- The Pierces
Infobox musical artist |
Name = The Pierces
Img_capt = Catherine (blonde hair) and Allison (black hair)
Background = group_or_band
Origin = Birmingham, Alabama
Genre =Adult Alternative Folk rock Pop rock
Years_active = 2000–Present
Label =Umvd Labels Universal Records (USA) Lizard King Records (USA)
URL = [http://www.thepiercesmusic.com Their official Home Page]
Major_members =Allison Pierce Catherine Pierce The Pierces are a
New York based music band. The principal members are sisters Catherine Pierce and Allison Pierce, who originally hail fromBirmingham, Alabama .Biography
Childhood
Born two years apart in Birmingham, Alabama the girls received a bohemian upbringing in their family of seven: They traveled frequently and received home-schooling. Their self-described hippie parents were both artistic: Their father played the guitar in various bands, while their mother was a painter. Exposed to music and arts at an early age, they grew up listening to
Joni Mitchell andSimon & Garfunkel . As kids, they were encouraged to explore their creative side and would perform at parties, weddings and churches. Allison started dancing at age three, and both sisters are accomplished ballerinas.Musical career
It was while they attended
Auburn University , that a friend sent a tape to a record company inNashville . This eventually resulted in their debut album "The Pierces" (2000). It featured folk harmonies and adult alternative songs. However, Allison in an interview, admits that the album "sort of got lost in the shuffle". [cite web | url=http://porticomag.com/dec04/whotoknow.html | publisher=Portico Birmingham | title=Who to know|accessdate=2007-07-07 ] All Music Guide attributes the poor reception to "no label support". [cite web | url=http://wm02.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:kxfrxqqkldde | publisher=All Music Guide | title=The Pierces Overview|accessdate=2007-08-24 ]On
August 10 , 2005, their second album was released titled "Light of the Moon" through Universal. The album was produced by Brian Sperber and featured 11 tracks that the girls either wrote or co-wrote. [cite web | url=http://www.popmatters.com/shorttakes/2005_03_06_archive.shtml | publisher=Pop Matters | title=Pop Matters Short Takes|accessdate=2007-08-24 ]Over the years, the girls have been compared to well-known artists like
The Roches ,Tori Amos ,Sarah McLachlan ,Shawn Colvin , theIndigo Girls andSheryl Crow .On
March 20 , 2007, their third album "Thirteen Tales of Love and Revenge " was released in the U.S. Produced byRoger Greenawalt (Nils Lofgren, Radish, Ben Kweller), the album has been well-reviewed, particularly for the single "Boring", which parodies celebrity socialites. The new album has a darker, edgier style, at times using such diverse instruments as an accordion, a calliope, bassoons, a sitar, violins, an autoharp, and a Hawaiian lap steel. It marks a definitive change in the direction of the band, which hitherto has been known as afolk rock band. [cite web | url=http://www.popmatters.com/pm/music/reviews/43771/the-pierces-thirteen-tales-of-love-and-revenge/ | publisher=Pop Matters | title=The Pierces: Thirteen Tales of Love and Revenge - PopMatters Music Review|accessdate=2007-08-24 ]In an interview with "Rolling Stone" after they were featured as a Rolling Stone Breaking Artist, they revealed that this album "felt like [their] last chance". As a result, they "just went for it, had fun". [cite web | url=http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2007/05/16/video-meet-rolling-stones-new-breaking-artist-the-pierces/ | publisher=Rolling Stone | title=VIDEO: Meet Rolling Stone’s New Breaking Artist, the Pierces|accessdate=2007-08-24 ]
On
December 5 , 2007, The Pierces appeared on the CW television series "Gossip Girl", playing their songs "Secret" and "Three Wishes". [ cite web| url=http://www.thepiercesmusic.com| publisher=The Pierces | title=The Pierces on Gossip Girl|accessdate=2007-12-06 ]On August 21, 2008, "Secret" by The Pierces appeared in a promo for Showtime show "Dexter". [http://bit.ly/dexterpromo2]
The band is expected to appear in the new album from
The All-American Rejects ,When The World Comes Down in the track, "Another Heart Calls".Members
* Allison Pierce: Lead vocals, backing vocals, harmony vocals, guitars, whistling, meowing
* Catherine Pierce: Lead vocals, backing vocals, harmony vocals, guitars, whistlingDiscography
tudio albums
"The Pierces" Released October 24, 2000
"Light of the Moon" Released January 25, 2005
"
Thirteen Tales of Love and Revenge " Released March 20, 2007****UNTITLED ALBUM*****RELEASED FALL 2008 TBASINGLES INCLUDE:
"I SHOT MY LOVER IN THE HEAD"
"TECHNOLOGY"
Singles
References
External links
* [http://www.thepiercesmusic.com Official site]
* [http://www.myspace.com/thepierces MySpace URL]
* [http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/14501410/meet_rolling_stones_latest_breaking_artist_the_pierces Rolling Stone feature article]
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