Gossip (or The Gossip) 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 formed in

Searcy, Arkansas Searcy ( ) is the largest city and county seat of White County, Arkansas, United States. According to 2019 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 23,767. It is the principal city of the Searcy, AR Micropolitan Statistical Are ...

, originally active from 1999 until 2016. For most of their career, the band consisted of singer Beth Ditto, multi-instrumentalist Brace Paine, and drummer

Hannah Blilie Hannah Blilie is the drummer of the American R&B band Chanti Darling and formerly Gossip and Shoplifting. She has also performed with Sarah Dougher, Chromatics, Stiletto, Mr Yuk, The Lumpies, Vade, The Vogue, and Soiled Doves. Her twin broth ...

. After releasing several recordings, the band broke through with their 2006 studio album, ''

Standing in the Way of Control ''Standing in the Way of Control'' is the third studio album by American indie rock band Gossip, which was released on January 24, 2006. The album was produced by Guy Picciotto and Ryan Hadlock It reached number 1 on the UK indie chart and also ...

''. A follow-up, '' Music for Men'', was released in 2009. The band played a mix of

post-punk revival Post-punk revival (also known as garage rock revival,J. Stuessy and S. D. Lipscomb, ''Rock and roll: its History and Stylistic Development'' (London: Pearson Prentice Hall, 5th edn., 2006), , p. 451. new wave revival,. and new rock revolution) is ...

, and

dance-rock Dance-rock is a dance-infused genre of rock music. It is a post-disco genre connected with pop rock and post-punk with fewer rhythm and blues influences. It originated in the early 1980s, following the decline in popularity of both punk and dis ...

. Their last album, '' A Joyful Noise'', was released in May 2012.

History

Formation and early history

Gossip was formed in 1999 in

Olympia, Washington Olympia is the capital of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat and largest city of Thurston County. It is southwest of the state's most populous city, Seattle, and is a cultural center of the southern Puget Sound region. Europea ...

, by vocalist Beth Ditto, guitarist Nathan "Brace Paine" Howdeshell, and drummer Kathy Mendonça. All three were originally from

; Mendonça moved to Olympia to attend

Evergreen State College The Evergreen State College is a public liberal arts college in Olympia, Washington. Founded in 1967, it offers a non-traditional undergraduate curriculum in which students have the option to design their own study towards a degree or follow a p ...

and Howdeshell and Ditto followed. Howdeshell and Mendonça had been in bands together in Arkansas. Gossip coalesced when the three members were roommates in Olympia. In 1999, the

independent record label An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels and artists are often represented ...

K Records K Records is an independent record label in Olympia, Washington founded in 1982. Artists on the label included early releases by Beck, Modest Mouse and Built to Spill. The record label has been called "key to the development of independent mus ...

released Gossip's first recording, their debut EP ''The Gossip'', to coincide with the band's tour with

Sleater-Kinney Sleater-Kinney ( ) is an American rock band that formed in Olympia, Washington, in 1994. The band's current lineup features Corin Tucker (vocals and guitar) and Carrie Brownstein (guitar and vocals), following the departure of longtime memb ...

. Gossip played at the first Ladyfest in Olympia in August 2000 and was included in ''

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, t ...

'' magazine's article on the festival. Their next record was the debut studio album '' That's Not What I Heard'', released by the label

Kill Rock Stars Kill Rock Stars is an independent record label founded in 1991 by Slim Moon and Tinuviel Sampson, and based in both Olympia, Washington, and Portland, Oregon. The label has released a variety of work in different genres, but was originally know ...

on January 23, 2001. They followed it with the EP ''Arkansas Heat'' on May 7, 2002. '' Movement'', their second studio album, was released on May 6, 2003. In November 2003, two months after the release of their first live album '' Undead in NYC'' on September 9, drummer Kathy Mendonça left the band to pursue a career as a

midwife A midwife is a health professional who cares for mothers and newborns around childbirth, a specialization known as midwifery. The education and training for a midwife concentrates extensively on the care of women throughout their lifespan; ...

. Established punk drummer

joined to replace her. The band then dropped "The" from their name, continuing as plain "Gossip". The first release featuring new drummer Hannah Blilie was the band's next album, ''

''. It was released on January 24, 2006, on Kill Rock Stars and later in 2006 on UK independent label Back Yard Recordings. The record was produced by Ryan Hadlock, owner of Bear Creek Studio, and

Fugazi Fugazi (; ) is an American post-hardcore band that formed in Washington, D.C., in 1986. The band consists of guitarists and vocalists Ian MacKaye and Guy Picciotto, bassist Joe Lally, and drummer Brendan Canty. They are noted for their style-tr ...

singer/guitarist Guy Picciotto.

2007–2011: Mainstream success and moving to a major label

The album ''Standing in the Way of Control'' has earned Gold Record Status in the UK. Gossip's first UK TV appearance was on BBC1's ''

Friday Night With Jonathan Ross ''Friday Night with Jonathan Ross'' is a British chat show presented by Jonathan Ross and broadcast on BBC One between 2001 and 2010. The programme features Ross' take on current topics of conversation, guest interviews (usually three per show ...

'', where they performed the title track "

". As reported on ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to ...

'' in March 2007, the group signed to Music With a Twist, a subsidiary of Sony Music Label Group, concentrating on

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 i ...

music acts. During the summer of 2007, Gossip was a part of the multi-artist True Colors Tour 2007, which traveled through 15 cities in the United States and Canada. Hosted by comedian

Margaret Cho Margaret Moran Cho (born December 5, 1968) is an American comedian, actress, LGBT social activist, and musician. She is known for her stand-up routines, through which she critiques social and political problems, especially regarding race and se ...

and headlined by

Cyndi Lauper Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper Thornton (born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and activist. Her career has spanned over 40 years. Her album '' She's So Unusual'' (1983) was the first debut album by a female artist to ach ...

, the tour also included

Debbie Harry Deborah Ann Harry (born Angela Trimble; July 1, 1945) is an American singer, songwriter and actress, best known as the lead vocalist of the band Blondie. Four of her songs with the band reached on the US charts between 1979 and 1981. Born in ...

, Erasure,

Rufus Wainwright Rufus McGarrigle Wainwright (born July 22, 1973) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter, and composer. He has recorded 10 studio albums and numerous tracks on compilations and film soundtracks. He has also written two classical operas and se ...

The Dresden Dolls The Dresden Dolls are an American musical duo from Boston, Massachusetts. Formed in 2000, the group consists of Amanda Palmer (lead vocals and piano; additional: keyboards, harmonica, ukulele) and Brian Viglione (drums and backing vocals; ad ...

The MisShapes The Misshapes are a New York City-based DJ duo composed of DJs Leigh Lezark, and Geordon Nicol. Previously the group consisted of Leigh Lezark, Geordon Nicol and Greg Krelenstein. Group history Night club years, 2003–2008 Leigh Lezark met ...

The Cliks ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in ...

, and special guests. Profits from the tour went to benefit the

Human Rights Campaign The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is an American LGBTQ advocacy group. It is the largest LGBTQ political lobbying organization within the United States. Based in Washington, D.C., the organization focuses on protecting and expanding rights for LGB ...

. Gossip is based in

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

Oregon Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idah ...

and has played with bands such as

, Le Tigre, CSS,

Erase Errata Erase Errata was a band from San Francisco, California. The group favored improvisation as a compositional tool and each of their performances were a unique manifestation of established songs. History Erase Errata formed in Oakland, California ...

Mika Miko Mika Miko was an American band formed in 2003 in Los Angeles, California. In 2004, they gained local popularity for their frenetic live performances. Featuring Victor Fandgore (Jennifer Clavin), Jet Blanca (Jenna Thornhill), Michelle Suarez, Jes ...

, Panther, Comanechi, and Mates of State. They also opened for

Scissor Sisters Scissor Sisters were an American pop rock band formed in 2001. Its members include Jake Shears and Ana Matronic as vocalists, Babydaddy as multi-instrumentalist, Del Marquis as lead guitar/bassist, and Randy Real (who replaced Paddy Boom) ...

on three dates of their November 2006 tour. On June 24, 2007, Gossip closed the

Glastonbury Festival Glastonbury Festival (formally Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts and known colloquially as Glasto) is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts that takes place in Pilton, Somerset, England. In addition to contempo ...

, playing the final set on the John Peel stage during which Ditto gave a tribute to the late

John Peel John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey (DJ) and radio presenter. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly fr ...

. The band also performed the following year, on the Pyramid Stage. Gossip launched their ''Live in Liverpool'' album in the UK and the U.S. in April 2008. The album was produced by

Rick Rubin Frederick Jay Rubin (; born March 10, 1963) is an American record producer. He is the co-founder (alongside Russell Simmons) of Def Jam Recordings, founder of American Recordings, and former co-president of Columbia Records. Rubin helped popu ...

and also features a DVD of their live performance. A new studio album called '' Music For Men'' was released in June 2009. The first single from the album, " Heavy Cross", was especially successful in Germany where it was certified triple gold for selling over 450,000 copies, and was mentioned as the "most successful internationally produced single" of all time in September 2010. In January 2011 the single broke the German record for the longest-selling track in chart history. By January 14, 2011, it had spent 82 consecutive weeks on the German Top 100.

2012–2016: ''A Joyful Noise'', split

On March 12, 2012, the band's comeback single, " Perfect World", was unveiled on

Zane Lowe Alexander Zane Reid Lowe (born 7 August 1973) is a New Zealand radio DJ, live DJ, record producer, and television presenter. After an early career in music creation, production and DJing, he moved to the UK in 1997. He came to prominence thro ...

BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...

show. Their fifth studio album, '' A Joyful Noise'', produced by

Xenomania Xenomania is an English songwriting and production team founded by Brian Higgins and based in Kent, England. Formed by Higgins with his Creative Director Miranda Cooper and Business Director Sarah Stennett of First Access Entertainment, Xenom ...

's Brian Higgins, was released in late May. The band's music had evolved and become poppier. Andy Gill, writing in ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publishe ...

'', welcomed the result, whereas ''Pitchfork'' review was more negative. A second single, " Move in the Right Direction", was issued in May. During the summer, the band headlined various festivals. In an interview with ''Pitchfork'' in February 2016, Ditto confirmed the split of Gossip. She stated that she intended to focus on her clothing line and music as a solo artist.

2019–2020: Tenth anniversary tour

In March 2019, Ditto announced the band's return with a show in late July 2019 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of ''Music for Men''. This later expanded into a world tour. The band played their final show of the tour at Rote Fabrik in Zurich, Switzerland on August 19, 2019. In October 2020, Ditto shared a photo to her Instagram page of herself with Paine and Mendonça in the studio together. , however, no recordings have been shared from this session.

Musical style

The band's style has been described as "a soul or gospel" voice with "a sort of funky punk soundtrack". Members of Gossip have stated a liking for rock bands like

Birthday Party A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will often feature ...

Siouxsie and the Banshees Siouxsie and the Banshees were a British Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1976 by vocalist Siouxsie Sioux and bass guitarist Steven Severin. They have been widely influential, both over their contemporaries and with later acts. Q (maga ...

,Fitzmaurice, Larry
"Gossip Q&A"
. Spin.com. April 28, 2009. Q&A: Gossip. Excerpt: "What bands influenced the new album's sound? Everything from the Birthday Party to house music and Siouxsie and the Banshees."Videtti, Giuseppe

''repubblica.it''. March 26, 2011. Retrieved July 13, 2012. "At 18 I discovered Nirvana, Pearl Jam, The Raincoats and Siouxsie and the Banshees. The mainstream"

Nirvana ( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lamp Richard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colombo. ...

, and

The Raincoats The Raincoats are a British experimental post-punk band. Ana da Silva (vocals, guitar) and Gina Birch (vocals, bass) formed the group in 1977 while they were students at Hornsey College of Art in London. Signed to the label Rough Trade, th ...

, but also for other genres such as dance and hip hop.

Band members

Final lineup

* Beth Ditto – vocals, piano (1999–2016, 2019–2020) * Nathan "Brace Paine" Howdeshell – guitar, bass, keyboards (1999–2016, 2019–2020) *

– drums (2004–2016, 2019)

Former members

* Kathy Mendonça – drums (1999–2003, 2020)

Touring musicians

* Christopher Sutton – bass (2009–2013, 2019–2020) * Gregg Foreman – keyboards (2012–2013, 2019–2020)

Discography

* '' That's Not What I Heard'' (2001) * '' Movement'' (2003) * ''

'' (2006) * '' Music for Men'' (2009) * '' A Joyful Noise'' (2012)

Awards

* 2010: nominated for a

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 l ...

for "Outstanding Music Artist" for their album ''Music for Men'' during the 21st GLAAD Media Awards. * June 18, 2012, the single "Move in the Right Direction" was named BBC Radio 2's Record of The Week. ECHO Awards , - , rowspan="3" , 2010 , " Heavy Cross" , Best International Hit , , - , rowspan="3" , Themselves , Best International Newcomer , , - , rowspan="2" , Best International Group , , - , 2012 , Hungarian Music Awards , - , 2010 , '' Music for Men'' , rowspan="2", Alternative Music Album of the Year , , - , 2013 , '' A Joyful Noise'' , Mojo Awards , - , 2007 , "

" , Song of the Year , MTV Europe Music Awards , - ,

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

, Themselves , Best Alternative , PLUG Awards , - , 2007 , "

" , Song of the Year , Žebřík Music Awards !Ref. , - , 2009 , Themselves , Best International Discovery , ,

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gossip, The Dance-punk musical groups Beth Ditto Indie rock musical groups from Washington (state) Kill Rock Stars LGBT-themed musical groups Musical groups from Portland, Oregon Musical groups from Olympia, Washington Musical groups established in 1999 Musical groups disestablished in 2016 Musical groups reestablished in 2019 1999 establishments in Arkansas Female-fronted musical groups