The Gossip biography
Gossip (formerly The Gossip) is a three-piece American indie rock band formed in 1999. The band consists of singer Beth Ditto, guitarist Brace Paine and drummer Hannah Blilie. After releasing several recordings, the band broke through with their 2006 studio album, Standing in the Way of Control (2006). A follow-up, Music for Men, was released in 2009. The band plays a mix of post punk indie rock and dance-punk. Their latest album, A Joyful Noise, is due out on May 7, 2012.
Gossip was formed in 1999 in Olympia, Washington with vocalist Beth Ditto, guitarist Nathan "Brace Paine" Howdeshell and drummer Kathy Mendonca.
All three were originally from Searcy, Arkansas; Mendonca moved to Olympia to attend Evergreen State College and Howdeshell and Ditto followed. The band coalesced when the three members were roommates in Olympia.
In 1999 the independent record label K Records released Gossip's first recording, their eponymous debut EP, The Gossip to coincide with the band's tour with Sleater-Kinney.
The band played at the first Ladyfest in Olympia in August 2000 and was included in Time Magazine's article on the festival.
Their next release was their first album That's Not What I Heard and was released by the record label Kill Rock Stars on January 23, 2001. In between that release and their second album, they released the EP Arkansas Heat on May 7, 2002. Movement, the group's second studio album, followed one year later and was released on May 6, 2003. In November 2003, two months after the release of their first live album Undead in NYC on September 9, drummer Kathy Mendonca left the band to pursue a career as a midwife. Established punk drummer Hannah Blilie joined to replace her. The band then dropped the "The" from their name and continued simply as Gossip.
The first release featuring new drummer Hannah Blilie was the band's next album Standing in the Way of Control. It was released on January 24, 2006 on Kill Rock Stars and later on in 2006 on UK independent label Back Yard Recordings.
The album Standing in the Way of Control has since earned Gold Record Status in the UK. Gossip's first UK TV appearance was on BBC1's Friday Night With Jonathan Ross, where they performed "Standing in the Way of Control".
As reported on Pitchfork Media in March 2007, the group signed to Music With a Twist, a subsidiary of Sony Music Label Group, concentrating on LGBT music acts.
During the summer of 2007, Gossip was a part of the multi-artist True Colors Tour 2007, which traveled through 15 cities in the United States and Canada. The tour, sponsored by the Logo channel, began on June 8, 2007. Hosted by comedian Margaret Cho and headlined by Cyndi Lauper, the tour also included Debbie Harry, Erasure, Rufus Wainwright, The Dresden Dolls, The MisShapes, The Cliks and other special guests. Profits from the tour went to benefit the Human Rights Campaign.
Biography from 
, the free encyclopedia.
It may not have been reviewed by a professional editor, and recent changes may not show up straight away. See the latest version of this article. Used under licence. Subject to disclaimers.