
  18. ↑ "Alison Mosshart's fashion and style choices, day 1". Archived from the original on 2012-02-12. Retrieved 2012-01-26.
  19. ↑ "Meet: Alison Mosshart". Surface To Air. Retrieved 2014-07-16.
  20. ↑ "Style icon Alexa Chung keeps going from strength to strengthStyle icon Alexa Chung keeps going from strength to strength". Irish Examiner. April 13, 2016. Retrieved 2017-06-28.
  21. ↑ McCormick, Neil (June 10, 2023). "Damian Lewis on his unlikely rock reinvention: 'I'm aware how dangerous this is for me'". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on June 10, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
  22. ↑ Wynne, Kelly (July 7, 2022). "Damian Lewis Confirms Romance with Alison Mosshart After the Death of Wife Helen McCrory". People. Archived from the original on July 11, 2024. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
  23. ↑ Kirkpatrick, Emily (July 6, 2022). "Damian Lewis Is Dating Alison Mosshart and Her Mom Can't Wait to Meet Him". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on July 11, 2024. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.