From: Portland, USA
Who? Beth Ditto, Brace Paine, Hannah Blilie
Style: Post Punk, Electro
Facts: With their single “Standing in the way of control”, the trio from Portland put themselves on the map. Drummer Hannah Blilie striking her cymbals, Brace Paine playing a bass riff which is as much a hymn for football stadiums as “Seven Nation Army” is, and finally Beth Ditto’s unique voice. The song was written as a response to George W. Bush’s decision to deny gay people the right to marriage.“We were raised by cassette tapes, wild coyotes and mothers”, Gossip let us know on their myspace page.
They grew up in a small town in Arkansas, in the pious Bible Belt between church choirs and country music. The band was formed eight years ago, after the trio had escaped to the Liberal West coast in Olympia, Washington. Olympia was the centre of the riot grrrl movement in the 90s and is the home of Kill Rock Stars, the label of important bands like Bikini Kill and Sleater-Kinney who were soon playing shows with Gossip. Beth Ditto – with her statements in interviews and her Guardian newspaper column “What would Beth Ditto do” – is by many regarded not merely as ‘just another lesbian lead singer’ but as a leading voice.
Just recently, she caught designer Marc Jacobs’ eye. With Gossip, Beth Ditto has only one mission: to get her audience onto the dancefloor. And it doesn’t take Gossip more than the first few beats to electrify their Post Punk.
