Indigo Girls are an American

folk rock Folk rock is a hybrid music genre that combines the elements of folk and rock music, which arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music revival. Performers s ...

music duo from

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...

, Georgia, United States, consisting of

Amy Ray Amy Elizabeth Ray (born April 12, 1964) is an American alto singer-songwriter and member of the contemporary folk duo Indigo Girls. She also pursues a solo career and has released six albums under her own name, and founded a record company, Daemo ...

and Emily Saliers. The two met in elementary school and began performing together as high school students in

Decatur, Georgia Decatur is a city in, and the county seat of, DeKalb County, Georgia, which is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. With a population of 24,928 in the 2020 census, the municipality is sometimes assumed to be larger since multiple ZIP Codes ...

, part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. They started performing with the name Indigo Girls as students at

Emory University Emory University is a private research university in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1836 as "Emory College" by the Methodist Episcopal Church and named in honor of Methodist bishop John Emory, Emory is the second-oldest private institution of ...

, performing weekly at The Dugout, a bar in Emory Village. They released a self-produced, full-length record album entitled '' Strange Fire'' in 1987, and contracted with a major record company in 1988. After releasing nine albums with major record labels from 1987 through 2007, they have now resumed self-producing albums with their own IG Recordings company. Outside of working on Indigo Girls–related projects, Ray has released solo albums and founded a non-profit

organization An organization or organisation (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is an entity—such as a company, an institution, or an association—comprising one or more people and having a particular purpose. The word is derived f ...

that promotes independent musicians, while Saliers is an entrepreneur in the restaurant industry as well as a professional author; she also collaborates with her father, Don Saliers, in performing for special groups and causes. Saliers and Ray are both lesbians and are active in political and environmental causes.

Recording and touring

Early years

Amy Ray and Emily Saliers first met and got to know each other as students at Laurel Ridge Elementary School in

DeKalb County, Georgia DeKalb County (, , ) is located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 764,382, making it Georgia's fourth-most populous county. Its county seat is Decatur. DeKalb County is inc ...

, just outside

, but were not close friends because Saliers was a grade older than Ray. While attending Shamrock High School (now

Druid Hills Middle School Druid Hills High School is a high school operated by the DeKalb County School District. It is located at 1798 Haygood Drive, in the Druid Hills CDP in unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. Saliers graduated and began attending Tulane University in Louisiana. A year later, Ray graduated high school and began attending

Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private research university in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and rail magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided the school its initial $1-million ...

in Tennessee. Homesick, both returned to Georgia and transferred to

in Atlanta (where Saliers' father was a professor). Emory Village

By 1985, they had begun performing together again, this time as Indigo Girls. Saliers stated in a March 2007

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 ...

'' Talk of the Nation'' interview, "we needed a name and we went through the dictionary looking for words that struck us and

indigo Indigo is a deep color close to the color wheel blue (a primary color in the RGB color space), as well as to some variants of ultramarine, based on the ancient dye of the same name. The word "indigo" comes from the Latin word ''indicum'', ...

was one." Their first release in 1985 was a seven-inch single named "Crazy Game", with the B-side "Everybody's Waiting (for Someone to Come Home)". That same year, the Indigo Girls released a six-track

Extended play An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record.

album named ''Indigo Girls'', and in 1987 released their first full-length album, '' Strange Fire'', recorded at John Keane Studio in

Athens, Georgia Athens, officially Athens–Clarke County, is a consolidated city-county and college town in the U.S. state of Georgia. Athens lies about northeast of downtown Atlanta, and is a satellite city of the capital. The University of Georgia, the ...

, and including "Crazy Game". With this release, they secured the services of Russell Carter, who remains their manager to the present; they had first approached him when the EP album was released, but he told them their songs were "immature" and they were not likely to get a record deal. ''Strange Fire'' apparently changed his opinion.

Epic Records (1988–2006)

The success of 10,000 Maniacs, Tracy Chapman, and Suzanne Vega encouraged Epic Records to enlist other folk-based female singer-songwriters; Epic signed the duo in 1988. Their first major-label release, also named '' Indigo Girls'', which scored No. 22 on the album chart, included a new version of "Land of Canaan", which was also on their 1985 EP album and on ''Strange Fire''. Also on the self-titled release was their first hit " Closer to Fine" (a collaboration with Irish band Hothouse Flowers), which scored No. 52 on the popular music chart and No. 26 on the

modern rock Modern rock is an umbrella term used to describe rock music that is found on college rock radio stations. Some radio stations use this term to distinguish themselves from classic rock, which is based in 1960s–1980s rock music. Radio format Mod ...

chart. They even managed one week on the mainstream rock

album-oriented rock Album-oriented rock (AOR, originally called album-oriented radio) is an FM radio format created in the United States in the 1970s that focuses on the full repertoire of rock albums and is currently associated with classic rock. Album-orien ...

music chart at No. 48. In 1990, they won a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

for

Best Contemporary Folk Album The Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album was awarded from 1987 to 2011. Until 1991 the award was known as the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Recording. In 2007, this category was renamed Best Contemporary Folk/Americana Album. As ...

. They were also nominated for Best New Artist (but lost to Milli Vanilli who eventually had their award revoked). Their second album, '' Nomads Indians Saints'', went gold in December 1991 and included the hit song "Hammer and a Nail", a No. 12 modern rock music track; it was not as successful as their first, which was certified platinum at about the same time. The Indigo Girls followed it with the live '' Back on the Bus, Y'all'' and 1992's album '' Rites of Passage'', featuring the song " Galileo", the duo's first top 10 modern rock music track (#10). During the accompanying tour in December, they invited on a few dates Siouxsie Sioux of Siouxsie and the Banshees as special guest to sing a couple of songs with them. They then recorded ''

Swamp Ophelia ''Swamp Ophelia'' is the fifth studio album by the Indigo Girls, released in 1994. Track listing Personnel ;Indigo Girls *Amy Ray - vocals, acoustic and electric guitar (lead on Fugitive, rhythm elsewhere) *Emily Saliers - vocals, acoustic, cl ...

'' in 1994, which went platinum in September 1996, and charted at No. 9 on the ''Billboard'' 200 album chart. In 1995, the Indigo Girls released a live,

double A double is a look-alike or doppelgänger; one person or being that resembles another. Double, The Double or Dubble may also refer to: Film and television * Double (filmmaking), someone who substitutes for the credited actor of a character * ...

CD, ''

1200 Curfews ''1200 Curfews'' is a live album by the Indigo Girls, released in 1995. Most of the recordings come from their 1994-95 tour to support the Swamp Ophelia album; seven are from the 1992-93 tour to support the album Rites of Passage. The liner not ...

''. '' Shaming of the Sun'' was released in 1997 followed by '' Come on Now Social'' in 1999. ''Shaming of the Sun'' debuted at number seven on the Billboard charts, driven by the duo's contribution to the Lilith Fair music festival tour. The track "Shame on You" received more airplay on

adult alternative An adult is a human or other animal that has reached full growth. In human context, the term ''adult'' has meanings associated with social and legal concepts. In contrast to a " minor", a legal adult is a person who has attained the age of major ...

, top 40 and adult top 40 radio stations than any of their previous singles, although this seemed to be a peak in their crossover success. ''Retrospective'', a compilation album with two new tracks, was released in 2000 and '' Become You'' followed two years later. Their last Epic studio album was ''

All That We Let In ''All That We Let In'' is the ninth studio album by the Indigo Girls, released in 2004. The cover art is by alternative comics artist Jaime Hernandez of '' Love and Rockets'' fame. The album was released in two versions: a single-disc, audio-only ...

'', released in 2004 with an accompanying tour. On June 14, 2005, they released ''Rarities'', a collection of B-sides and rare tracks partially decided by fans' input, which fulfilled the album count obligation for their contract with Epic.

Hollywood Records (2006–07)

After departing Epic, the Indigo Girls signed a five-record deal with Hollywood Records. Their first (and only) Hollywood album, ''

Despite Our Differences ''Despite Our Differences'' is the tenth studio album by the Indigo Girls, released in 2006. The title is drawn from third track, "I Believe in Love" (I still believe despite our differences that what we have's enough/And I believe in you and I be ...

'', produced by Mitchell Froom, was released on September 19, 2006. John Metzger from ''MusicBox Online'' described ''Despite our Differences'' as "the most infectious, pop-infused set that the duo ever has managed to concoct. In fact, its melodies, harmonies, and arrangements are so ingratiating that the album carries the weight of an instant classic." Thom Jurek from ''

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Music ...

'' wrote: "part of an emotional journey as complete as can be. More relevant than anyone dared expect. It's accessible and moving and true. It's their own brand of rock & roll, hewn from over the years, that bears a signature that is now indelible. A moving, and utterly poetic offering." After releasing ''Despite Our Differences'', the Indigo Girls' contract was terminated by Hollywood Records during their 2007 tour.

Independent work (2007–present)

Following their break with Hollywood Records, the Indigo Girls announced their next record would be released independently. ''

Poseidon and the Bitter Bug ''Poseidon and the Bitter Bug'' is the 11th studio album by Indigo Girls, released on March 24, 2009 by Vanguard Records. The title is drawn from lines in tracks "Fleet of Hope" and "Second Time Around" – "You're all washed up when Poseid ...

'' was released on March 24, 2009, from IG Recordings, the Indigo Girls' label, and distributed through Vanguard Records. This album is their first fully independent release since 1987's ''Strange Fire'', and their first two-CD set since 1995's live album ''1200 Curfews''; the first disc has the 10 tracks accompanied by a backing band, and the second includes the same 10 songs with only Ray and Saliers on vocals and acoustic guitars, and an additional track. On June 29, 2010 Indigo Girls' second full-length live album, ''Staring Down the Brilliant Dream'', was released on IG Recordings/Vanguard Records. This was followed on October 12, 2010 with their first holiday album ''Holly Happy Days''. Indigo Girls' thirteenth studio album, ''

Beauty Queen Sister ''Beauty Queen Sister'' is the 13th studio album by Indigo Girls, released on October 4, 2011 on Vanguard Records. Track listing #"Share the Moon" – 3:34 #"John" – 4:22 #"Beauty Queen Sister" – 3:11 #"We Get to Feel It All" – 3:32 #"War R ...

'', was released on October 4, 2011, and their fourteenth studio album, '' One Lost Day'', was released on June 2, 2015 (both on IG Recordings/Vanguard Records). Beginning in 2017, the Indigo Girls have toured the United States performing their music arranged for symphony orchestra. After more than fifty performances, in 2018 they released a live double album entitled '' Indigo Girls Live with the University of Colorado Symphony Orchestra''. In 2020, they followed this with the studio album ''

Look Long ''Look Long'' is the fifteenth studio album by American folk rock duo Indigo Girls. The album was originally due to be released on April 24, 2020, but was delayed until May 22, 2020. The album has had a positive reception from critics. Release a ...

''.

Songwriting

Ray and Saliers do not ordinarily collaborate in writing songs. They write separately and work out the arrangements together. There are a few exceptions, mostly unreleased songs from their early, pre-Epic days: "I Don't Know Your Name" and "If You Live Like That." "Blood Quantum", which appears on ''Honor: A Benefit for the Honor the Earth Campaign'' featured Ray's verses and chorus and Saliers's bridge. Finally, "I'll Give You My Skin", which appears both on ''

Tame Yourself ''Tame Yourself'' was an album released by Rhino Records on April 30, 1991, to benefit PETA. The album debuted at #184 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and peaked at #165 during its 3rd week on the chart. Track listing #"Don't Be Part of It" - Howard ...

'' (a benefit album for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) and on the Indigo Girls release ''Rarities,'' is a collaborative work by Ray, Saliers, and Michael Stipe which is doubly rare, as Saliers and Ray usually write their songs without outside collaborators. In September 2020, the Indigo Girls released "Long Ride", the first song Ray and Saliers had written together in 30 years.

Touring band

The Indigo Girls have toured as a duo and with a band. In 1990, they toured with Atlanta band the Ellen James Society backing them; they have also toured with side players, with one distinct group from 1991 to 1998, a second from 1999 to 2006, and a third from 2012 onwards. ;First touring band * Budgie – drums (1992) * Gail Ann Dorsey – bass guitar (1994) * Sara Lee – bass guitar (1991–98) * Jerry Marotta – drums, percussion (1992–98) * Scarlet Rivera – violin (1992) * Jane Scarpantoni – cello (1992) ;Second touring band *

Brady Blade Brady L Blade Jr. (born 1965 in Shreveport, Louisiana) is an American rock, pop and country drummer, record producer and composer, who currently resides in Stockholm, Sweden. He is the son of Dorothy and Pastor Brady Blade Sr. (Pastor of the ...

– drums (2002–04) * Matt Chamberlain – drums (2006–2009) *

Blair Cunningham Blair Cunningham (born October 11, 1957, Memphis, Tennessee) is an American drummer who has played for many bands and artists including Denise LaSalle, Robert Johnson, the Detroit Emeralds, Frederick Knight, Echo & the Bunnymen, Haircut One ...

– drums (2000) * Caroline Dale – cello (1999) *Carol Isaacs – keyboards, accordion (1999–2007 and one show in Brighton) *

Clare Kenny Clare Kenny is a British musician who was a bassist for a number of artists and bands from the 1980s to the present day, including: * Amazulu * Shakespears Sister * Orange Juice * Coming up Roses * Indigo Girls * Sinéad O'Connor * Damien De ...

– bass guitar (1999–2007) *

Caroline Lavelle Caroline Lavelle is an English singer-songwriter and Cello, cellist who has created three solo albums and contributed vocals, music, and production help to many other artists and bands. Career Lavelle studied at the Royal College of Music in L ...

– cello (2000) *Matt Brubeck - cello, percussion, vocals (2000) * John Reynolds – drums (1999) *Julie Wolf – keyboards, accordion (2008–present) ;Third touring band *Jaron Pearlman – drums (2012–2016) *Benjamin Ryan Williams – bass (2012–2016) *Lyris Hung – violin (2012–present)

Solo projects

In 1990, Ray founded Daemon Records, which has signed

Magnapop Magnapop is an American rock band based in Atlanta, Georgia. Formed in 1989, the band has consistently included songwriting duo Linda Hopper as vocalist and Ruthie Morris on guitar. Magnapop first achieved recognition in the Benelux countries o ...

, Ellen James Society, New Mongrels, Kristen Hall,

Rose Polenzani Rose Polenzani (born March 7, 1975 in Waukesha, Wisconsin) is an American folk musician. She was raised in the Chicago area and attended Knox College (Illinois), Knox College before leaving to pursue a singing career. She is currently living in B ...

Girlyman Girlyman was an American folk-rock band formerly based in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, later based in Atlanta, Georgia. Its 2003 self-released debut album, ''Remember Who I Am'', sold 5,000 copies before it was re-released by Daemon Reco ...

, Athens Boys Choir, and James Hall among others. Ray has put out six solo albums, entitled '' Stag'', '' Prom'', ''

Live from Knoxville Live may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Live!'' (2007 film), 2007 American film * ''Live'' (2014 film), a 2014 Japanese film *'' ''Live'' (Apocalyptica DVD) Music *Live (band), American alternative rock band * List of albums ...

'', ''

Didn't It Feel Kinder Amy Elizabeth Ray (born April 12, 1964) is an American alto singer-songwriter and member of the contemporary folk duo Indigo Girls. She also pursues a solo career and has released six albums under her own name, and founded a record company, Daemo ...

'', ''Amy Ray: Live MVP'', ''Lung of Love'', ''Goodnight Tender'' and ''Holler'' through Daemon. She has toured with both The Butchies and her bands The Volunteers and the Amy Ray Band. Saliers also released a solo album, ''Murmuration Nation'', in 2017, and was a founding co-owner of Watershed Restaurant in

. She sold Watershed in 2018. Saliers was an initial investor in the Flying Biscuit Cafe in Atlanta, Georgia. In 2005, Saliers and her father, Don Saliers, a theology professor at

Candler School of Theology Candler School of Theology is one of seven graduate schools at Emory University, located in metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia. A university-based school of theology, Candler educates ministers, scholars of religion and other leaders. It is also o ...

at Emory University, released the book ''A Song to Sing, a Life to Live: Reflections on Music as Spiritual Practice''. They promoted the release of the book together including several days of speaking and performing together at the Washington National Cathedral College in Washington D.C.

Appearances in other media

Ray and Saliers appeared in the latter half of the feature film '' Boys on the Side'', playing short excerpts from their songs "Joking" and "Southland in the Springtime," as well as singing "Feliz Cumpleaños" ( "Happy Birthday" in Spanish) with the gathered group of friends during the birthday cake scene, and standing on the far side of several shots over the next few scenes. Neither had any spoken lines. The duo also appear in the 2006 documentary ''

Wordplay Word play or wordplay (also: play-on-words) is a literary technique and a form of wit in which words used become the main subject of the work, primarily for the purpose of intended effect or amusement. Examples of word play include puns, phon ...

'', where they discuss their reaction to appearing in a ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

crossword puzzle A crossword is a word puzzle that usually takes the form of a square or a rectangular grid of white- and black-shaded squares. The goal is to fill the white squares with letters, forming words or phrases, by solving clues which lead to the ans ...

and then begin to solve one together. Ray and Saliers performed onstage in the 1994 revival of '' Jesus Christ Superstar'' in

, titled ''Jesus Christ Superstar: A Resurrection''. Ray played the role of Jesus and Saliers played the role of Mary Magdalene. They later reprised their roles in stagings of the musical in Austin, at the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival, and in

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region o ...

. They made several cameo appearances on the Ellen DeGeneres sitcom ''

Ellen Ellen is a female given name, a diminutive of Elizabeth, Eleanor, Elena and Helen. Ellen was the 609th most popular name in the U.S. and the 17th in Sweden in 2004. People named Ellen include: *Ellen Adarna (born 1988), Filipino actress * Elle ...

''. In the episode "Womyn Fest" Ellen and her friends are attending a feminist music festival and catch the end of a performance by the Indigo Girls. They are mentioned multiple times in the 1995 Stephen King novel ''Rose Madder'' as well as being mentioned in TV shows '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer'', '' Will and Grace'', '' South Park'', '' 30 Rock'', ''

The Office ''The Office'' is a mockumentary sitcom created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, first made in the United Kingdom, then Germany, and subsequently the United States. It has since been remade in ten other countries. The original ser ...

'', '' Squidbillies'', ''

The Big Bang Theory ''The Big Bang Theory'' is an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, both of whom served as executive producers on the series, along with Steven Molaro, all of whom also served as head writers. It premiered on CBS ...

'', ''

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves ...

'', Tig Notaro's special ''Happy To Be Here'', '' Harley Quinn'' and "Nip\Tuck". Posters of the Indigo Girls could be seen on the bedroom walls of Beth Jordache, played by Anna Friel, in the British TV soap Brookside in 1994 and on Neve Campbell's character, Sidney Prescott‘s, bedroom wall in the 1996 slasher film '' Scream''. Appeared in 2018 onstage with standup comedian Tig Notaro's show "Happy to be Here" at The Heights in Houston, Texas, as a closing bit, performing one song.

Personal lives

Both Ray and Saliers have long identified themselves as lesbians. Because of their engagements for

LGBT rights Rights affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender ( LGBT) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the death penalty for homosexuality. Notably, ...

, they are regarded as icons of the movement. Amy Ray currently lives in the foothills of North Georgia. She and her longtime partner, Carrie Schrader, have a daughter, Ozilline Graydon. Saliers married her longtime girlfriend, former Indigo Girls tour manager Tristin Chipman, at New York City Hall in 2013. Chipman, a Canadian, is from Calgary, "but she spent most of her adult life in Toronto," according to Saliers between songs when performing onstage in

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. ...

in 2013. The couple already had a daughter, Cleo, born in November 2012.

Political activism

The Indigo Girls have been politically active, championing the causes of and held benefit concerts for the environment, gay rights, the rights of Native Americans, and the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. For many years they incorporated a recycling and public outreach program into their road tours by including Greenpeace representative Stephanie Fairbanks in their road crew. They helped

Winona LaDuke Winona LaDuke (born August 18, 1959) is an American economist, environmentalist, writer and industrial hemp grower, known for her work on tribal land claims and preservation, as well as sustainable development. In 1996 and 2000, she ran for Vice ...

establish Honor the Earth, an organization dedicated to creating support and education for native environmental issues. After performing on the activist-oriented Spitfire Tour in 1999, Ray and Saliers joined forces with The Spitfire Agency to develop the Honor The Earth Tour, which visits colleges and Native communities, and raises money for their non-profit of the same name. Ray and Saliers have also appeared at the annual SOA Watch rallies, the

March for Women's Lives The March for Women's Lives was a protest demonstration held on April 25, 2004 at the National Mall in Washington, D. C. There was approximately 1.3 million participants. The demonstration was led by seven groups; National Organization for Wom ...

, and several other rallies and protests. In 2006 the Indigo Girls were featured in artist

Pink Pink is the color of a namesake flower that is a pale tint of red. It was first used as a color name in the late 17th century. According to surveys in Europe and the United States, pink is the color most often associated with charm, politeness, ...

's album '' I'm Not Dead'' in the song " Dear Mr. President", which Pink says is a political confrontation with George W. Bush about war, poverty, LGBT rights, abortion rights, and the No Child Left Behind Act. Returning the favor, Pink performed on the Indigo Girls' "Rock and Roll Heaven's Gate," which is about, among other things, sexism and heterosexism in the music industry. In June 2007 the Indigo Girls were part of the multi-artist

True Colors Tour 2007 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 ...

, on the tour's

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Veg ...

stop which benefited the Human Rights Campaign and other organizations that provide support to the

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 ...

community. The Indigo Girls performed again 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 an ...

. In April 2013, in response to criticism from transgender activists, the Indigo Girls issued a statement that they would play at the Michigan Womyn's Music Festival, but would protest the festival's "

womyn-born womyn Womyn-born womyn (WBW) is a term developed during second-wave feminism to designate women who were assigned female at birth, were raised as girls, and identify as women (or womyn, a deliberately alternative spelling that challenges the centeri ...

" policy from the stage, would donate any money received to trans activism, and would not return to the festival without "visible and concrete signs" that the policy would be changed. In November 2017, the Indigo Girls were nominated to ''

Out Out may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Out'' (1957 film), a documentary short about the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 * ''Out'' (1982 film), an American film directed by Eli Hollander * ''Out'' (2002 film), a Japanese film ba ...

'' magazine's "OUT100" for 2017 in recognition of their work and their visibility. The Indigo Girls are also members of the Canadian charity Artists Against Racism and have worked with them on awareness campaigns.

Discography

Studio albums

Live albums

*''Perfect World'' was released as a promo CD maxi single on March 1, 2004 together with 3 live tracks.

Compilations

Singles

Other contributions

* '' Deadicated'' (1991), covering "

Uncle John's Band "Uncle John's Band" is a song by the Grateful Dead that first appeared in their concert setlists in late 1969. The band recorded it for their 1970 album '' Workingman's Dead''. Written by guitarist Jerry Garcia and lyricist Robert Hunter, "Unc ...

" *''Put On Your Green Shoes'' (1993) – "Wild Wild Party In The Loquat Tree" *

Joan Baez Joan Chandos Baez (; born January 9, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. Her contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest and social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 60 years, releasing more ...

– '' Ring Them Bells'' (1995) – " Don't Think Twice" *'' Sweet Relief II: Gravity of the Situation'' (1996) – "Free of Hope" *'' Burning London: The Clash Tribute'' (1999) – "Clampdown" *''107.1 KGSR Radio Austin – Broadcasts Vol. 10'' (2002) – "Moment of Forgiveness" *''WYEP Live and Direct: Volume 4 – On Air Performances'' (2002) – "Become You" *

– '' I'm Not Dead'' (2006) – " Dear Mr President" *

Anne Murray Morna Anne Murray (born June 20, 1945) is a retired Canadian singer. Her albums, consisting primarily of pop, country, and adult contemporary music, have sold over 55 million copies worldwide during her over 40-year career. Murray was the fir ...

– '' Anne Murray Duets: Friends & Legends'' (2007) – "A Little Good News" * Brandi Carlile – '' The Story'' (2007) – "Cannonball" *'' Metro: The Official Bootleg Series, Volume 1'' (2010) * ''Where Have All the Flowers Gone: A Tribute to Pete Seeger,'' covering "Letter to Eve" * '' Looking Into You: A Tribute to Jackson Browne'' (2014) covering "Fountain Of Sorrow" *

"75th Birthday Celebration" (2016) "The Water is Wide", "Don't Think Twice"

Live recording circulation

Indigo Girls allow fans to tape their shows, and appropriately gathered recordings can be traded, obtained for free from a number of sources.

Awards and nominations

Americana Music Honors & Awards !Ref , - , 2022 , Spirit of Americana/Free Speech Award , Indigo Girls , , Women Songwriters Hall of Fame Pell Awards , - , 2019 , ''Indigo Girls'' , Pell Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts , GLAAD Media Awards , - , 2003 , '' Become You'' , Outstanding Music Album , Grammy Awards , - , rowspan="2",

1990 File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of humanity on Earth, astrophysicis ...

, Themselves , Best New Artist , , - , '' Indigo Girls'' , rowspan="2",

Best Contemporary Folk Recording The Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album was awarded from 1987 to 2011. Until 1991 the award was known as the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Recording. In 2007, this category was renamed Best Contemporary Folk/Americana Album. As ...

, , - , 1991 , "Hammer and a Nail" , , - , 1992 , '' Back on the Bus, Y'all'' , rowspan="4",

, , - , 1993 , '' Rites of Passage'' , , - , 1995 , ''

'' , , - , 1998 , '' Shaming of the Sun'' , Pollstar Concert Industry Awards !Ref. , - , 1990 , ''Tour'' , Club Tour of the Year , ,

References

External links

* * {{Authority control American folk musical groups Epic Records artists Feminist musicians Grammy Award winners Hollywood Records artists Lesbian artists American lesbian musicians LGBT-themed musical groups LGBT singers from the United States LGBT songwriters Musical groups from Atlanta Vanguard Records artists All-female bands Musical groups established in 1985 LGBT culture in Atlanta Rounder Records artists 1985 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state) Female musical duos American musical duos Folk rock duos 20th-century LGBT people 21st-century LGBT people