Corin Tucker

Corin Lisa Tucker (born November 9, 1972) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist best known for her work with rock band Sleater-Kinney.[1][2] Tucker is also a member of the alternative rock supergroup Filthy Friends, and previously recorded with the indie rock group Heavens to Betsy and The Corin Tucker Band.[2][3]

Corin Tucker
Tucker performing live with Sleater-Kinney in London, 2015
Tucker performing live with Sleater-Kinney in London, 2015
Background information
Birth nameCorin Lisa Tucker
Born (1972-11-09) November 9, 1972
State College, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • musician
  • songwriter
  • producer
  • website developer
  • filmmaker
Instrument(s)
Labels

Entertainment Weekly writes, "Corin Tucker’s place in rock history is already set in stone, and her work in the riot grrrl era is pretty much peerless, thanks to the muscular guitar style, otherworldly wail, and knack for punchy, pounding three-minute blasts she brought to such great heights with riot queens Sleater-Kinney."[4] Rolling Stone called her “a punk-rock heroine."[5] In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked Tucker at number 155 on its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.[6]

Early life

Tucker was born in State College, Pennsylvania and spent her childhood in Grand Forks, North Dakota.[1][2][7] There, her father was a college professor and her mother was a medical technician.[2][7] Her father is also a folk singer and musician.[2][8] She began studying piano when she was twelve.[2] In high school in Eugene, Oregon, she was in a band with friends called This That.[2]

Tucker says she "grew up on the Beatles" but that "her mind was completely blown" when she heard R.E.M.'s album Murmur when she was eleven.[9] Her other musical influences include the Soundtrack from The Wizard of Oz, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts' I Love Rock 'N' Roll, The B52's, Pat Benatar's Get Nervous, Television's Marquee Moon, and Bikini Kill.[10][7] Her first concert was to see the band X in Eugene around 1987.[7]

In 1990, Tucker attended Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, where she studied film, political economy, and social change.[2] She was also exposed to the music scene in Olympia.[2] Tucker said, "I was 18 when I went to a show that Bratmobile and Bikini Kill played. It was February 14, 1991...It was the first time I'd seen feminism translated into an emotional language. …For young women to be doing that, basically teenagers on stage, to be taking that kind of stance, that kind of power, was blowing people's minds. And it totally blew my mind. I was like, 'O.K., that's it. That's it for me — I'm going in a band, right now.'"[2] The result was the band Heavens to Betsy.[2]

In her first year at Evergreen, Tucker made a documentary about women in music.[2] The documentary included footage of early shows by Bikini Kill and Bratmobile, and interviews with Beat Happening and Nirvana.[2] Tucker graduated from college in 1994.[2]

She says her role models are Maya Angelou, Nora Ephron, and Patti Smith.[7][8] As Tucker puts its, "Women who have had really long careers and done a lot of different things."[7]

Although she later relocated to Portland, Oregon, Tucker still describes herself as "a small-town girl" from Eugene.[11]

Career

Starting in 1991, Tucker has been a singer, guitarist, and songwriter in several rock bands.[8] In 1999, Esquire wrote that Tucker "has been the most interesting singer in pop music since 1991, when she first opened her mouth in public, in a two-woman drums-and-guitar punk band with the wonderful name of Heavens to Betsy."[12]

Tucker is usually the front person and lead singer. One reviewer noted, "Her voice is enormous, with a natural swing--the sort of swing that neither Tina Turner nor Mick Jagger has ever had, the ability to take a note and ring it like a bell in a tower."[12]

Heavens to Betsy
Main article: Heavens to Betsy

Tucker was a founding member of the influential riot grrrl band Heavens to Betsy along with Tracy Sawyer, a longtime friend from Eugene, Oregon.[2][13] Tucker played the first public show of her career when the band performed at the International Pop Underground Convention in August 1991.[14][15] Heavens to Betsy recorded a split single with Bratmobile, and several singles for independent record labels.[2] The band released a self-titled demo in 1992, the four-song 7" record These Monsters Are Real in 1992, the album Calculated in 1994, and the 7" four-song Direction in 1994.[13][2] The band broke up in 1994.[2] Rolling Stone wrote, "Heavens to Betsy [was] one of the standout acts connected to the riot-grrrl movement."[8]

Heartless Martin

Heartless Martin, was Tucker's "one-off collaboration" with Becca Albee of Excuse 17.[16] Heartless Martin released a five-song EP, Tonight.[16]

Sleater-Kinney
Main article: Sleater-Kinney

After Heavens to Betsy split in 1994, Tucker formed Sleater-Kinney with Excuse 17 member Carrie Brownstein and friend Lora McFarlane. Tucker wrote most of the lyrics, sang lead vocals, and played second guitar to Brownstein's lead, with the duo collaborating on music.[17][8] Janet Weiss eventually replaced McFarlane on drums.[12] In 1999, Esquire said Sleater-Kinney was "the best band in the world."[12] They released seven albums over eleven years before going on hiatus in 2006.[2] On August 12, 2006, the band played what was supposed to be their final show at Crystal Ballroom in Portland.[2] However, the band reunited and recorded No Cities to Love in 2015, followed by The Center Won't Hold in 2019, and Path of Wellness in 2021.[17][18][19]

Cadallaca
Main article: Cadallaca

While in Sleater-Kinney, Tucker worked on a side project, Cadallaca, with organist Sarah Dougher and drummer STS of The Lookers.[20][2][21] In 1998, Cadallaca released their first album Introducing Cadallaca.[20][21] They released an EP, Out West, on Kill Rock Stars in 2000.[21][2]

The Corin Tucker Band

In April 2010, Tucker announced she was recording a solo album for Kill Rock Stars.[22] Unwound's Sara Lund and Golden Bear's' Circus Lupus and Seth Lorinczi assisted Tucker with this project which was dubbed The Corin Tucker Band.[22][23] The album 1,000 Years was released on October 5, 2010, and was streamed via NPR.[24] The album's eleven songs were different from other Tucker projects—many of the songs were slower folk and Americana, and Tucker played acoustic guitar.[22][23][25] Tucker said the album is "definitely more of a middle-aged mom record, in a way. It's not a record that a young person would write... There's some sadness, some reinvention, some rebirth."[22] She sited post-punk acts like the English Beat, The Raincoats, The Slits, and Sinead O'Connor's The Lion and the Cobra as influences for 1,000 Years.[22] [25]

Most reviews of the album were positive.[26] Rolling Stone wrote, "She's not shredding the awesome vocal cords so much, but she gets fierce in other ways, trying on cellos and piano ballads. When she finally cranks it up Sleater-Kinney-style on 'Doubt,' it feels earned: a cry of self-determination, as inspiring as ever."[26] Pitchfork said, "This album's strengths—its intimacy, its containment, its subtlety—are not the qualities that made Sleater-Kinney great, but it would be ungenerous to dismiss this because it's not as thrilling, confrontational, or exuberant."[26] However, an Entertainment Weekly reviewer wrote that the album's songs "sound scrapbooked from other ’90s-centric acts (Liz Phair, Pavement) but never take on a form of their own."[27] The band toured on both U.S. coasts to support 1,000 Years, in addition to a few festival dates in other parts of the country.[22][24]

The Corin Tucker Band's second album, Kill My Blues, was released on September 18, 2012, and contained twelve songs.[4][28] In an interview, Tucker said, "For this record, we really bonded, the four of us, being on tour and playing music together, so in writing this record, we all worked together in the practice space, writing these songs and just enjoying the writing process and everything that came out of it."[5] The resulting songs cover "the finite nature of existence, the stalemate of our political climate, a moment in the transition from girlhood to womanhood…[and] love of different kinds."[5] This album also sounded more like a Sleater-Kinney album than 1,000 Years.[4] One reviewer wrote, "This album harks somewhat to the glory days of the Riot Grrrl Olympia scene of the late ’90s, but it’s by no means retrospective or reactionary."[29] However, another reviewer correctly predicted Kill My Blues "will inevitably go down as one of the most underrated albums of the year."[4] This album was also supported by a nationwide tour.[30]

Filthy Friends (Tucker and Buck), 2017

Filthy Friends
Main article: Filthy Friends

Alt-rock "supergroup" Filthy Friends is another side project for Tucker, with Tucker on lead vocals and R.E.M.'s Peter Buck on guitar, along with other musician friends rounding out the band.[3][31] The two met when Tucker's husband worked on a film project with R.E.M.[9] Formed in 2014, Filthy Friends has released two albums: Invitation (2017) and Emerald Valley (2019).[9][2] On both albums, Tucker wrote the majority of the lyrics to match Buck's music.[31]

On Emerald Valley, she played Buck's Fender Musicmaster guitar.[31] Tucker said, "It's a smaller-sized Fender guitar, and I love it. It's really different, and it makes me play differently in this band, because I usually play a Gibson Les Paul and I'm usually a rhythm guitar player, almost a bass player, in Sleater-Kinney."[31]

Other Projects

Tucker has worked on a variety of other musical projects. She sang back-up vocals on two of Peter Buck's solo albums, including Peter Buck (2013).[32][9] She sang a duet with Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam for the title track of John Doe's EP The Golden State in 2008.[33][2] She also provided vocals for the song "Hard Sun" on Vedder's soundtrack for the 2007 film Into the Wild.[2] In 2013, she covered the title track "Shine On," for the album released by The Jim Henson Company as part of the Fraggle Rock's 30th anniversary celebration.[34]

Tucker has also dabbled in television and film. She appeared in two episodes of bandmate Carrie Brownstein's television show Portlandia, portraying a member of the fictional band Echo Echo.[35][2][36] In addition, Portlandia was first filmed at Tucker's house and she was the camera crew.[7]

Tucker is in the following films portraying herself: The Punk Singer (2013), Burn to Shine 03: Portland, OR (2006), and Don't Need You: The Herstory of Riot Grrrl (2005), as well as an episode of the television show The L Word (2006) and the web series Sound Advice (2015).[37][38][39][40][41]

Personal life

Tucker previously identified as a lesbian, but now identifies as bisexual.[42][43][25] She came out to her family when she was nineteen years old.[44] She briefly dated bandmate Carrie Brownstein at the beginning of Sleater-Kinney in May 1994, a fact that was revealed to the world in a now-infamous Spin article.[2][44] Tucker called the article a "pain in the ass."[44] She said, "We weren't asked about our personal lives in the interview. We talked about things we thought were really important, and what they printed was that we dated. It just came out as being gossip."[44] Tucker wrote the Sleater-Kinney song "One More Hour" about her breakup with Brownstein.[45][46]

Tucker has been outspoken in her support of the pro-choice movement.[2][7] An ardent feminist, she believes it is more important than ever for women to fight for equality.[25] She also spoke against the Iraq War, despite offending audiences.[2] In her songs with Filthy Friends, she has protested deforestation, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and oil pipelines.[31]

She got her only tattoo when she was eighteen—it's the name “Heavens to Betsy” in cursive with a star on either side, on her ankle.[7]

Tucker married filmmaker Lance Bangs in June 2000 in Iceland.[2] They have a son, Marshall Tucker Bangs (born March 8, 2001), and a daughter, Glory Bangs (born 2008).[47][48][2] Marshall was premature and stayed in the hospital for a while.[2]

Outside of music, she is in web development and interactive media for a healthcare company.[7] In addition, she makes training and informational videos for the healthcare company.[7] She also designed and ran a website for her father's business.[23]

Gear list

Guitar

Pedal

Effects

Amplifier

Amplifier

Guitars

Effects

Microphone

Discography

Heartless Martin

Heavens to Betsy

Sleater-Kinney

Cadallaca

The Corin Tucker Band

Filthy Friends

See also

References
  1. Ray, Michael, ed. (December 1, 2012). Alternative, Country, Hip-Hop, Rap, and More: Music from the 1980s to Today. New York: Britannica Educational Publishing. p. 60. ISBN 978-1-61530-910-8.
  2. Lindsay, Cam (January 22, 2015). "Sleater-Kinney The Drama You've Been Craving". Exclaim!. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
  3. Cash, Andy (March 1, 2017). "Hear "Any Kind Of Crowd," A New Song From Sleater-Kinney/R.E.M. Supergroup Filthy Friends". SPIN. Retrieved January 23, 2022.
  4. Anderson, Kyle (2012). "Corin Tucker Band blasts through songs from new album 'Kill My Blues' in New York". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
  5. Martin, Erin Lyndal (November 13, 2012). "The Rumpus Interview with Corin Tucker". The Rumpus. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
  6. "The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time". Rolling Stone. January 1, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  7. Pelly, John (September 27, 2009). "Guest Lists: Corin Tucker | Features". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 9, 2012.
  8. McDonnell, Evelyn. 1997. “There’s a Riot Goin’ on.” Rolling Stone, no. 762 (June): 36. via EBSCO, accessed March 24, 2022.
  9. Singer, Matthew (August 15, 2017). "With Filthy Friends, Two of Portland's Most Celebrated Musicians Are Ready to Prove Themselves All Over Again". Willamette Week. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
  10. Breihan, Tom (July 29, 2010). "5-10-15-20: Corin Tucker". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 30, 2016.
  11. Williams, Kale (August 19, 2016). "Scientists, swimsuit models and a serial killer: Oregon's famous (and infamous) celebrities". The Oregonian / OregonLive. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
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  15. "WATCH: Riot Grrrl Retrospectives - 'Girl Night' at the 1991 International Pop Underground Convention". Museum of Pop Culture. May 28, 2020.
  16. Woolworth, Jenny. "Heartless Martin – Tonight". Jenny Woolworth's Radical Repository. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
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  18. "Sleater-Kinney Returns With Tenth Album 'Path of Wellness' Out 6/11". Glide Magazine. May 11, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
  19. Hermes, Will (August 14, 2019). "Sleater-Kinney's 'The Center Won't Hold' is a Vital Response to a Disconnected World". Rolling Stone.
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  24. Studarus, Laura (September 30, 2010). "The Corin Tucker Band Streams New Album Via NPR". Under the Radar magazine. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
  25. “Music by Girls to Watch.” 2011. Diva, no. 176 (January): 50. via EBSCO, accessed March 24, 2022.
  26. "Critic Reviews for 1,000 Years". Metacritic. Retrieved October 9, 2012.
  27. Pastorek, Whitney Pastorek (September 29, 2010). "1,000 Years". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
  28. Hilleary, Mike (June 18, 2012). "Corin Tucker Band Announce New LP". Under the Radar magazine. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
  29. Everhart, John (September 20, 2012). "Kill My Blues". Under the Radar mamgazine. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
  30. Hilleary, Mike (July 31, 2012). "Listen: Corin Tucker Band - "Neskowin"". Under the Radar magazine. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
  31. Millevoi, Nick (May 1, 2019). "Interview: Corin Tucker on the Making of Filthy Friends' New Record, "Emerald Valley"". Reverb.com. Archived from the original on June 6, 2019. Retrieved January 23, 2022.
  32. Richards, Will (June 5, 2019). "Filthy/Gorgeous: Filthy Friends". DIY. Archived from the original on June 5, 2019. Retrieved January 23, 2022.
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  36. Studarus, Laura (February 16, 2011). "Colin Meloy, James Mercer, and Corin Tucker Guest Star on "Portlandia"". Under the Radar magazine. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
  37. Pais, Matt (December 12, 2013). "'The Punk Singer' review: Limited assessment, unbridled voice". Redeye. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  38. "Burn to Shine, Vol. 3: Portland". TV Guide. June 15, 2005. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
  39. Don't need you : the herstory of riot grrrl. OCLC 263979395. Retrieved January 31, 2022 – via World Cat.
  40. Eckardt, Stephanie (December 23, 2018). "The L Word's Best Cameos, From Gloria Steinem to Snoop Dogg". W magazine. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
  41. Camp, Zoe (March 10, 2015). "'Saturday Night Lives Vanessa Bayer Gives Terrible Advice to Sleater-Kinney on "Sound Advice"". Pitchfork.
  42. Schmader, David. "1995 - Pullout - The Queer Issue - The Stranger, Seattle's Only Newspaper". Thestranger.com. Retrieved September 28, 2011.
  43. High, Hamilton (June 2005). "The Top 12 Hottest Female Guitarists Ever". Outside Left Music. outsideleft. Retrieved September 28, 2011.
  44. Wilson, Amy RaNae (1997). "Dig into Sleater-Kinney". Curve. 7 (2). Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved March 24, 2022 – via Way Back Machine.
  45. Under the Radar - Sleater-Kinney Last Show Archived November 12, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  46. "Record Bin: How Sleater-Kinney used punk rock to break social stereotypes on "Dig Me Out"". Nooga.com. September 23, 2017. Archived from the original on September 23, 2017. Retrieved September 23, 2017.
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  48. "Post: Q&A: Janet Weiss of Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks | Indianapolis, Indiana". Indy.com. Retrieved September 28, 2011.
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