Girl In a Coma was an American

indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the mu ...

band from

San Antonio, Texas ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

, United States, formerly on

Joan Jett Joan Jett (born Joan Marie Larkin, September 22, 1958) is an American singer, guitarist, record producer, and actress. Jett is best known for her work as the frontwoman of her band Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, and for earlier founding and per ...

Blackheart Records Blackheart Records is an American record label founded by rock musicians Joan Jett and Kenny Laguna. Artists include The Eyeliners, Girl in a Coma, the Cute Lepers, the Dollyrots, The Vacancies, Fea (band), Fea, Jackknife Stiletto, L7 (band), L7, ...

label. The band consisted of Nina (vocals/guitar), Phanie Diaz (drums) and Jenn Alva ( bass). The name is a reference to

the Smiths The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982. They comprised the singer Morrissey, the guitarist Johnny Marr, the bassist Andy Rourke and the drummer Mike Joyce. They are regarded as one of the most important acts to emerg ...

' song "Girlfriend in a Coma". Before they were called Girl in a Coma, they were known as Sylvia's Radio and Girls in a Coma.

History

Stephanie "Phanie" Diaz started learning how to play the acoustic guitar when she was eleven. Jenn Alva and Phanie met in eighth grade in art class where they became best friends. Both of them played instruments and created Girl in a Coma. The partners asked Phanie's younger sister, Nina Diaz, to join their band after she shared with them a song she had written. Her first show was a week before her 14th birthday. Nina left high school at 16 to focus on the band. In 2009, Nina collaborated with Tiësto to co-write the dance track, "In Your Mind". At the start of 2014, Nina took a break from the band to record solo material. Nina and Phanie are Mexican American. Nina and Phanie grew up in Texas listening to Tejano music, including much of

Selena Selena Quintanilla Pérez (; April 16, 1971 – March 31, 1995), known mononymously as Selena, was an American Tejano singer. Called the " Queen of Tejano music", her contributions to music and fashion made her one of the most celebrated Mex ...

's music. They have integrated cultural elements from this music into their own. Phanie has espoused '' curanderismo''. In 2006, while filming the television series pilot for the SiTV show ''Jammin'', the girls met

. Jett and producer

Kenny Laguna Kenneth Benjamin Laguna is an American songwriter and record producer, best known for his work with Joan Jett. Biography Laguna was born in Greenwich Village, New York City, United States, and started playing piano at high school dances from th ...

signed the girls to a contract with

after seeing them perform at the

Knitting Factory The Knitting Factory is a nightclub in New York City that features eclectic music and entertainment. After opening in 1987, various other locations were opened in the United States. The Knitting Factory gave its audience poetry readings, perform ...

in New York City. In October 2007, while in New York, Girl in a Coma were called by

Morrissey Steven Patrick Morrissey (; born 22 May 1959), known professionally as Morrissey, is an English singer and songwriter. He came to prominence as the frontman and lyricist of rock band the Smiths, who were active from 1982 to 1987. Since then ...

to open for the remainder of his tour. Besides Morrissey, Girl in a Coma have opened for

Frank Black Charles Michael Kittridge Thompson IV (born April 6, 1965) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is best known as the frontman of the alternative rock band Pixies, with whom he performs under the stage name Black Francis. Fo ...

The Pogues The Pogues were an English or Anglo-Irish Celtic punk band fronted by Shane MacGowan and others, founded in Kings Cross, London in 1982, as "Pogue Mahone" – the anglicisation of the Irish Gaelic ''póg mo thóin'', meaning "kiss my arse". T ...

Tegan and Sara Tegan and Sara () are a Canadian indie pop duo formed in 1998 in Calgary, Alberta. The band is led by identical twin sisters Tegan Rain Quin and Sara Keirsten Quin (born September 19, 1980). Both musicians are songwriters and multi-instrumental ...

Social Distortion Social Distortion is an American punk rock band formed in 1978 in Fullerton, California. The band currently consists of Mike Ness (lead vocals, lead guitar), Jonny Wickersham (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), Brent Harding (bass, backing voca ...

and others. The band played at the

SXSW South by Southwest, abbreviated as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By, is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Te ...

Music Festival in 2007, 2009, and again in 2010 and 2012. They also performed on the

True Colors Tour 2008 True Colors was an annual music event created by American recording artist Cyndi Lauper. The concerts were headlined by Lauper and featured various music and comedy acts. Beginning in 2007, the trek supported the Human Rights Campaign, PFLAG and ...

. In early 2008, their song "Clumsy Sky" won in the 7th annual Independent Music Awards for Best Punk Song. On March 22, 2009, group member Jenn Alva and Nina Diaz were arrested outside of a Houston club. They were briefly detained and processed at a Harris County jail. Both were charged with felony assault on a public servant. The incident began when one of the officers, who was working as a security guard, saw Diaz slap her boyfriend and attempted to separate the couple. All charges were later dropped. In the summer of 2010, Girl in a Coma played at Polish Woodstock. In 2012, they won another Independent Music Award with their album ''Exits & All The Rest'' for Best Indie/Alt. Album. In September 2018, Phanie Diaz and Jenn Alva held the band's final performance at Taco Fest in San Antonio. Later that month, they each announced via Facebook that the band had broken up. Drummer Phanie Diaz and bass player Jenn Alva are both openly lesbian. Jenn is married. Jenn and Phanie later joined with others to form the Chicana punk band Fea and signed to Blackheart Records.

Cultural background

Felix Contreras of

National Public Radio National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other n ...

(NPR) conducted an interview with Girl in a Coma where they opened up about not speaking Spanish and not knowing the language well. Nina Diaz, the lead singer and guitarist, said, "When the grandparents were talking to my older sister, or even adult conversations, you could hear them talking and it felt like a foreign thing". She also said, "It's like, 'What are you saying? I want to understand you.' But then I would go off and play with my toys, and was like, 'Whatever, I guess I'll understand it later.'" In another interview, by www.musicpix.net the band members said that they do not like to label themselves as a Latina, lesbian, or girl band, because they do not want to be put in a box. Girl in a Coma does say that if they were anything they would say they are a rock and roll band even though there are punk rock, oldies Spanish music, indie, as well as rock and roll influences in their music. However, they also said they do not want to make it about themselves, because it is all about the music. In the interview by www.musicpix.net of Girl in a Coma, the band said that they had influences from

Selena Quintanilla Selena Quintanilla Pérez (; April 16, 1971 – March 31, 1995), known mononymously as Selena, was an American Tejano singer. Called the " Queen of Tejano music", her contributions to music and fashion made her one of the most celebrated Mex ...

, especially because she was also from Texas and she was the first Latina to break out in a male dominated industry. They covered her song "Si Una Vez" in their album ''Coverland''. The band also mentioned in their interview that they would love to have a complete Spanish album in the future.

Activism

Girl in a Coma has been involved in social issues affecting the LGBTQ and Latino community. They have stood up to stereotypes and unfair policies through their music. In 2012, Girl in a Coma got together with the SoundStrike to campaign against Arizona's anti-immigration SB 1070 law. According to the ''

Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...

'', the band was pulled over and questioned by authorities in Mobile, Alabama. In an interview, Phanie Diaz does not consider Girl in a Coma to be activists or a political band. "Even though we are not self-identified s activists we do pay attention ... we have youth, the gay community and the Latino community all paying attention to what we are doing and supporting us so if we can give back, we can. In a separate interview with GA Voice, Jenn Alva stated that there had to be a different way to approach immigration. "Our country is taking steps in the wrong direction ... There's got to be another way. We need to work to help them and see what brilliant compromise that we can establish." The song "Hope" on ''Exits and all the Rest'' was written about Arizona's anti-immigration law.

2006 documentary

Jim Mendiola, the director of many of Girl in a Coma's music videos, directed the Girl in a Coma an episode of '' Jammin'' for

Sí TV NuvoTV (formerly known as Sí TV) was an American cable television, cable television network. It was launched on February 25, 2004, and catered to the Latino community with exclusively English-language programming. It ended operations on Septembe ...

. This 2006 episode captured the girls in their music element: writing songs, recording, performing, and interviewing, all in their hometown of San Antonio, Texas. The full episode is 45 minutes in length. The episode gives a glimpse into the girls' lives, how they started up their band, and shows how real and down to earth they really are.

Concert tours

Discography

Demos and EPs

''Gira O Morir Demo'' (2005) # "Race Car Driver" # "Only I" # "Sybil Vane Was Ill" # "I'll Ask Him" # "Simple Man" (hidden track) ''Girl In A Coma Demo'' inyl(2005) (Very Rare, Only 500 copies) # "Both Before I'm Gone" # "Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want" ''Hiding My Trail EP'' (2009) # "Only I" # "A Conversation" ''Adventures in Coverland, Vol. 1'' inyl(2010,

) # "Si Una Vez" # "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" ''Adventures in Coverland, Vol. 2'' inyl(2010,

) # "Transmission" # "As the World Falls Down" ''Adventures in Coverland, Vol. 3'' inyl(2010,

) # "Come on. Let's Go" # "Walkin' After Midnight" # "Femme Fatale"

Albums

''Both Before I'm Gone'' (May 1, 2007,

) # "Clumsy Sky" (3:52) # "Say" (3:30) # "Road to Home" (3:56) # "Sybil Vane Was Ill " (4:05) # "I'll Ask Him " (3:37) # "Their Cell" (5:31) # "In the Background" (3:48) # "Mr. Chivalry" (5:21) # "Race Car Driver" (3:51) # "Consider" (3:48) # "Celibate Now" (3:36) # "The Photographer" (3:51) # "Simple Man" (6:47) * "Road to Home" music video was added as a bonus on the album and features

LGBT ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term is a ...

activist

Amanda Lepore Amanda Lepore is an American model, singer, and performance artist. A former Club Kid, she has appeared in advertising for numerous companies. Lepore is noted as a regular subject in photographer David LaChapelle's work, serving as his muse, as ...

''Trio B.C.'' (June 2, 2009,

) (48:32) # "BB" (3:48) # "Static Mind" (3:02) # "Vino" (4:42) # "Baby Boy" (3:49) # "El Monte" (3:53) # "In the Day" (3:15) # "Slaughter Lane" (2:58) # "Trail" (4:03) # "Pleasure and Pain" (3:35) # "Joannie in the City" (3:15) # "Pink Lemonade" (3:39) # "Empty Promise" (3:43) # "Ven Cerca" (4:57) * "Davey" - Unreleased

iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...

Bonus ''Adventures in Coverland'' (October 19, 2010,

) (32:52) # "

Si Una Vez "Si Una Vez" ( en, If I Once) is a song recorded by American recording artist Selena for her fourth studio album, ''Amor Prohibido'' (1994). It was written by Pete Astudillo and produced by Selena's brother-producer A.B. Quintanilla. "Si Una Vez ...

(

)" (2:56) # "

While My Guitar Gently Weeps "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1968 double album ''The Beatles'' (also known as "the White Album"). It was written by George Harrison, the band's lead guitarist. Harrison wrote "While My ...

(

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

)" (3:25) # "

Transmission Transmission may refer to: Medicine, science and technology * Power transmission ** Electric power transmission ** Propulsion transmission, technology allowing controlled application of power *** Automatic transmission *** Manual transmission *** ...

(

Joy Division Joy Division were an English rock band formed in Salford in 1976. The group consisted of vocalist Ian Curtis, guitarist/keyboardist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook and drummer Stephen Morris. Sumner and Hook formed the band after attend ...

)" # " As the World Falls Down (

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

)" (3:56) # "Come On, Let's Go (

Ritchie Valens Richard Steven Valenzuela (May 13, 1941 – February 3, 1959), known professionally as Ritchie Valens, was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. A rock and roll pioneer and a forefather of the Chicano rock movement, Valens was killed i ...

)" (2:07) # "

Walkin' After Midnight "Walkin' After Midnight" is a song written by Alan Block and Don Hecht and recorded by American country music artist Patsy Cline. The song was originally given to pop singer Kay Starr; however, her label rejected it. The song was left unused until ...

(

Patsy Cline Patsy is a given name often used as a diminutive of the feminine given name Patricia or sometimes the masculine name Patrick, or occasionally other names containing the syllable "Pat" (such as Cleopatra, Patience, Patrice, or Patricia). Among I ...

)" (2:49) # "

Femme Fatale A ''femme fatale'' ( or ; ), sometimes called a maneater or vamp, is a stock character of a mysterious, beautiful, and seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers, often leading them into compromising, deadly traps. She is an archetype of ...

(

The Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City in 1964. The original line-up consisted of singer/guitarist Lou Reed, multi-instrumentalist John Cale, guitarist Sterling Morrison, and drummer Angus MacLise. MacLise w ...

)" (3:13) # "

For What It's Worth "For What It's Worth (Stop, Hey What's That Sound)" (often referred to as simply "For What It's Worth") is a song written by Stephen Stills. Performed by Buffalo Springfield, it was recorded on December 5, 1966, released as a single on Atco Reco ...

(

Buffalo Springfield Buffalo Springfield was a rock band formed in Los Angeles by Canadian musicians Neil Young, Bruce Palmer and Dewey Martin and American musicians Stephen Stills and Richie Furay. The group, widely known for the song "For What It's Worth", relea ...

)" (3:27) # "Yo Oigo" (original recording) (3:57) # "BB (acoustic version)" (3:20) ''Exits & All The Rest'' (November 1, 2011,

) (45:03) # "Adjust" (3:52) # "One Eyed Fool" (3:12) # "Smart" (3:21) # "She Had A Plan" (4:28) # "So" (4:42) # "Cemetery Baby" (4:40) # "Knocking At Your Door" (2:53) # "Hope" (3:50) # "Control" (5:00) # "Sly" (5:12) # "Mother's Lullaby" (3:59) * "Smart (Radio Edit)" (3:19) -

Bonus * "Coffee and Tea" (3:56) -

Bonus * "Hotel" -

Amazon.com Amazon.com, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational technology company focusing on e-commerce, cloud computing, online advertising, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence. It has been referred to as "one of the most influential economi ...

Bonus

Music videos

Girl in a Coma has filmed nine music videos between the years of 2007 and 2012 since the forming of the band in 2006. From their first album, ''Both Before I'm Gone'', which was released in 2007, the Latina girl band came out with four music videos from that first album alone. With the help of directors Jim Mendiola and Greg Olliver, Girl in a Coma was able to film all four videos in about a year and a half. Many of their music videos have been filmed in San Antonio, Texas, where Jenn, Nina, and Phanie live. For the "Road to Home" music video, Girl in a Coma featured a guest star to perform in it,

. The music video "Clumsy Sky" was filmed in a nightclub in their hometown of San Antonio, called Lerma's Nite Club. With the help of

Vincent Valdez Vincent Valdez (born 1977) is an American artist born in San Antonio, Texas, who focuses on painting, drawing, and printmaking. His artwork often emphasizes themes of social justice, memory, and ignored or under-examined historical narratives. V ...

, the music video "Say" by Girl in a Coma had hand drawn letters and drawings for the background of the video. The last of the four music videos filmed for the first album ''Both Before I'm Gone'', was "Their Cell", which Girl in a Coma filmed inside the Gonzales County Jail in Gonzales, Texas. As for Girl in a Coma's second album, ''Trio B.C.'', the band filmed two music videos. Again, with the directing of Jim Mendiola, and on location in San Antonio, Texas, Girl in a Coma filmed both "El Monte", and "Static Mind", in July 2009. The band's third album, ''Adventures in Coverland'', was an entire album dedicated to covering songs from other artists, and the first album where Girl in a Coma switched it up and found different directors to help direct their music videos. One of the covers, "As the World Falls Down", was originally David Bowie's song, and Girl in a Coma released a music video for that song in 2010, directed by Robert Rodriguez. The one other music video that the band filmed from their third album was for "Walkin' After Midnight", which was Patsy Cline's original song. This music video also came out in 2010, but Jenn Alva (bass guitarist in the band) directed the video. Lastly, Girl in a Coma has filmed one music video for their latest album ''Exits and All the Rest''. The video for "Smart" came out in 2012 and is the most recent work of Girl in a Coma. ''Both Before I'm Gone'' (2007) # "Clumsy Sky" # "Say" # "Road To Home" # "Their Cell" ''Trio B.C.'' (2009) # "Static Mind" # "El Monte" ''Adventures In Coverland'' (2010) # "Walkin' After Midnight" (Patsy Cline cover) # "As the World Falls Down" (David Bowie cover) ''Exits and All the Rest'' (2011) # "Smart" (Released 25/10/11)

Awards and nominations

* Nominated for Artist of the Year on

Channel One News Channel One News was an American news content provider. The daily news program was accompanied by commercial advertising for marketing in schools, with supplementary educational resources. The Peabody award-winning Channel One News program was ...

* Independent Music Awards Best Independent/Alternative Rock Album "Exits & All the Rest" * Nominated for Best Independent/Alternative Rock Song "Adjust" * IMA Vox Pop fan poll for "Adjust" in the Indie/Alt. Rock Song Category * Named one of the best bands to see at

by ''

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...

'' * "Exits & All the Rest" nominated for Outstanding Music Artist for the

GLAAD Media Award The GLAAD Media Award is an accolade bestowed by GLAAD to recognize and honor various branches of the media for their outstanding representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community and the issues that affect their live ...

s * "Exits & All the Rest" one of

NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...

's Top 50 Albums of 2011 * "Smart" is #4 on Rolling Stones Playlist of favorite songs, albums, and videos * "Walkin' After Midnight" nominated for IMA Best Cover Song category * ''

Esquire Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentlema ...

'' magazine named "Transmission" as #1 Best Song You Probably Didn't Hear in 2010 * "Clumsy Sky" selected as the Winner of the Song-Punk category in the 7th annual Independent Music Awards

References

External links

*
Interview of "Girl In A Coma" on The Lesbian Podcast

Video Interview of "Girl In A Coma" By Serene Dominic

Interview with Girl in a Coma at SuicideGirls.com

Amoeba Records: GIAC performing "Clumsy Sky" By StereoStef

Interview with "Girl in A Coma" at Autostraddle.com
{{Authority control All-female punk bands Musical groups from San Antonio Musical groups established in 2006 Musical groups disestablished in 2018 LGBT-themed musical groups Independent Music Awards winners Blackheart Records artists Alternative rock groups from Texas Indie rock musical groups from Texas 2006 establishments in Texas