Throwing Muses

Throwing Muses is a post-punk alternative rock band formed in 1981 in Newport, Rhode Island, that toured and recorded extensively until 1997, when its members began concentrating more on other projects. Originally fronted by two distinctiv

Throwing Muses is a post-punk alternative rock band formed in 1981 in Newport, Rhode Island, that toured and recorded extensively until 1997, when its members began concentrating more on other projects. Originally fronted by two distinctive lead singers, Kristin Hersh and Tanya Donelly, who both wrote the group's songs, Throwing Muses are known for performing music with shifting tempos, creative chord progressions, unorthodox song structures, and surreal lyrics. The group was set apart from other contemporary acts by Hersh's stark, candid writing style, which sometimes included startling insights about her life; Donelly's pop stylings and vocal harmonies; and Narcizo's unusual drumming techniques and eschewing of cymbals. Hallucinatory, febrile songs by Hersh at times touched on past bouts of mental illness, with chilling and moving results.

Hersh enlisted her stepsister, Donelly, to help form the group when they were in high school. The two served as guitarists, lead vocalists, and songwriters for the group, with longtime drummer David Narcizo present since nearly the beginning. The frequently cited story behind the group's name is that the original group, composed of women musicians, was named "The Muses," but when Narcizo joined a couple of years later, the group changed their name to "Throwing Muses." The name change occurred because the group felt it was not appropriate to name the band after Greek goddesses once a male musician was part of the lineup. Early recordings were made in 1983 but not released. The group self-released a set of demos in 1984, later known as "The Doghouse Cassette," garnering a number-one college radio hit, "Sinkhole," that year. A self-titled EP was also released in 1984 on their Blowing Fuses label. The demos came to the attention of Ivo Watts-Russell, who signed them to the 4AD label and released their untitled debut album in 1986.