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Indigo Girls

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The Indigo Girls are an American folk-rock duo, consisting of Amy Ray and Emily Saliers. They got their start in Atlanta as a regular act at Eddie's Attic and were tangentially part of the Athens, Georgia college rock scene that included The B-52's, Pylon, R.E.M., the Georgia Satellites, and Love Tractor.

Contents

The early years

The two women got to know each other as students at Laurel Ridge Elementary School in DeKalb County, Georgia just outside of Decatur, Georgia. While attending Shamrock High School, they started performing together as the B-Band and Saliers and Ray. Emily graduated and began attending Tulane University. A year later, Amy graduated and began at Vanderbilt University. Homesick, both returned to Georgia and transferred to Emory University. By 1985, they began performing together again, this time as the Indigo Girls.

The name "Indigo Girls" is not related to the term "Indigo Children", as that term was popularized a number of years after the band became famous.

Their first release in 1985 was a seven-inch single called "Crazy Game"; the b-side was "Everybody's Waiting (for Someone to Come Home)". That same year, they put out a six-track self-titled EP and in 1987, released their first full-length album, Strange Fire, recorded at John Keane Studio in Athens, Georgia, and including "Crazy Game". With this release, they secured the services of Russell Carter, who remains their manager to the present day; they had first approached him when the EP was released, but he told them their songs were "immature" and they weren't likely to get a record deal. Strange Fire apparently changed his mind.

The success of 10,000 Maniacs, Tracy Chapman, and Suzanne Vega encouraged Epic Records to look for other women singer-songwriters; Epic signed the duo in 1988.

Major label years

Their first major-label release, also titled Indigo Girls, included a new version of "Land of Canaan", which was also on their 1985 EP and on Strange Fire. Also on the self-titled release was "Closer To Fine", their first hit, which charted at #52 on the pop chart & #26 on the modern rock chart.[link] In 1990, they won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Recording. They were also nominated for Best New Artist.

The second album, Nomads*Indians*Saints, went gold in December 1991 and contained the hit song Hammer and a Nail, a #12 modern rock track; it was not as successful as their first, which was certified platinum at about the same time. They followed it with the live Back on the Bus, Y'all. 1992's comeback album Rites of Passage was an enormous success, featuring "Galileo", the duo's first top 10 modern rock track (#10). This was followed by Swamp Ophelia in 1994, going platinum in September 1996, and charting at #9 on the Billboard [[album chart]).

In 1995, they released a live, double-CD, 1200 Curfews, followed by Shaming of the Sun in 1997 and Come on Now Social in 1999. Shaming of the Sun debuted at number seven on the Billboard charts, driven by the duo's high profile contribution to the Lilith Fair music festival tour. The track Shame On You received more airplay at adult alternative, top 40 & adult top 40 radio stations than any of their previous singles, although this seemed to be a peak in their crossover success.

2000 saw the release of Retrospective, a compilation album with two new tracks, and in 2002 the Indigo Girls released Become You, a full album of new songs which gained much critical acclaim and became a fan favorite. Their last Epic studio album is All That We Let In, released in 2004 with an accompanying tour. On June 14, 2005 they released Rarities, a collection of b-sides and rare tracks partially decided by fans' input, which fulfilled the album count for their Epic contract.

The future of the band

With the release of Rarities, the band's contract with the Sony Epic record label is fulfilled. They signed to Hollywood Records, a label under The Walt Disney Company. The duo has finished recording Despite Our Differences, an album produced by Mitchell Froom, which is expected to be released September 19 of 2006.,

Songwriting

Amy and Emily do not ordinarily collaborate in writing songs. They write separately. There are a few exceptions, mostly unreleased songs from their early, pre-Epic days: "I don't know your name" and "If you live like that." "Blood Quantum," which appears on featured Amy's verses and chorus and Emily's bridge. Finally, "I'll give you my skin," which appears both on Tame Yourself (Benefit People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) and on the Indigo Girls release Rarities, is a collaborative work by Amy, Emily and Michael Stipe of R.E.M.

Furthermore, Amy and Emily usually write their songs without outside collaborators.

Political activism

The Indigo Girls have been active politically and musically. Among others, they have championed the causes of the environment, gay rights, the rights of Native Americans and the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty.

In 2006, the Indigo Girls were featured in artist P!nk's album, "I'm Not Dead" in the song, "Dear Mr. President", which has been regarded as a political statement to George W. Bush about poverty, LGBT rights, and the No Child Left Behind Act.

Personal lives

Both Amy and Emily have long identifed themselves as lesbians (although Emily prefers gay because, she says, "lesbian has three syllables!" [link]). They have never been a couple. Amy Ray has had long term relationships with musician Cooper Seay and feminist author Jennifer Baumgardner, and is currently in a relationship with documentary filmmaker Carrie Schrader. Emily Saliers is in a long term relationship with Leslie Zweben. Because of their engagements for LGBT rights, they are regarded as icons of the movement, similar to Melissa Etheridge and other artists.

Solo projects

In 1990, Amy Ray founded Daemon Records, which has signed Ellen James Society, Kristen Hall, Rose Polenzani, Girlyman, Nineteen Forty-Five, and James Hall among others.

Amy Ray has put out two solo albums, entitled Stag and Prom, through Daemon. She has toured with both the Butchies and her band the Volunteers.

Emily Saliers is also planning a solo album, and is co-owner of [Watershed Restaurant] in Decatur, Georgia, along with her life partner and two of their friends. Emily also co-founded the [Flying Biscuit Cafe] in Atlanta, Georgia. In 2005, Emily Saliers and her father, Don Saliers, a theology professor at Candler School of Theology at Emory University, released the book A Song To Sing, A Life To Live: Reflections on Music as Spiritual Practice.

Discography

Singles

Year Title Chart positions Album
US Hot 100 US Modern Rock US Mainstream Rock UK
1989 "Closer to Fine" #52 #26 #48 - Indigo Girls
1990 "Hammer and Nail" - #12 - - Nomads Indians Saints

Sound samples

Acting

Amy and Emily appeared in the latter half of Boys on the Side, playing short excerpts from "Joking" and "Southland in the Springtime," and standing on the far side of several shots over the next few scenes. Neither had any spoken lines.

They also appear in the 2006 documentary Wordplay, where they discuss their reaction to appearing in a New York Times crossword puzzle and then begin to solve one together.

External links

 

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