Kimberley Ann Deal (born June 10, 1961) is an American musician. She was the original bassist and co-vocalist in the
alternative rock
Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...
band the
Pixies Pixies may refer to:
* Plural of Pixie
* Pixies (band)
The Pixies are an American alternative rock band from Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1986 by Black Francis (vocals, rhythm guitar, songwriter), Joey Santiago (lead guitar), Kim ...
from 1986 to 1993 and again from 2004 to 2013. She is the frontwoman of
the Breeders
The Breeders are an American alternative rock band based in Dayton, Ohio, consisting of members Kim Deal (rhythm guitar, lead vocals), her twin sister Kelley Deal (lead guitar, vocals), Josephine Wiggs (bass guitar, vocals) and Jim Macpherson ( ...
, which she formed in 1989.
Deal joined the Pixies in January 1986, adopting the stage name Mrs. John Murphy for the albums ''
Come on Pilgrim
''Come On Pilgrim'' is the debut mini-album by the American alternative rock band Pixies, released on September 28, 1987, on 4AD. Produced by Gary Smith, the release consists of eight tracks from a seventeen-song recording session that the ...
'' and ''
Surfer Rosa
''Surfer Rosa'' is the debut studio album by the American alternative rock band Pixies, released in March 1988 on the British label 4AD. It was produced by Steve Albini. ''Surfer Rosa'' contains many of the elements of Pixies' earlier output, i ...
''. Following ''
Doolittle'' and the Pixies' hiatus, she formed the Breeders with
Tanya Donelly
Tanya Donelly (born July 14, 1966) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist based in New England. She came to prominence as a co-founder of the band Throwing Muses with her step-sister Kristin Hersh. Donelly went on to co-form the altern ...
of
Throwing Muses
Throwing Muses are an American alternative rock band formed in 1981 in Newport, Rhode Island, United States, that toured and recorded extensively until 1997, when its members began concentrating more on other projects.
The group was original ...
,
Josephine Wiggs
Miranda Cordelia Susan Josephine Wiggs (born 26 February 1965), simply known as Josephine Wiggs, is an English multi-instrumentalist rock musician, best known for her work as bassist in the alternative rock bands The Breeders and The Perfect D ...
of
the Perfect Disaster
The Perfect Disaster were an English alternative rock band from Bedfordshire/Hertfordshire, England, formed in 1980. They released four albums before splitting up in 1991. The only constant member was singer/guitarist Phil Parfitt.
History
Th ...
, and
Britt Walford
Britt Walford (born March 16, 1970) is an American musician best known for being the drummer, co-founder, and occasional guitarist for the post-rock band Slint.
Early life
Walford grew up in Louisville, Kentucky and attended the J. Graham Bro ...
of
Slint
Slint was an American Rock music, rock band from Louisville, Kentucky, Louisville, Kentucky, formed in 1986 after the dissolution of two local bands, Squirrel Bait and Maurice. It initially consisted of guitarist-vocalist Brian McMahan, guitaris ...
; following the band's debut album ''
Pod'', her twin sister
Kelley Deal
Kelley Deal (born June 10, 1961) is an American musician and singer. She has been the lead guitarist and co-vocalist of the alternative rock band The Breeders since 1992, and has formed her own side-projects with bands such as R. Ring and the Ke ...
replaced Donelly.
The Pixies broke up in early 1993, and Deal returned her focus to the Breeders, who released the
platinum
Platinum is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a density, dense, malleable, ductility, ductile, highly unreactive, precious metal, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name origina ...
-selling album ''
Last Splash
''Last Splash'' is the second album by American alternative rock band the Breeders, released on August 30, 1993. Originally formed as a side project for Pixies (band), Pixies bass guitar, bassist Kim Deal, the Breeders quickly became her primar ...
'' in 1993, featuring the popular single "
Cannonball
A round shot (also called solid shot or simply ball) is a solid spherical projectile without explosive charge, launched from a gun. Its diameter is slightly less than the bore of the barrel from which it is shot. A round shot fired from a lar ...
". In 1994, the Breeders went on hiatus after Kelley entered
drug rehabilitation
Drug rehabilitation is the process of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and street drugs such as cannabis, cocaine, heroin, and amphetamines. The general int ...
. During the band's hiatus, Deal adopted the stage name Tammy Ampersand and formed the short-lived rock band
the Amps
The Amps were an American alternative rock band formed by Kim Deal in 1995, while her band the Breeders went on hiatus. The group consisted of Deal, on lead vocals and rhythm guitar; Luis Lerma on bass; Nate Farley on lead guitar; and Jim Macp ...
, recording a single album, ''
Pacer'', in 1995. After her own stint in
drug rehabilitation
Drug rehabilitation is the process of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and street drugs such as cannabis, cocaine, heroin, and amphetamines. The general int ...
, Deal eventually reformed the Breeders with a new line-up for two more albums, ''
Title TK
''Title TK'' is the third studio album by American alternative rock band the Breeders, released on May 20 and 21, 2002 by 4AD in the United Kingdom and Elektra Records in the United States, and on May 10 by P-Vine Records in Japan. The album� ...
'' in 2002 and ''
Mountain Battles
''Mountain Battles'' is the fourth studio album by American band The Breeders. It was released in the United Kingdom on April 7, 2008, and in the United States on April 8, 2008. The album was gradually recorded in a number of different locales i ...
'' in 2008. She returned to the Pixies when the band reunited in 2004.
In 2013, Deal left the Pixies to concentrate on the Breeders, after that band's most famous line-up reunited for a new series of tours celebrating the 20th anniversary of ''
Last Splash
''Last Splash'' is the second album by American alternative rock band the Breeders, released on August 30, 1993. Originally formed as a side project for Pixies (band), Pixies bass guitar, bassist Kim Deal, the Breeders quickly became her primar ...
''. In 2018, the Breeders released their fifth album ''
All Nerve
''All Nerve'' is the fifth studio album by American alternative rock band the Breeders, released on March 2, 2018, 10 years after their previous album '' Mountain Battles''. A ''Stereogum'' article in June 2016 reported that the band was recordin ...
'', the first album to reunite the Deals, Wiggs, and Macpherson since ''Last Splash''. In 2024, Deal released her debut solo album, ''
Nobody Loves You More
''Nobody Loves You More'' is the debut solo album by the American musician Kim Deal. It was released on November 22, 2024, by 4AD, and promoted with the singles "Coast", "Crystal Breath", "A Good Time Pushed" and "Nobody Loves You More".
Backgr ...
''.
Early life
Deal was born in
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton () is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 137,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Dayton metro ...
, United States. Both her parents were from coal mining areas of
West Virginia
West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...
. Her father was a laser physicist who worked at the nearby
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) is a United States Air Force base and census-designated place just east of Dayton, Ohio, in Greene County, Ohio, Greene and Montgomery County, Ohio, Montgomery counties. It includes both Wright and Patte ...
. Kim and her identical twin sister
Kelley were introduced to music at a young age; the two sang to a "two-track, quarter-inch, tape" when they were "four or five" years old, and grew up listening to
hard rock
Hard rock or heavy rock is a heavier subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and Distortion (music), distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the Garage rock, garage, Psychedelic rock, psychedelic and blues ...
bands such as
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1973. Their music has been variously described as hard rock, blues rock and Heavy metal music, heavy metal, although the band calls it simply "rock and roll". They are cited as a formativ ...
and
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1968. The band comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist-keyboardist John Paul Jones (musician), John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham. With a he ...
. When Deal was 11, she learned
Roger Miller
Roger Dean Miller Sr. (January 2, 1936 – October 25, 1992) was an American singer-songwriter, widely known for his honky-tonk-influenced novelty songs and his chart-topping country hits " King of the Road", "Dang Me", and " England Swing ...
's "
King of the Road" on the acoustic guitar. Attending
Wayne High School in suburban
Huber Heights
Huber Heights is a city in Montgomery and Miami Counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. It is a suburb of Dayton. The population was 43,439 at the 2020 census. This was a 14% increase since the 2010 census, making it the largest growth in Montgomery ...
, she was a cheerleader and often got into conflicts with authority. "We were popular girls," according to Kelley. "We got good grades and played sports." Still, growing up in Dayton was "like living in Russia," according to Kim.
A friend of Kelley's living in California sent the Deals cassettes of artists such as
James Blood Ulmer
James "Blood" Ulmer (born February 8, 1940) is an American jazz, free funk and blues music, blues guitarist and singer. Ulmer plays a Gibson Byrdland guitar. His guitar sound has been described as "jagged" and "stinging". His singing has been ...
,
the Undertones
The Undertones are a rock band formed in Derry, Northern Ireland in 1974. From 1975 to 1983, the Undertones consisted of Feargal Sharkey (vocals), John O'Neill (rhythm guitar, vocals), Damian O'Neill (lead guitar, vocals), Michael Bradle ...
,
Elvis Costello
Declan Patrick MacManus (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, author and television host. According to ''Rolling Stone'', Costello "reinvigorated the literate, lyrical ...
,
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols are an English punk rock band formed in London in 1975. Although their initial career lasted just two and a half years, they became culturally influential in popular music. The band initiated the punk movement in the United Ki ...
and
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. Post-punk pioneers, they were widely influential, both over their contemporaries and later ...
. "These tapes were our most treasured possession, the only link with civilization," Kim later recalled.
As a teenager, she formed a
folk rock
Folk rock is a fusion genre of rock music with heavy influences from pop, English and American folk music. It arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music re ...
band with her sister. She then became a prolific songwriter, as she found it easier to write songs than cover them. Deal later commented on her songwriting output: "I got like a hundred songs when I was like 16, 17 ... The music is pretty good, but the lyrics are just like, OH MY GOD. We were just trying to figure out how blue rhymes with you. When I was writing them, they didn't have anything to do with who I was." The Deals bought microphones, an eight-track tape recorder, a mixer, speakers, and amps for a bedroom studio. According to Kelley, the two "had the whole thing set up by the time we were 17." They later bought a drum machine "so it would feel like we were more in a band."
Deal attended seven different colleges following high school, including
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one ...
, but did not graduate from any of them. She eventually earned an
associate degree
An associate degree or associate's degree is an undergraduate degree awarded after a course of post-secondary study lasting two to three years. It is a level of academic qualification above a high school diploma and below a bachelor's degree ...
in medical technology from
Kettering College
Kettering College (formerly Kettering College of Medical Arts) is a private Adventist college near Dayton, Ohio. The college is owned by the Kettering Medical Center and chartered by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The college was built in 19 ...
and took several jobs in
cellular biology
Cell biology (also cellular biology or cytology) is a branch of biology that studies the Anatomy, structure, Physiology, function, and behavior of cell (biology), cells. All living organisms are made of cells. A cell is the basic unit of life th ...
, including working in a hospital laboratory and a
biochemical
Biochemistry, or biological chemistry, is the study of chemical processes within and relating to living organisms. A sub-discipline of both chemistry and biology, biochemistry may be divided into three fields: structural biology, enzymology, ...
lab.
Musical career
The Pixies
Deal became the bassist and backing vocalist for the Pixies in January 1986, after answering an advertisement in the ''
Boston Phoenix
''The Phoenix'' (stylized as ''The Phœnix'') was the name of several alternative weekly periodicals published in the United States by Phoenix Media/Communications Group of Boston, Massachusetts, including the now defunct ''Boston Phoenix'', '' ...
'' that read, "Band seeks bassist into
Hüsker Dü
Hüsker Dü () was an American punk rock band formed in Saint Paul, Minnesota in 1979. The band's continuous members were guitarist/vocalist Bob Mould, bassist Greg Norton, and drummer/vocalist Grant Hart. They first gained notability as a hardc ...
and
Peter, Paul and Mary
Peter, Paul and Mary were an American Contemporary folk music, folk group formed in New York City in 1961 during the American folk music revival. The trio consisted of Peter Yarrow (guitar, tenor vocals), Paul Stookey (guitar, baritone vocals), ...
. Please – no chops." Deal's was the only response, even though her main instrument was guitar. She borrowed her sister Kelley's bass guitar to use in the band.
To complete the lineup, she suggested they hire
David Lovering
David Sullivan Lovering (born December 6, 1961) is an American musician and magician. He is best known as the drummer for the alternative rock band Pixies, which he joined in 1986. After the band's breakup in 1993, Lovering drummed with severa ...
, a friend of her husband whom she'd met at their wedding reception, as drummer. For the release of the band's first recording, ''
Come on Pilgrim
''Come On Pilgrim'' is the debut mini-album by the American alternative rock band Pixies, released on September 28, 1987, on 4AD. Produced by Gary Smith, the release consists of eight tracks from a seventeen-song recording session that the ...
'' (1987), Deal used the ''nom de disque'' "Mrs. John Murphy" in the liner notes, chosen as an ironic
feminist
Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideology, ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social gender equality, equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern soci ...
joke, after conversing with a woman who wished to be called only by her husband's name.
For ''
Surfer Rosa
''Surfer Rosa'' is the debut studio album by the American alternative rock band Pixies, released in March 1988 on the British label 4AD. It was produced by Steve Albini. ''Surfer Rosa'' contains many of the elements of Pixies' earlier output, i ...
'' (1988), Deal sang lead vocals on the album's only single, "
Gigantic", which she co-wrote with frontman
Black Francis
Charles Michael Kittridge Thompson IV (born April 6, 1965), better known by the stage name Black Francis, is an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. He is the frontman of the alternative rock band Pixies. Following the band's break ...
. ''
Doolittle'' followed a year later, with Deal contributing the song "Silver". By this time, however, tensions began to develop between her and Francis, with bickering and standoffs between the two marring the album's recording sessions. Deal commented that the sessions "went from just all fun to work." Exhaustion from releasing three records in two years and constant touring contributed to intra-band friction, particularly between Francis and Deal.
The tension and exhaustion culminated at the end of the US "Fuck or Fight" tour, where they were too tired to attend the end-of-tour party. The band soon announced a hiatus.
The Breeders

During a 1988 post-''Surfer Rosa'' tour of Europe with
Throwing Muses
Throwing Muses are an American alternative rock band formed in 1981 in Newport, Rhode Island, United States, that toured and recorded extensively until 1997, when its members began concentrating more on other projects.
The group was original ...
as part of the Pixies, Deal began to write new material. As neither band had plans for the short term, Deal discussed possible side projects with Throwing Muses guitarist
Tanya Donelly
Tanya Donelly (born July 14, 1966) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist based in New England. She came to prominence as a co-founder of the band Throwing Muses with her step-sister Kristin Hersh. Donelly went on to co-form the altern ...
. After rejecting the idea of creating a dance album together, the pair decided to form a new band. Deal named the band
the Breeders
The Breeders are an American alternative rock band based in Dayton, Ohio, consisting of members Kim Deal (rhythm guitar, lead vocals), her twin sister Kelley Deal (lead guitar, vocals), Josephine Wiggs (bass guitar, vocals) and Jim Macpherson ( ...
, after the folk band she formed with Kelley as a teenager, and they recruited
Carrie Bradley, violinist and vocalist in
Ed's Redeeming Qualities
Ed's Redeeming Qualities was an alternative folk group that was founded in Boston in 1988, and originally consisted of Dani Leone (vocals, ukulele), Dom Leone (vocals, guitar), Carrie Bradley (vocals, violin, guitar, and also of The Breeders), a ...
, to record a short demo tape.
The Breeders' demo was sent to 4AD head
Ivo Watts-Russell
Ivo Watts-Russell (born 1954) is a British music producer and record label executive. He was joint-founder with Peter Kent of the independent record label 4AD. He has produced several records, although he prefers to use the term "musical director" ...
, who immediately signed them to the label. The Breeders allowed Deal to become more active in songwriting, and their debut album, ''
Pod'' (1990), written primarily by Deal, was recorded in
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...
by
Steve Albini
Steven Frank Albini (; July 22, 1962 – May 7, 2024) was an American musician and audio engineer. He founded and fronted the influential post-hardcore and noise rock bands Big Black (1981–1987), Rapeman (1987–1989) and Shellac (band), ...
. ''Pod'' was praised by contemporaries;
Nirvana
Nirvana, in the Indian religions (Jainism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism), is the concept of an individual's passions being extinguished as the ultimate state of salvation, release, or liberation from suffering ('' duḥkha'') and from the ...
frontman
Kurt Cobain
Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20, 1967 – ) was an American musician. He was the lead vocalist, guitarist, primary songwriter, and a founding member of the grunge band Nirvana (band), Nirvana. Through his angsty songwriting and anti-establis ...
later named the album one of his favorites and remarked, "I wish Kim was allowed to write more songs for the Pixies."
''Bossanova'' and ''Trompe le Monde''
Deal returned to the U.S. after finishing recording ''Pod'' in Edinburgh, but was then fired from the Pixies. Regardless, she flew out to Los Angeles, where the other members of the band had moved, to meet them, and was accepted back into the band to record ''
Bossanova'' (1990).
The band's final studio album was ''
Trompe le Monde
''Trompe le Monde'' is the fourth studio album by the American alternative rock band Pixies (band), Pixies, released on September 23, 1991 on 4AD in the United Kingdom and on September 24, 1991, on Elektra Records in the United States. Recorded ...
'' (1991). The recording sessions were fractious, and the whole band was hardly ever together during the process.
Deal rarely sang on the band's songs during this time; one of the few tracks she sang on was a cover of
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian and American singer-songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, forming the folk rock group Buffalo Springfield. Since the begi ...
's "
I've Been Waiting for You" (). Deal did sing on ''Trompe le Monde'', on songs such as "
Alec Eiffel", but did not write any material for the album.
''Last Splash''
A year after the Pixies' breakup, Kelley Deal joined the Breeders on lead guitar, replacing Donelly, and the band released ''
Last Splash
''Last Splash'' is the second album by American alternative rock band the Breeders, released on August 30, 1993. Originally formed as a side project for Pixies (band), Pixies bass guitar, bassist Kim Deal, the Breeders quickly became her primar ...
'' to critical acclaim and considerable commercial success. The record went platinum within a year of its release.
At the height of the Breeders' popularity in the early to mid-1990s, the band scored a number of hit music videos featured heavily on
MTV
MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
, including "
Cannonball
A round shot (also called solid shot or simply ball) is a solid spherical projectile without explosive charge, launched from a gun. Its diameter is slightly less than the bore of the barrel from which it is shot. A round shot fired from a lar ...
", "Safari", "Divine Hammer", and "Saints." The band also released the
vinyl
Vinyl may refer to:
Chemistry
* Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a particular vinyl polymer
* Vinyl cation, a type of carbocation
* Vinyl group, a broad class of organic molecules in chemistry
* Vinyl polymer, a group of polymers derived from vinyl ...
-only "Head to Toe" 10-inch EP during the summer of 1994, when they appeared on the main stage of
Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza () is an annual American four-day music festival held in Grant Park (Chicago), Grant Park in Chicago. It originally started as a touring event in 1991, with Chicago becoming its permanent location beginning in 2005. Music genres i ...
. Although the band went into stasis in 1994 when Kelley Deal entered
rehab
Rehabilitation or Rehab may refer to:
Health
* Rehabilitation (neuropsychology), therapy to regain or improve neurocognitive function that has been lost or diminished
* Rehabilitation hospital, hospitals devoted to the rehabilitation of patients w ...
for a
heroin addiction
Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a substance use disorder characterized by cravings for opioids, continued use despite physical and/or psychological deterioration, increased tolerance with use, and withdrawal symptoms after discontinuing opioids. ...
, they never officially split up, and in 2002 released ''
Title TK
''Title TK'' is the third studio album by American alternative rock band the Breeders, released on May 20 and 21, 2002 by 4AD in the United Kingdom and Elektra Records in the United States, and on May 10 by P-Vine Records in Japan. The album� ...
''.
1995–2004: The Amps and other projects

Deal formed
the Amps
The Amps were an American alternative rock band formed by Kim Deal in 1995, while her band the Breeders went on hiatus. The group consisted of Deal, on lead vocals and rhythm guitar; Luis Lerma on bass; Nate Farley on lead guitar; and Jim Macp ...
in 1995 under the sobriquet "Tammy Ampersand". Their lone album, ''
Pacer'' (1995), was generally well-received but sold poorly.
She also produced music for other groups, most notably fellow Dayton band
Guided by Voices
Guided by Voices is an American indie rock band formed in 1983 in Dayton, Ohio. It has made frequent personnel changes but always maintained the presence of principal songwriter Robert Pollard. The most well-known lineup of the band consisted o ...
(one of the songs on ''Pacer'', "I Am Decided", was co-written by the band's lead singer,
Robert Pollard
Robert Ellsworth Pollard Jr. (born October 31, 1957) is an American singer and songwriter. He is the frontman and leader of indie rock band Guided by Voices, which he also the band’s only constant member. In addition to this, he has also rele ...
).
Deal has contributed her voice to numerous projects, including
This Mortal Coil
This Mortal Coil were a British music collective led by Ivo Watts-Russell, founder of the British record label 4AD. Although Watts-Russell and John Fryer were the only two official members, the band's recorded output featured a large rotat ...
's 1991 version of
Chris Bell's "
You and Your Sister" (a duet with
Tanya Donnelly
Tanya Donelly (born July 14, 1966) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist based in New England. She came to prominence as a co-founder of the band Throwing Muses with her step-sister Kristin Hersh. Donelly went on to co-form the alterna ...
); the 1995
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth were an American rock band formed in New York City in 1981. Founding members Kim Gordon (bass, vocals, guitar), Thurston Moore (lead guitar, vocals) and Lee Ranaldo (rhythm guitar, vocals) remained together for the entire history of ...
single "
Little Trouble Girl"; and
the For Carnation
The For Carnation are an American post-rock band from Louisville, Kentucky, formed in 1994. The band was formed by Brian McMahan, who is the only constant group member. McMahan's previous band Slint hinted at the distinctive sound and sombre aes ...
's "Tales (Live from the Crypt)" in 2000.
Pixies reunion and beyond

In 2004, Deal returned to the newly reunited Pixies, releasing the single "
Bam Thwok
"Bam Thwok" is a download-only single by the American alternative rock band the Pixies. Written and sung by bassist Kim Deal, the song was released exclusively through the iTunes Store on June 15, 2004. Upon its release, "Bam Thwok" was a comm ...
" and touring North America. One notable performance included a live taping for the
public television
Public broadcasting (or public service broadcasting) is radio, television, and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service with a commitment to avoiding political and commercial influence. Public broadcasters receive f ...
program ''
Austin City Limits
''Austin City Limits'' is an American Concert, live music Television show, television program recorded and produced by KLRU, Austin PBS. The show helped Austin become widely known in the United States as the "Live Music Capital of the World", an ...
'' in October 2004. The Pixies also played the
Coachella Festival
Coachella (officially called the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and sometimes known as Coachella Festival) is an annual music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valley in the Colorad ...
in 2004 and headlined
Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza () is an annual American four-day music festival held in Grant Park (Chicago), Grant Park in Chicago. It originally started as a touring event in 1991, with Chicago becoming its permanent location beginning in 2005. Music genres i ...
in 2005 at Chicago's
Grant Park. The Pixies also toured the UK to critical acclaim, including a headline appearance at the
Reading and Leeds Festivals
The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend. The Reading Fest ...
.
In 2003, Deal moved back to Dayton to care for her mother, who had been diagnosed with
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease and the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As the disease advances, symptoms can include problems wit ...
. In early April 2008, the Breeders released their fourth full-length studio album, ''
Mountain Battles
''Mountain Battles'' is the fourth studio album by American band The Breeders. It was released in the United Kingdom on April 7, 2008, and in the United States on April 8, 2008. The album was gradually recorded in a number of different locales i ...
'', followed by the EP ''
Fate to Fatal
''Fate to Fatal'' is an EP by the American alternative rock band the Breeders, released on Period Music, on April 21, 2009. It was recorded in three locations by multiple engineers: the title track was recorded at the Fortress Studios, London wit ...
'' a year later. On June 14, 2013, it was announced that Deal had left the Pixies.
She has since posted new solo music on her website. , she has no contact with her former Pixies bandmates, according to Joey Santiago.
Solo releases, ''LSXX'', and ''All Nerve''
In December 2012, Deal played a solo set at the
All Tomorrow's Parties
"All Tomorrow's Parties" is a song by the Velvet Underground and Nico, written by Lou Reed and released as the band's debut single in 1966. The song is from their 1967 debut studio album, ''The Velvet Underground & Nico''.
Inspiration for the so ...
"Nightmare Before Christmas" festival in the UK, debuting several new songs. At the same time, she released her first solo single, "Walking with a Killer", and continued to issue further solo releases throughout 2013 and 2014.
In April 2013, 4AD released ''LSXX'', a 20th anniversary edition of the Breeders album ''Last Splash''. Deal reunited with Kelley Deal, Josephine Wiggs, and Jim Macpherson for a ''Last Splash'' anniversary tour of North America, Europe, Australia and South America (Brazil and Chile). In August 2014, it was reported that the same lineup was working on new material.
A new single, "
Wait in the Car", was released on October 3, 2017. On March 2, 2018, the reunited lineup released ''
All Nerve
''All Nerve'' is the fifth studio album by American alternative rock band the Breeders, released on March 2, 2018, 10 years after their previous album '' Mountain Battles''. A ''Stereogum'' article in June 2016 reported that the band was recordin ...
'', their first studio album in ten years, to widespread critical acclaim.
In the following months, the Breeders also collaborated on multiple tracks of
Courtney Barnett
Courtney Melba Barnett (born 3 November 1987) is an Australian singer, songwriter, and musician. Known for her deadpan singing style and witty, rambling lyrics, she attracted attention with the release of her debut EP ''I've Got a Friend Calle ...
's May 2018 album ''
Tell Me How You Really Feel
''Tell Me How You Really Feel'' is the second studio album by Australian singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett, released on 18 May 2018 by Barnett's Milk! Records, Mom + Pop Music, and Marathon Artists.
''Tell Me How You Really Feel'' received ...
'', with Kim and Kelley singing backing vocals on the singles "Nameless, Faceless" and "Crippling Self-Doubt and a General Lack of Confidence".
In August 2024, Deal announced the pending November 22 release of her debut solo album, ''Nobody Loves You More'', noting it contains several collaborations. ''
Mojo
Mojo may refer to:
* Mojo (African-American culture), a magical charm bag used in Hoodoo
Arts, entertainment and media Film and television
* ''Mojo'' (2017 film), a 2017 Indian Kannada drama film written and directed by Sreesha Belakvaadi
* '' ...
'' and ''
Uncut'' listed the album in their year-end rankings of the best albums of 2024, respectively placing it at number six and number forty-two.
Discography
Pixies
* ''
Come on Pilgrim
''Come On Pilgrim'' is the debut mini-album by the American alternative rock band Pixies, released on September 28, 1987, on 4AD. Produced by Gary Smith, the release consists of eight tracks from a seventeen-song recording session that the ...
'' (1987)
* ''
Surfer Rosa
''Surfer Rosa'' is the debut studio album by the American alternative rock band Pixies, released in March 1988 on the British label 4AD. It was produced by Steve Albini. ''Surfer Rosa'' contains many of the elements of Pixies' earlier output, i ...
'' (1988)
* ''
Doolittle'' (1989)
* ''
Bossanova'' (1990)
* ''
Trompe le Monde
''Trompe le Monde'' is the fourth studio album by the American alternative rock band Pixies (band), Pixies, released on September 23, 1991 on 4AD in the United Kingdom and on September 24, 1991, on Elektra Records in the United States. Recorded ...
'' (1991)
The Breeders
* ''
Pod'' (1990)
* ''
Safari
A safari (; originally ) is an overland journey to observe wildlife, wild animals, especially in East Africa. The so-called big five game, "Big Five" game animals of Africa – lion, African leopard, leopard, rhinoceros, African elephant, elep ...
'' (EP, 1992)
* ''
Last Splash
''Last Splash'' is the second album by American alternative rock band the Breeders, released on August 30, 1993. Originally formed as a side project for Pixies (band), Pixies bass guitar, bassist Kim Deal, the Breeders quickly became her primar ...
'' (1993)
* ''
Live in Stockholm 1994'' (1994)
* ''
Head to Toe
Head to Toe may refer to:
* ''Head to Toe'' (EP), a 1994 EP by the Breeders
* "Head to Toe" (Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam song), 1987
* "Head to Toe" (Bill Anderson song), 1977
{{dab ...
'' (EP, 1994)
* ''
Title TK
''Title TK'' is the third studio album by American alternative rock band the Breeders, released on May 20 and 21, 2002 by 4AD in the United Kingdom and Elektra Records in the United States, and on May 10 by P-Vine Records in Japan. The album� ...
'' (2002)
* ''
Mountain Battles
''Mountain Battles'' is the fourth studio album by American band The Breeders. It was released in the United Kingdom on April 7, 2008, and in the United States on April 8, 2008. The album was gradually recorded in a number of different locales i ...
'' (2008)
* ''
Fate to Fatal
''Fate to Fatal'' is an EP by the American alternative rock band the Breeders, released on Period Music, on April 21, 2009. It was recorded in three locations by multiple engineers: the title track was recorded at the Fortress Studios, London wit ...
'' (EP, 2009)
* ''
All Nerve
''All Nerve'' is the fifth studio album by American alternative rock band the Breeders, released on March 2, 2018, 10 years after their previous album '' Mountain Battles''. A ''Stereogum'' article in June 2016 reported that the band was recordin ...
'' (2018)
The Amps
* ''
Pacer'' (1995)
Solo
* ''
Nobody Loves You More
''Nobody Loves You More'' is the debut solo album by the American musician Kim Deal. It was released on November 22, 2024, by 4AD, and promoted with the singles "Coast", "Crystal Breath", "A Good Time Pushed" and "Nobody Loves You More".
Backgr ...
'' (2024)
Solo singles
* "Walking with a Killer" b/w "Dirty Hessians" (2012)
* "Hot Shot" b/w "Likkle More" (2013)
* "Are You Mine?" b/w "Wish I Was" (2013)
* "The Root" b/w "Range On Castle" (2014)
* "Biker Gone" b/w "Beautiful Moon Clear" (2014)
* "Coast" (2024)
* "Crystal Breath" (2024)
Equipment
Bass guitars
Kim Deal generally plays four-string solid-body bass guitars and always uses a
pick,
particularly the "
green Dunlops with the little turtle on them",
although since the Pixies' reunion she has also been using custom green Dunlops with "KIM" written on them. She prefers having old strings on a bass.
*
Aria
In music, an aria (, ; : , ; ''arias'' in common usage; diminutive form: arietta, ; : ariette; in English simply air (music), air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrument (music), instrumental or orchestral accompan ...
Pro II Cardinal Series – the Pixies' first bass belonged to Kelley and was loaned to Kim upon her joining the band.
It was used on ''Come on Pilgrim'' and ''Surfer Rosa'' and seen in the "Town & Country" live video.
* 1962
Fender Precision
Precision, precise or precisely may refer to:
Arts and media
* ''Precision'' (march), the official marching music of the Royal Military College of Canada
* "Precision" (song), by Big Sean
* ''Precisely'' (sketch), a dramatic sketch by the Eng ...
Reissue
– Acquired for use on ''Doolittle'' on producer Gil Norton's insistence.
It appears in the video for "
Here Comes Your Man
"Here Comes Your Man" is a song by the American alternative rock band Pixies (band), Pixies, written and sung by the band's frontman Black Francis. Produced by Gil Norton, it was released as the second single from the group's second album ''Doolitt ...
". On ''Bossanova'', the Precision was used on "Dig for Fire" for its "lazier, growlier sound" that was "not as boingy-boingy-sproingy."
*
Music Man StingRay
The Music Man StingRay is an electric bass originally made by Music Man. Introduced in 1976, the StingRay was co-designed by Leo Fender and followed a similar format to his namesake company's influential Precision Bass. The more notable des ...
– Acquired during the ''Bossanova'' sessions "because it was active and had a different sound," and became her main live bass "because it was a little less
country
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...
-sounding than the Fender."
The instrument was afterwards played by
Josephine Wiggs
Miranda Cordelia Susan Josephine Wiggs (born 26 February 1965), simply known as Josephine Wiggs, is an English multi-instrumentalist rock musician, best known for her work as bassist in the alternative rock bands The Breeders and The Perfect D ...
in the Breeders, and by Luis Lerma in the Amps.
*
Steinberger
Steinberger is a series of distinctive electric guitars and bass guitars, designed and originally manufactured by Ned Steinberger. The name "Steinberger" can be used to refer to either the instruments themselves or the company that originally p ...
headless bass – Bought during the recording of ''Trompe le Monde'' due to intonation issues on her other instruments. Deal described it as having a "weird, organ-y sound."
*
Gibson Thunderbird
The Gibson Thunderbird is an electric bass guitar made by Gibson and Epiphone.
Background and introduction
The Gibson Thunderbird was introduced in 1963. At the time, Fender had been the leader in the electric bass market since their introdu ...
– More recently her favorite bass, although she did not use it during the Pixies' reunion, feeling she had to "sound like the records."
It is seen played upside-down (left-handed) by Mando Lopez in the Breeders, and by Kim Deal herself in the video for "Biker Gone" (2014).
Guitars
Deal has noted that she prefers to amplify acoustic guitars through
Marshall
Marshall may refer to:
Places
Australia
*Marshall, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria
** Marshall railway station
Canada
* Marshall, Saskatchewan
* The Marshall, a mountain in British Columbia
Liberia
* Marshall, Liberia
Marshall Is ...
electric guitar amplifiers.
*
Seagull
Gulls, or colloquially seagulls, are seabirds of the subfamily Larinae. They are most closely related to terns and skimmers, distantly related to auks, and even more distantly related to waders. Until the 21st century, most gulls were placed ...
acoustic
* 1958
Gibson Les Paul Goldtop Reissue – Also played by
Joey Santiago
Joseph Alberto Santiago (born June 10, 1965) is a Filipino-American guitarist and composer. Active since 1986, Santiago is best known as the co-founder and lead guitarist of the alternative rock band Pixies. After the band's breakup in 1993, ...
up through ''Surfer Rosa'' (before he acquired his own) and then by Kelley Deal in the Breeders.
* 1991
Fender Stratocaster
The Fender Stratocaster, colloquially known as the Strat, is a model of double- cutaway electric guitar designed between 1952 and 1954 by Leo Fender, Bill Carson, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares. The Fender Musical Instruments Corpora ...
Ultra
– Kelley Deal also has the same model, which she received as a Christmas present from Kim in 1991.
*
Fender Telecaster
The Fender Telecaster, colloquially known as the Tele (), is an electric guitar produced by Fender (company), Fender. Together with its sister model the Fender Esquire, Esquire, it was the world's first mass-produced, commercially successfulLes ...
– Occasionally played in the Breeders' live performances since at least the ''Last Splash'' era. She was also shown using the guitar on the tour bus in the Pixies documentary film ''loudQUIETloud'' (2006).
* Gibson hollowbody – Borrowed for use on ''Last Splash''.
Amplification
* Peavey 300 Combo, 1×15" speaker
*
Trace Elliot
Trace Elliot is a United Kingdom-based bass amplification manufacturer, and has a sub-brand, Trace Acoustic, for acoustic instruments.
History
Opened in 1978, a music shop in Romford, Essex, UK, called ''The Soundwave Bassplace'', was build ...
bass head
– "It's the new series and I don't know what the number is or if there even is a number on there."
* Trace Elliot 1048H bass cabinet, 4×10" speakers
*
SWR heads
* Marshall JCM 900 head
* Marshall cabinets
*
Gallien-Krueger
Gallien-Krueger, also referred to as 'GK' (as in their logo), is a manufacturer of bass amplifiers and speaker cabinets. The company is based in Stockton, California, and was founded in 1968.
History
Robert Gallien started his company, th ...
cabinet, 4×10" speakers
* "Joe's Light" cabinet, 1×18" speaker – Of this and the Gallien-Krueger she commented: "I hate my cabinets."
* Sears Tremolo amp with the word "Marshall" pasted on it.
Effects
*
dbx dbx or DBX may refer to:
* dbx (debugger), a Unix source-level debugger
* dbx (company), a professional audio recording equipment company
** dbx (noise reduction), a noise reduction system invented by dbx, Inc.
* .dbx, the file extension for Micros ...
160X Compressor – "I use a compressor live, but only because sound guys seem to like it when I have one onstage, even if it's on bypass."
*
Boss DS-1 Distortion pedals – Used by both Kim and Kelley.
Recording
Kim Deal eschews digital equipment entirely for recording and mixing. Deal commissioned the "All Wave" logo in an effort to identify recordings that follow this method of recording, and possibly start a movement.
Personal life
Deal married John Murphy on
Memorial Day
Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. It is observed on the last Monday of May.
It i ...
in 1985. In January 1986, they moved to Boston, Murphy's hometown. Murphy co-wrote the Breeders song "Hoverin'" with Deal. The couple divorced in 1988.
When asked if she had a "gay bone" in her body, Deal responded, "You know what? I'm just so...
asexual
Asexual or Asexuals may refer to:
*Asexual reproduction
**Asexual reproduction in starfish
*Asexuality, the lack of sexual attraction to anyone or lack of interest in or desire for sexual activity.
**Gray asexuality, the spectrum between asexualit ...
, I wish I had a gay bone."
References
Notes
Citations
Bibliography
*
*
External links
*
The Breeders*
Kim Deal
Kimberley Ann Deal (born June 10, 1961) is an American musician. She was the original bassist and co-vocalist in the alternative rock band the Pixies (band), Pixies from 1986 to 1993 and again from 2004 to 2013. She is the frontwoman of the Bre ...
at
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Deal, Kim
1961 births
4AD artists
American atheists
American women singer-songwriters
American rock bass guitarists
American rock drummers
Asexual women
American identical twins
American experimental musicians
American indie rock musicians
Living people
Singer-songwriters from Ohio
Musicians from Dayton, Ohio
Pixies (band) members
The Breeders members
American women rock singers
American women bass guitarists
Noise rock musicians
American slide guitarists
American alternative rock musicians
American twins
Alternative rock bass guitarists
American alternative rock singers
People from Huber Heights, Ohio
Twin musicians
Guitarists from Ohio
21st-century American women singers
20th-century American bass guitarists
21st-century American singer-songwriters
20th-century American women guitarists
The Amps members
21st-century American LGBTQ people
American LGBTQ singers
American LGBTQ songwriters
LGBTQ women singers