Kristin Hersh

Kristin Hersh (born August 7, 1966) is a noted, prolific American singer/songwriter who performs solo acoustic concerts; she also has performed as lead singer and guitarist for alternative rock group Throwing Muses and currently leads the hardcore punk-influenced power trio 50 Foot Wave. Her best-known songs are "Your Ghost" and "Bright Yellow Gun," which received national commercial airplay in the mid-1990s.

Related Topics:
August 7 - 1966 - Alternative rock - Throwing Muses - Hardcore punk - Power trio - 50 Foot Wave - 1990

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Along with her creative chord chemistry, evocative lyrics, and unique vocals ranging from softly melodic singing to impassioned screaming, Hersh's signature contributions to popular music include addressing the complexities of marriage and motherhood in often psychedelic lyrical and sonic treatments of every day feelings and varying mental states. A few of her abundant songwriting subjects have included childbirth ("Hysterical Bending"), love ("Tar Kissers," "Lavender"), surreal vignettes ("Delicate Cutters," "Fish"), death ("Limbo"), emotional anguish ("The Letter"), loss of custody of her first son ("Candyland"), and the shedding of a relationship's angst or anxiety ("Snake Oil").

Related Topics:
Psychedelic - Childbirth

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Hersh has also sprinkled her kaleidoscopic lyrical canvas with concrete images from nature and the ordinary physical realm, such as apples, water, diamonds, eyes, the sea, snow, ice, rain, fire, the sun, sand, and cowboys. On occasion she has used historical figures like anorexic suicide Ellen West as metaphors in depicting a state of mind ("Ellen West"). Eccentric characters encountered in her family's travels have made occasional appearances in songs such as "Ruthie's Knocking"; a 2005 live solo set list included a then-untitled song about a "parrot lady" character she happened upon while visiting Lake Michigan.

Related Topics:
Anorexic - Suicide - 2005 - Lake Michigan

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In the past, Hersh has listed among her early musical influences The Raincoats, Talking Heads, Violent Femmes, Meat Puppets, Dead Kennedys, Hüsker Dü, Velvet Underground, R.E.M., and X. She has said her parents' albums by Patti Smith, the Carter Family, Stevie Wonder, Robert Johnson, Talking Heads, The Clash, Steve Miller, Beatles, Philip Glass, and traditional music influenced her when she was growing up.

Related Topics:
The Raincoats - Talking Heads - Violent Femmes - Meat Puppets - Dead Kennedys - Hüsker Dü - Velvet Underground - R.E.M. - X - Patti Smith - Carter Family - Stevie Wonder - Robert Johnson - The Clash - Steve Miller - Beatles - Philip Glass - Traditional music

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