Rose McDowall
| Rose McDowall | |
|---|---|
| Born |
21 October 1959 Glasgow, Scotland |
| Genres | Pop, new wave, neofolk |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, musician |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar, keyboards, drums |
| Years active | 1978–present |
| Associated acts |
Strawberry Switchblade Spell Death in June Current 93 |
Rose McDowall (born 21 October 1959) is a Scottish musician. Along with Jill Bryson, in 1981 she formed the new wave band Strawberry Switchblade.[1]
History
Born in Glasgow, Scotland, McDowall's first venture into music was in the Poems, an art-punk trio formed in 1978 with her then-husband Drew McDowall. She formed Strawberry Switchblade in 1981 with Jill Bryson. After signing with Warner Bros. Records they enjoyed chart success with their single "Since Yesterday" in 1984; however later singles and an album did not sell as well as expected. This and internal problems lead to an acrimonious split in 1986.
For the next six years, McDowall was primarily a guest vocalist or "floating member" of several different alternative bands, particularly neofolk. She contributed backing or lead vocals for Coil, Current 93, Death in June, Felt, Alex Fergusson, Into a Circle, Megas, Nature and Organisation, Nurse with Wound, Ornamental, Psychic TV and Boyd Rice on recordings as well as singing or playing guitar for live appearances. In 1993, she collaborated with Boyd Rice under the band name Spell producing two singles and an album of 1960s style pop, country and psychedelia covers for Mute Records.
At the same time, she formed a folk rock band called Sorrow with then-husband Robert Lee. Between 1993 and 2001, they released two albums and one EP through World Serpent Distribution and performed in Europe and the US. During this time, McDowall continued to record and perform with Current 93 and Coil, including the short-lived group Rosa Mundi. Robert Lee left the band in 2002. McDowall and her remaining bandmates continued to perform under the name until 2005 when she began performing under her own name.
McDowall is best known as a vocalist but also plays guitar, keyboards, melodica and drums. Her signature instruments are a Washburn 12-string acoustic guitar, a Fender Coronado electric 6-string guitar and an electric harmonium.
She has two daughters, and a son; Keri McDowall from her marriage to Drew McDowall, and Bobi and Velocity Lee from her marriage to Robert Lee.
Discography
Rose McDowall
| Year | Title | Format, Special Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Don't Fear the Reaper | 7" and 12" on Rio Digital – unapproved release |
| 1994 | Johnny Remember Me | Pic. 7" on Sympathy for the Record Industry – unapproved release |
| 2004 | Cut With the Cake Knife | CD on Bad Fairy |
| 2005 | Alone | CD EP on Durtro – with John Contreras and Nurse With Wound |
Strawberry Switchblade
Spell
| Year | Title | Format, Special Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | "Big Red Balloon" | Single on Mute Records |
| 1993 | Seasons in the Sun | CD on Mute Records |
Sorrow
| Year | Title | Format, Special Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Under the Yew Possessed | CD on Piski Disc |
| 1999 | Sleep Now Forever | CD on Piski Disc |
| 1999 | The Final Solstice (I/II) | CD on Piski Disc |
| 2001 | Let There Be Thorns | Maxi CD on Piski Disc |
| 2001 | Let There Be Thorns | Pic. 7" on Piski Disc |
Track appears on:
Current 93
See: Current 93
Nature and Organisation
| Year | Title | Format, Special Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | A Dozen Summers Against the World | CD on Durtro |
| 1994 | Beauty Reaps the Blood of Solitude | CD on Durtro |
Backworld
| Year | Title | Format, Special Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Anthems from the Pleasure Park | CD on Harbinger House |
| 2001 | The Fourth Wall | CD on Harbinger House – live recording |
References
- ↑ Sutton, Michael. "Biography: Rose McDowall". AMG. Retrieved 18 May 2010.
External links
- Official Myspace
- A 12-page January 2002 interview with Rose McDowall (single screen version)
- Rose McDowall on Discogs
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