Kim Bingham

Last updated

Kim Bingham
Kimbingham2008.jpg
Bingham at the Montreal Jazz Festival 2008
Background information
Also known asMudgirl
Origin Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Genres Pop, rock, alt rock, third wave ska, film scores
Occupation(s)Singer, musician
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar
Years active1990s–present
LabelsMudgirl Music Group
Website kimbingham.com

Kim Anna Bingham, [1] also known by her stage names Mudgirl and The Kim Band, is a Canadian singer, guitarist, composer, songwriter and musician. She is known for her musical collaborations with Nelly Furtado, Bran Van 3000 and David Usher.

Contents

Career

1990-1994: Me Mom and Morgentaler

Bingham began her career in music as a member of the Montreal, Quebec, third-wave ska band Me Mom and Morgentaler formed in 1990. The band became known for elaborate live performances and spectacles of vaudevillian-styled performance art. With the band, Bingham recorded three works: Clown Heaven and Hell EP (1991), Shiva Space Machine (1993), and Live We Are Revolting: Live & Obscure 1990–1994 (1994).

1994–1999: Mudgirl

In 1994, Bingham left Me, Mom, and Morgentaler and moved to Vancouver where she formed the project Mudgirl with drummer/vocalist Glenn Kruger (Carly Rae Jepsen, the Paperboys, Bloody Chicletts), bassist/vocalist Russell Less (Innocents Abroad, the Ground), and guitarist Lucas Truman. Her moniker "Mudgirl" was chosen based on "the title of a short story she wrote about a waif made of mud" intended for children. She stated, "Mudgirl is an extension of myself where I get to be cartoony and a bit surreal." In 1996, Mudgirl released their debut five-song EP "First Book" which included three Canadian radio hits "This Day", "Adjusted," and "Contact" (written by Russell Less). She also produced a handful of popular videos featured on MuchMusic, [2] and performed on some dates in the U.S., including a July 1996 performance with Mudgirl at Lilith Fair. [3]

1999–2006: The Kim Band

After five years as Mudgirl, Bingham decided to change the name of her collective to "The Kim Band". Under this moniker, she released the album "Girlology" (2001), produced by Steven Drake (The Odds, The Tragically Hip). The album featured the radio singles "What A Drag", "Valentine's Day" and "Quel Dommage", her French version of "What A Drag," which reached No. 1 on the French-Canadian radio charts.

Collaborations with David Usher, Nelly Furtado and Bran Van 3000: 2000–2003: Touring, bands

From 2001 until 2003, Bingham worked with Canadian singer David Usher as a guitarist and backing vocalist. "Black Black Heart" is a song written by Usher and Jeff Pearce and for which the operatic female vocal is provided by Bingham, while the chorus samples The Flower Duet (Sous le dôme épais), a duet for sopranos from Léo Delibes' opera Lakmé, as a hook. "Black Black Heart" won two MuchMusic Video Awards for Best Post-Production and Best Pop Video in 2002.

In 2003 and early 2004, Bingham toured Europe and the U.S. with pop singer Nelly Furtado as a guitarist and backing vocalist in Furtado's band. Bingham also collaborated with Bran Van 3000 and is featured on the albums "Rosé" and "The Garden". Bingham also toured in Canada as part of Bran Van 3000, including a concert as the main act at the Montreal Jazz Festival in 2008.

Les Invincibles 2005–2009

From 2005 to 2009, Bingham composed the soundtrack for the TV trilogy Les Invincibles with three seasons on the original Canadian TV production (broadcast on Radio Canada) and two seasons on the reprised European versions, a Franco-Belgian-German production (broadcast on Arte). In 2007, Bingham's original music for the Canadian series was nominated for Best Original Score at the Prix Gémeaux television award; Bingham won the Best Theme Song award with the theme song "The Heroes Take", shared with co-writer and show creator Jean-François Rivard. Also in 2007, at the request of fans of the Canadian TV show, Bingham performed and produced the soundtrack album "Les Invincibles" with the support of Warner Music Canada.

UP! and single releases 2010–2020

L-R: Jayne Hill, Sara Johnston, Gary McKenzi, Nick Hynes, Kim Bingham, Stephane Moraille, at the Bran Van 3000 Concert @ Montreal Jazz Festival 2008 BranVan3000 2008 Montreal.jpg
L–R: Jayne Hill, Sara Johnston, Gary McKenzi, Nick Hynes, Kim Bingham, Stephane Moraille, at the Bran Van 3000 Concert @ Montreal Jazz Festival 2008

Bingham's next work, the full-length album UP!, was recorded in Los Angeles over the summer of 2010 with co-producer John Kastner (Doughboys, All Systems Go!) and with members of bands such as Queens of the Stone Age, Jellyfish, Blind Melon, and Masters of Reality. The album was released in May 2012 under Bingham's longstanding indie label, Mudgirl Music Group.

The stop-motion animation video for the single "Up!" won the Best Video award at the 2013 edition of the Independent Music Awards. The French version of "UP!" and the sole French single on the album, a song called "Party Girl", were once again radio hits for Bingham in French-speaking parts of Canada. In January 2019, "Bel Ami" was chosen as the theme song for the US TV series "Good Trouble". In summer 2019, Bingham released her first single, performed in both English and Italian, the upbeat pop song "Beppe Green".

Style

According to The Spokesman-Review , Bingham "plays a musical style modeled after the eclectic pop of The The." [4]

Personal life

Bingham was raised in Montreal, Canada and presently lives in France. [5]

Awards

YearAwardNominated workCategoryResult
2007 Prix Gémeaux Les InvinciblesBest Original ScoreNominated
"The Heroes Take"Best Theme Song [6] Won
2013Independent Music Awards"Up!"Best Short Form Video [7] Won

Discography

With Me Mom and Morgentaler

Albums

Solo material

Albums

List of studio and live albums by Kim Bingham
YearAlbum titleRelease details
1996 First Book EP
by Mudgirl
  • Released: 1996
  • Label: Mudgirl Music Group
  • Format: CD, digital
2001 Girlology
by The Kim Band
  • Released: 2001
  • Label: Mudgirl Music Group
  • Format: CD, digital
2007 Les Invincibles
(Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

by Kim Bingham
Intermede
by Kim Bingham
  • Released: 27 August 2007
  • Label: Musik2Musik / Mudgirl Music
  • Format: CD, digital
2012 Up!
by Kim Bingham
  • Released: 22 May 2012
  • Label: Mudgirl Music Group
  • Format: CD, digital

Singles

Selected singles by Kim Bingham
YearTitleAlbum Certifications
1995"This Day"First Book EP
"Adjusted"
"Contact"
2001"What a Drag!"GirlologyNo. 1 in Montreal [8]
"Valentine's Day"
"Girlology"
2003"Cœur de sable"French single Top 40 in Quebec
2007"The Heroes Take"Les Invincibles Prix Gémeaux: Best Theme Song
2008"Ticket pour l'amour"French single
2012"Party Girl"Promo single
"Up!"Up!

TV scores

Guest appearances

Selected guest performances by Kim Bingham
YearSingle namePrimary artist(s)Album
1999"Our Generation" (add. vocals by Bingham) Marcy Playground Shapeshifter
2001"Black Black Heart" (ft. Kim Bingham) David Usher Morning Orbit
2008Various tracks Bran Van 3000 Rosé

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bran Van 3000</span> Canadian music group

Bran Van 3000 is a Canadian alternative rock and hip hop collective from Montreal, Quebec. Founded by James Di Salvio and E.P. Bergen, they collaborated on a number of songs with Stéphane Moraille, Sara Johnston, Steve "Liquid" Hawley, Jayne Hill, Jean Leloup, Kim Bingham, Pierre-Luc Cerat and many other musicians.

Me Mom and Morgentaler were a Canadian third wave ska band based in Montreal, Quebec. The band members included Gus "Van Go" Coriandoli, Kim Bingham, John Jordan, Adam "Baltimore Bix" Berger, Kasia Hering, Sid Zanforlin, Matt Lipscombe, Noah Green, Diane White, and John "JB" Britton. They were known for their elaborate live performances, spectacles of vaudevillian-styled performance art with leftist leanings. They sang in both English and French.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moist (band)</span> Canadian rock band

Moist is a Canadian rock band that formed in 1992. It consists of David Usher as lead vocalist, Mark Makoway on lead guitars, Jonathan Gallivan on guitars, Kevin Young on keyboards, Francis Fillion on drums, and Jeff Pearce on bass. Drummer Paul Wilcox left the band just before its hiatus in 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corey Hart (singer)</span> Canadian musician (born 1962)

Corey Mitchell Hart is a Canadian singer, musician and songwriter known for his hit singles "Sunglasses at Night", "Never Surrender" and "It Ain't Enough". He has sold over 16 million records worldwide and recorded nine US Billboard Top 40 hits. In Canada, 30 of Hart's recordings have been Top 40 hits, including 11 in the Top 10, over the course of over 35 years in the music industry. Nominated for the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 1984, Hart is an inductee of both Canadian Music Hall of Fame and Canada's Walk of Fame, and is also a multiple Juno award nominee and winner, including the Diamond Award for his best-selling album Boy in the Box. He has also been honoured by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) and the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lhasa de Sela</span> North American singer-songwriter

Lhasa de Sela, also known by the mononym Lhasa, was an American-Canadian singer-songwriter who was raised in Mexico and the United States and divided her adult life between Canada and France. Her first album, La Llorona, went Platinum in Canada and brought Lhasa a Félix Award and a Juno Award.

Luba is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter, and recording artist from Montreal. She was professionally active from 1980 to 1990, 2000 to 2001, and is active again as of 2007. At the beginning of her career, Luba performed with the traditional Ukrainian music group Via Zorya, with whom she released a self-titled album in 1973. In the 1980s, she sang with her own band, Luba, which released the album Chain Reaction in 1980. She went on to have a solo career using the mononym Luba. Two of her albums have been certified Platinum by the Canadian music industry. She has had nine top-40 hits on the Canadian pop charts. Her most successful song is a cover of Percy Sledge's "When a Man Loves a Woman", which reached number 6 on the Canadian pop chart and number 3 on the Canadian adult contemporary chart, in 1987.

Kim Gaboury better known by his pseudonym Akido is a Canadian electronic rock musician and composer based in Montreal, Quebec. Gaboury assembles a band for live performances, but records without them in the studio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maneater (Nelly Furtado song)</span> 2006 single by Nelly Furtado

"Maneater" is a song by Canadian singer Nelly Furtado from her third studio album, Loose (2006). The song was written by Furtado, Jim Beanz, and its producers Timbaland, and Danja. It was released to mainstream radio in the United States in July 2006. The song's musical style and production were inspired by the Hall & Oates song of the same name and other music from the 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lily Frost</span> Musical artist

Lily Frost, born Lindsey Frost Davis, is a Canadian independent singer-songwriter from Toronto, Ontario. Bilingual in French and English, she is a cross-genre, multi disciplinary singer/songwriter/performer and recording artist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elizabeth Shepherd (musician)</span> Canadian singer and pianist

Elizabeth Shepherd is a Canadian pianst, singer, songwriter and producer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Cargnello</span> Canadian musical artist

Paul Cargnello is a Canadian singer-songwriter, producer, and poet from Montreal. Although anglophone, he has had his greatest success as a writer and singer of French language songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Black Heart</span> 2001 song by David Usher

"Black Black Heart" is a song written by David Usher and Jeff Pearce and released as the second single off Usher's 2001 album, Morning Orbit. It became a minor hit in Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland, and rose to number three in Greece, spending over 25 weeks on the country's singles chart. The music video won two MuchMusic Video Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cœur de pirate</span> Canadian musician (born 1989)

Béatrice Mireille Martin, better known by her stage name Cœur de pirate, is a Canadian singer-songwriter and pianist. A francophone from Montreal, she sings mostly in French and has been credited in Montreal Mirror with "bringing la chanson française to a whole new generation of Quebec youth."

Jonathan Gallivan is a Québec-based producer, musician, and lead software developer for Reimagine AI in Montréal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xavier Caféïne</span> Musical artist

Xavier Caféine is a French Canadian rock vocalist, multi instrumentalist, composer and producer from the province of Quebec. He is the primary songwriter and lead singer of his band Cafeine and has also released music under alternate spellings; Caféine, Xavier Caféïne, or Caféïne. Xavier received formal Jazz-Pop bass training at the Cégep Marie-Victorin school in Montreal. His first release was the indie-punk album Mal éduqué mon amour in 1998 sung entirely in French. The follow-up album Pornstar was released in 2000, leaning toward a more glam rock sound, with English lyrics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Kastner</span> Canadian musician and composer (born 1969)

Jean-Guy "John" Kastner is a Canadian musician and composer born in Beaconsfield, Quebec. He was the singer for Montreal hardcore punk band the Asexuals as well as singer-guitarist for Montreal alternative band Doughboys and alternative band All Systems Go!. He is also the manager and former rhythm guitarist for the band Men Without Hats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gogh Van Go</span>

Gogh Van Go is a Montreal alt-pop duo made up of Sandra Luciantonio and Daniel Tierney. Previously, Tierney and Luciantonio were both members of a 1980s country-rock group called the Hodads.

Stephane Moraille is a Haitian-born singer-songwriter and lawyer from Quebec. She is the granddaughter of the first female lawyer of Haiti, Me Georgette Justin, 1933. She stood for the Bar in 2001, and is currently specializing in media law.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlotte Cardin</span> Canadian musician (born 1994)

Charlotte Cardin is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She has been nominated for 14 Juno Awards. In 2022, she received four awards for Artist of the Year, Single of the Year for her song "Meaningless", Pop Album of the Year and Album of the Year for her 2021 debut album Phoenix. Her second album, 99 Nights, was released in 2023.

References

  1. "COEUR DE SABLE". ASCAP. American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Retrieved 22 November 2024.
  2. "Girlology". CDBaby . Retrieved 25 March 2014.
  3. Jennings, Nicholas (28 July 1995). "Front and Centre Stage". NicholasJennings.com. Archived from the original on 25 July 2014. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
  4. Benedetti, Winda (4 July 1997). "Women Take The Stage Lilith Fair Organizers Got Tires Of Industry Attitudes About Women, So They Set About Creating One Of Year's Hottest Music Tours". The Spokesman-Review . Retrieved 25 March 2014.
  5. "Up!". Kim Bingham Bandcamp. 27 August 2012. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
  6. "Rocker Kim Bingham headlines legendary Cleopatra's for Sin City Halloween concert". Montreal Gazette . 24 October 2012. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  7. 2013 Independent Music Awards Winners Announced
  8. Bell, Mike (30 November 2004). "Where there's smoke, there's The Kim Band". Canoe.ca. Archived from the original on 25 July 2014. Retrieved 15 July 2014.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)