The Amps
| The Amps | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Dayton, Ohio |
| Genres | Pop, Rock[1] |
| Years active | 1995–1996 |
| Labels | 4AD Records Elektra |
| Associated acts | The Breeders Pixies Guided By Voices |
The Amps were a band from Dayton, Ohio. Formed by Kim Deal in 1995 after her group the Breeders went on hiatus, they released the album Pacer later that year.
Kim Deal originally intended to play all of the instruments herself, but eventually she recruited Jim Macpherson, the drummer from the Breeders, and Luis Lerma and Nate Farley, two friends from Dayton, to play on the album and tour. The Amps continued as a group until mid-1996, when Deal reformed the Breeders.
Contents |
Background and Formation[edit]
From 1986 to 1992, Kim Deal was a member of the Pixies,[2] and from 1989 onwards, the Breeders.[3] In August 1993, the Breeders released their second album, Last Splash,[4] which went platinum in the USA,[5] gold in Canada,[6] and silver in the UK.[7] The other members of the group at that time were Kelley Deal (Kim's twin sister), Josephine Wiggs, and Jim Macpherson.[8] By the autumn of 1994, after two years of straight touring and recording, and culminating in the Lollapalooza tour, the band members were exhausted; they decided to take some time off from the Breeders, but this hiatus ended up being longer than expected.[8] Kelley was arrested on drug charges in late 1994 and spent time in and out of rehabilitation, while Wiggs became involved in some musical projects in New York, including collaborations with members of Luscious Jackson.[8][9]
Meanwhile, Kim Deal was very eager to continue recording and performing.[9] At first, she envisioned her next album as being a solo record, on which she would play all of the instrument parts.[10] However, when she was recording initial demos for the project, she asked Kelley to be involved, to distract the latter from her drug difficulties.[10][11] Since Kelley now also had some involvement in the project, Kim Deal decided not to make it a solo one after all.[10] Deal was joined by Macpherson on drums, musician Luis Lerma on bass, and Nate Farley on guitar.[11][12] Later, Kelley had to drop out of the project, due to her ongoing rehabilitation.[10][13] For fun, Deal began calling herself Tammy Ampersand, and the group, Tammy and the Amps.[10] This later became simply the Amps.[10]
Members[edit]
Discography[edit]
Album[edit]
| Title | Release date | Label |
| Pacer | 1995 | 4AD/Elektra |
Single[edit]
| Year | Title | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | "Tipp City" | Pacer | 4AD/Elektra |
Notes[edit]
References[edit]
- Aaron, Charles (1995-07-01). "Raw Deal". Spin. Retrieved 2013-06-14
- "American certifications – Breeders, The". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2013-05-19.
- "The Breeders". 4AD. Retrieved 2013-05-15.
- "Certified Awards Search" (To access, enter the search parameter "Breeders"). British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 2013-05-19.
- Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Pixies Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 2013-05-15.
- Gettelman, Parry (1996-04-12). "A Chat With Amps' Kim Deal: Eclectic, Elcectric And Fun". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 2013-06-13
- "Gold Platinum Database". Music Canada. Retrieved 2013-05-19.
- Hawthorne, Marc (1995-11-09). "And now for a few words with Jim MacPherson". The Daily. Retrieved 2013-06-14
- Moore, Lisa (1996-03-01). "Deal with It: An Interview with Kim Deal". Boston Rock (158)
- Petrusich, Amanda (2013-05-15). "Splashdown! The Breeders' Cannonball-like Re-entry". Spin. Retrieved 2013-05-15
- Phares, Heather. "The Amps Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 2013-02-04
- Rogers, Jude (2009-05-03). "'It used to be about music. Now, without the drink, it's good to go back to that'". The Guardian. Retrieved 2013-05-15
