Amanda Palmer

Amanda MacKinnon Palmer (born April 30, 1976) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and performance artist who is the lead vocalist, pianist, and lyricist of the duo the Dresden Dolls. She performs as a solo artist and was also a member of the duo Evelyn Evelyn and the lead singer and songwriter of Amanda Palmer and the Grand Theft Orchestra. She has gained a cult fanbase and was one of the first musical artists to popularize the use of crowdfunding websites.

Early life and education

Amanda MacKinnon Palmer was born in the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, and grew up in Lexington, Massachusetts. Her father was a physicist and her mother was a computer programmer. Her parents divorced when she was one year old, and as a child she rarely saw her father. Palmer has described her parents as "middle-upper class".

She attended Lexington High School, where she was involved in the drama department, and later attended Wesleyan University where she studied theater and was a member of the Eclectic Society. In 1999, Palmer founded the Shadowbox Collective, a performance group devoted to street theatre and putting on theatrical shows (such as the 2002 play, ''Hotel Blanc'', which she directed).

Palmer graduated from Wesleyan University with a BA in 1998. Palmer spent several years busking as a living statue called the Eight Foot Bride in Cambridge, Massachusetts; Edinburgh; Berlin; Melbourne (where she met her future collaborator Jason Webley); and many other locations. She refers to her street performance work in the Dresden Dolls song "The Perfect Fit", as well as on the '' A is for Accident'' track "Glass Slipper".

Career

2000–2007: The Dresden Dolls and ''The Onion Cellar''

At a Halloween party in 2000, Palmer met the drummer Brian Viglione and afterwards they formed the Dresden Dolls. In an effort to expand the performance experience and interactivity, Palmer began inviting Lexington High School students to perform drama pieces at the Dresden Dolls' live shows. This evolved to the Dirty Business Brigade, a troupe of seasoned and new artists, performing at many gigs.

In 2002, after developing a cult following, the band recorded their debut album, '' The Dresden Dolls'', with producer Martin Bisi. They produced the album before signing with the label Roadrunner Records.

In 2006, '' The Dresden Dolls Companion''The Dresden Dolls Companion, by Amanda Palmer, eight foot music publishing, June 2006, was published, with words, music and artwork by Amanda Palmer. In it she has written a history of the album ''The Dresden Dolls'' and of the duo, as well as a partial autobiography. The book also contains the lyrics, sheet music, and notes on each song in the album, all written by Palmer, as well as a DVD with a 20-minute interview of Amanda about making the book.

Palmer conceived the musical/production '' The Onion Cellar'', based on a short story from ''The Tin Drum'' by Günter Grass. From December 9, 2006, through January 13, 2007, the Dresden Dolls performed the piece in conjunction with the American Repertory Theater at the Zero Arrow Theatre in Cambridge, Massachusetts. While Palmer was openly frustrated with the direction of the show, fan and critical reviews were very positive.

In June 2007, as part of the Dresden Dolls, she toured with the True Colors Tour 2007, including her debut in New York City's Radio City Music Hall, and her first review in ''The New York Times''.

Though the Dresden Dolls broke up in 2008, Palmer and Viglione have continued to collaborate, and have had several minor reunions under the band name in 2011, 2012, 2016, 2017, and 2018. In 2022, the Dresden Dolls reunited, and started work on a new album. In 2023, they toured the US.

2007–2010: ''Who Killed Amanda Palmer'', ''Evelyn Evelyn'', and theatrical work

In July 2007, Palmer played three sold-out shows (in Boston, Hoboken, and NYC) in a new "with band" format. Her backing band was Boston alternative rock group Aberdeen City, who also opened along with Dixie Dirt. In August 2007, Palmer traveled to perform in the Spiegeltent and other venues at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland, and also performed on BBC Two's ''The Edinburgh Show''. She collaborated with Australian theater company the Danger Ensemble; both again appeared at the Spiegeltent in Melbourne and at other venues around Australia in December 2007.

In September 2007, Palmer collaborated with Jason Webley to launch the new project Evelyn Evelyn with the EP '' Elephant Elephant''. In the project, the duo play conjoined twin sisters named Eva and Lyn, and through their music tell their fictional backstory.

In July 2008, the Dresden Dolls released a second book, the ''Virginia Companion'', a follow-up to ''The Dresden Dolls Companion'', featuring the music and lyrics from the '' Yes, Virginia...''(2006) and '' No, Virginia...'' (2008) albums, produced by Sean Slade and Paul Kolderie.

In June 2008, Palmer established her solo career with two well-received performances with the Boston Pops.

Her first solo studio album, '' Who Killed Amanda Palmer'', was released on September 16, 2008. Ben Folds produced and also played on the album. The title is a play on an expression used by fans during ''Twin Peaks'' original run, "Who killed Laura Palmer?" A companion book of photos of Palmer looking as if she were murdered was released in July 2009. Titled ''Who Killed Amanda Palmer a Collection of Photographic Evidence'', it featured photography by Kyle Cassidy and stories by Neil Gaiman, as well as lyrics from the album.

In late 2008, she toured Europe with Jason Webley, Zoë Keating and The Danger Ensemble, performing songs mostly from her debut solo album. She did most of the shows with a broken foot she had sustained in Belfast, Northern Ireland when a car ran over her foot as she stepped out into a street. In April 2009, she played at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

In 2009, Palmer went back to her alma mater, Lexington High School in Massachusetts, to collaborate with her old director and mentor Steven Bogart on a workshop piece for the department's spring production. The play, ''With The Needle That Sings In Her Heart'', was inspired by Neutral Milk Hotel's album '' In the Aeroplane Over the Sea'' and '' The Diary of Anne Frank''. NPR's Avishay Artsy interviewed the cast on All Things Considered.

In 2010, Palmer returned to the A.R.T. for a two-month run of ''Cabaret'', starring as the Emcee. The same year the Dresden Dolls reunited for a United States tour starting on Halloween in New York City and ending in San Francisco on New Year's Eve. On March 30, 2010, Palmer and Webley released their debut self-titled album as Evelyn Evelyn. This was accompanied by a worldwide tour and graphic novel based on the story of the sisters.

Palmer began using the ukulele during a concert as a goof, but soon it became a regular part of her repertoire. Later, she recorded a full album with ukulele accompaniment: ''Amanda Palmer Performs the Popular Hits of Radiohead on Her Magical Ukulele''.

2012–2014: ''Theatre Is Evil'' and ''The Art of Asking''

On April 20, 2012, Palmer announced on her blog that she launched a new album pre-order on Kickstarter. The Kickstarter project was ultimately supported by 24,883 backers for a total of $1,192,793 — at the time, the most funds ever raised for a musical project on Kickstarter. A widely reported and commented upon controversy emerged from the related tour when Palmer blogged asking for "semi-professional" local musicians (fans who were already planning on attending various stops on the tour) to volunteer to play a couple of songs with her and her band, the Grand Theft Orchestra, during their live shows for "exposure, fun, beer and hugs" instead of money.

After outcry from various music unions and professional musicians, Palmer responded publicly and changed her policy to one of paying local musicians cash. The album, '' Theatre Is Evil'', was recorded with the Grand Theft Orchestra, produced by John Congleton, and released in September 2012. On November 9, 2012, Palmer released the music video for "Do it With a Rockstar" on The Flaming Lips' website. The video was co-created and directed by Wayne Coyne, the singer of the Flaming Lips. Subsequent videos were released for "The Killing Type" and "The Bed Song".

On August 9, 2013, Palmer made her Lincoln Center debut. In November 2014, Palmer released a memoir, '' The Art of Asking'', which expands on a TED talk she gave in February 2013. The book made the New York Times Best Seller list. The book also received several critical reviews, most notably from NPR.

2015–2018: ''You Got Me Singing'', ''I Can Spin a Rainbow'', and Patreon

On March 3, 2015, Amanda began soliciting financial support on the crowdfunding platform Patreon."Amanda Palmer answers to herself and her fans"
''Toronto Star'', November 11, 2016. Ben Rayner.
Palmer spoke at the 2015 Hay Festival about the prospect of reconciling art and motherhood. The talk was recorded for the BBC Radio 4 series ''Four Thought'' and broadcast on June 21, 2015. Also in 2015, she served as a judge for The 14th Annual Independent Music Awards. During the first months of 2016, she released the completely Patreon-funded song "Machete", and a David Bowie tribute EP, entitled ''Strung Out In Heaven: A Bowie String Quartet Tribute''. Palmer collaborated with her father, Jack Palmer, to record an album entitled ''You Got Me Singing''. They performed concerts in July 2016 in support of the album.

Amanda Palmer collaborated with Legendary Pink Dots frontman Edward Ka-Spel to record an album, '' I Can Spin a Rainbow''. The duo toured in May and June 2017 in support of the album, backed by Legendary Pink Dots' former violin player Patrick Q. Wright.

2019–present: ''There Will Be No Intermission'' and podcast

On March 8, 2019, Palmer released her third solo studio album and first in seven years, ''There Will Be No Intermission''. The album was promoted by an extensive world tour that was filmed for her patrons on Patreon.

In fall 2020, Palmer launched a podcast called ''The Art of Asking Everything''. On October 31, 2020, Palmer and Viglione performed " Science Fiction/Double Feature" to open the Wisconsin Democrats Livestream fundraiser that reunited some original '' Rocky Horror Picture Show'' cast members to act out the show with additional stars and singers.

Personal life

For more than a decade, Palmer lived in an independent artists' cooperative named the Cloud Club in Boston, Massachusetts.

Palmer has practiced yoga and meditation. In 2008, she wrote an article titled "Melody vs. Meditation" for the Buddhist publication '' Shambhala Sun'' (now known as 'Lion's Roar'), which described the struggle between songwriting and being able to clear the mind to meditate.

Palmer has said that she is bisexual, telling afterellen.com in 2007: "I'm bisexual, but it's not the sort of thing I spent a lot of time thinking about." She has spoken about her open relationships, and has commented on feminist issues.

Palmer has said that she once worked as a stripper under the name Berlin. She wrote the song "Berlin" about this experience.

Palmer has had three abortions, and her song "Voicemail for Jill" is about these experiences.

Palmer, then 33, and the British author Neil Gaiman, then 49, confirmed their engagement in 2010. The couple married in a private ceremony in January 2011. The wedding took place in the parlor of the writers Ayelet Waldman and Michael Chabon. The two had an open marriage, and encouraged one another to date and engage in sexual relationships, including with fans of their work. Palmer and Gaiman have a son, born in 2015.

In November 2022, Palmer and Gaiman announced in a joint statement that they would divorce.

Allegations of human trafficking

In January 2025, a ''Vulture'' article implicated Palmer as being complicit in the alleged sexual abuse by Gaiman of at least two women. When one, a former nanny, filed a police report in New Zealand, she said an officer told her that Palmer's cooperation was essential for the case; Palmer declined to speak with police. In February 2025, she was sued for alleged human trafficking, conspiracy to commit human trafficking, and negligence which was filed as a multi-state filing due to difficulty in determining her current state of residency. Palmer denied the allegations made against her.

Awards and honors

* 2025: She Rocks Awards – Vision Award from the Women's International Music Network
* 2012: Artist & Manager Awards – Pioneer Award
* 2012: Twitter Feed @amandapalmer in the ''Boston Phoenix''s Best 2012
* 2011: Actress in a local production: Cabaret – Boston's Best, ''Improper Bostonian''
* 2010: Artist of the Year – Boston Music Awards
* 2010: Cover of "Fake Plastic Trees" (Radiohead) named 13th of '' Paste'' magazine's 20 Best Cover Songs of 2010
* 2009: No. 100 on After Ellen's Hot 100 of 2009.
* 2008: No. 6 on the Best Solo artist list in ''The Guardian''s Readers' Poll of 2008.
* 2007: No. 6 on Spinner.com's "Women Who Rock Right Now".
* 2006: ''The Boston Globe'' named her the most stylish woman in Boston.
* 2006: Listed in '' Blender'' magazine's hottest women of rock.
* 2005: Best Female Vocalist in the WFNX/''Boston Phoenix'' Best Music Poll.

Discography

Solo studio albums

* '' Who Killed Amanda Palmer'' (2008)
* '' Theatre Is Evil'' (2012) (with The Grand Theft Orchestra)
* ''There Will Be No Intermission'' (2019)

Collaborative studio albums

* '' You Got Me Singing'' (2016) (with Jack Palmer)
* '' I Can Spin a Rainbow'' (2017) (with Edward Ka-Spel)
* '' Forty-Five Degrees - A Bushfire Charity Flash Record'' (2020) (with various artists)

Other albums

* '' Amanda Palmer Performs the Popular Hits of Radiohead on Her Magical Ukulele'' (2010)
* '' Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under'' (2011)
* ''An Evening With Neil Gaiman & Amanda Palmer'' (2013) (with Neil Gaiman)
* '' Piano Is Evil'' (2016)

Tours

* '' True Colors Tour'' (2007)
*Who Killed Amanda Palmer Tour (2008–2009)
*Amanda Palmer: Live in Australia (2010)
*Evelyn Evelyn Tour (2010)
*Dresden Dolls 10th Anniversary Tour (2010–2011)
*Amanda Palmer & The Grand Theft Orchestra: Theatre Is Evil Tour (2012)
*An Evening with Neil Gaiman & Amanda Palmer (2013)
*The Music of David Byrne & The Talking Heads (2014–2015)
*An Evening with Amanda Fucking Palmer (2015)
*The Art of Asking Book Tour (2015)
*You Got Me Singing Tour (with Jack Palmer) (2016)
*I Can Spin a Rainbow Tour (with Edward Ka-Spel) (2017)
*Dresden Dolls Reunion Tour (2017–2018)
* There Will Be No Intermission World Tour (2019–2020)
*An Evening with Amanda Palmer: New Zealand Tour (2020)

Filmography

Podcasts

''The Art of Asking Everything''

In fall 2020, Palmer announced she would be releasing a podcast called ''The Art of Asking Everything''.

Other

Bibliography

Some of the books written in full, or collaboratively, by Amanda Palmer:

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Palmer also has a chapter giving advice in Tim Ferriss' book '' Tools of Titans''.

See also

* List of TED speakers

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Palmer, Amanda
1976 births
21st-century American pianists
21st-century American women pianists
Living people
Alternative rock pianists
American alternative rock singers
American alternative rock musicians
American street performers
American people of Scottish descent
American rock pianists
American ukulele players
American women dramatists and playwrights
American women performance artists
Bisexual feminists
Bisexual singers
Bisexual songwriters
Bisexual dramatists and playwrights
Bisexual women musicians
Dark cabaret musicians
Evelyn Evelyn members
American women punk rock singers
American feminist musicians
LGBTQ people from Massachusetts
LGBTQ people from New York (state)
American LGBTQ rights activists
American LGBTQ singers
American LGBTQ songwriters
American LGBTQ dramatists and playwrights
Neil Gaiman
Musicians from Boston
Musicians from Lexington, Massachusetts
Singers from Massachusetts
Songwriters from Massachusetts
The Dresden Dolls members
Wesleyan University alumni
American women bloggers
American bloggers
Lexington High School (Massachusetts) alumni
20th-century American women singers
20th-century American singers
21st-century American women singers
Roadrunner Records artists
Cooking Vinyl artists
8in8 members
20th-century American LGBTQ people
21st-century American LGBTQ people
American women rock singers
LGBTQ women singers
Polyamorous people
American women folk singers