Kittie is a Canadian heavy metal band formed in London, Ontario in 1996. A quartet of women, the group rose to success in 1999 when the track "Brackish" from their debut album Spit became a hit single. The band has toured with multiple famous acts, including Slipknot during the early 2000s on their UK tour.
1996–2004
Kittie was formed in 1996, when drummer Mercedes Lander and guitarist Fallon Bowman met in an extracurricular gymnastics class. Mercedes' sister Morgan Lander became lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist. Their original bassist was Tanya Candler, who eventually left the band in the winter of 1999 to finish high school. Talena Atfield was selected as the new bassist. This lineup released the album Spit in 1999.
In 2001, Fallon Bowman left Kittie without citing her reasons and eventually started a new project called Amphibious Assault. The album Oracle was recorded with Morgan Lander as the sole guitarist. Fallon's position as guitarist was later filled by Jeff Phillips who worked as Kittie's guitar technician. In 2002, Talena Atfield left and was replaced on bass by Jennifer Arroyo. In 2004, the group added guitarist Lisa Marx, and Jeff Phillips went to work full-time on his side project, Thine Eyes Bleed. In 2004, Kittie released the album Until the End.
2005–2007
Until March 2005, Kittie were signed to Artemis Records but parted ways due to "a proposed amendment to the recording budget for the pending fourth Kittie album." Problems between the group and record label had been rumoured for a long time. In March 2004, Artemis and Kittie came to an out of court settlement over unpaid royalties and eleven breaches of contract by Artemis.
On March 23, 2005, Morgan Lander reported that both Lisa Marx and Jennifer Arroyo had left the band.[1] Jennifer Arroyo's split was amicable while Lisa Marx's came as a surprise. As with Talena Atfield's departure from the band, financial reasons were cited;[citation needed] and in the case of Jennifer Arroyo, the desire to work outside of Kittie full-time was an additional factor. Jennifer Arroyo would go on to join Billy Graziadei of Biohazard to form Suicide City.
In 2005 Kittie added two new members: Tara McLeod on guitar and Trish Doan on bass, who were described as the first "official" band members other than the Lander sisters and early members Atfield and Bowman. 2005 also brought the debut of Morgan and Mercedes Lander’s clothing line, Poisoned Black clothing. Morgan and Mercedes also appeared briefly in the documentaries Metal: A Headbanger's Journey and Heavy Metal - Louder than Life. On February 7, 2006, Kittie released the Never Again EP through Rock Ridge Music. Also in 2006, vocalist Morgan Lander provided vocals on the song "It Turns to Rust", from the album In the Arms of Devastation, by the Canadian death metal band Kataklysm.
In May 2006 Kittie announced a joint venture to create their own record label, Kiss of Infamy Records, which will include major label distribution by EMI. The label name was later changed to X of Infamy after a cease-and-desist letter from attorneys representing Kiss Catalog Ltd. (the owner of the intellectual property rights pertaining to the musical group Kiss) alleging that the Kiss of Infamy trademark was "confusingly similar" to their client's trademark. The band's fourth studio album Funeral for Yesterday was released on February 20, 2007 through their new label. Along with the release of Funeral for Yesterday, Morgan Lander announced that Kittie would release a 45 minute-DVD with the CD.[2]
Kittie kicked off 2007 with the Funeral for Yesterday Tour running from the beginning of February until the end of March. Other bands on the bill included Walls of Jericho, 36 Crazyfists, Dead To Fall, and In This Moment. The positive feedback and success of the tour encouraged Kittie to extend their tour into May 2007 with Walls of Jericho and In This Moment. In November 2007 Kittie headed south to play shows in Central and South America, including dates in Santiago, Chile and São Paulo, Brazil. For these shows in Central/South America, Ivy Vujic of the Canadian band In The Wake filled in for Trish Doan on bass.
2008-2010
On March 4, 2008 Kittie announced the departure of bassist Trish Doan due to the eating disorder anorexia, which she developed during the recording of Funeral for Yesterday.[3] Doan had battled the disorder for nearly two years. Soon after, Ivy Vujic officially became the new bass player.
On August 2, 2008 David Lander, father of band members Morgan and Mercedes and the band's manager, died of a heart attack.[4]
Between October 18, 2008 and November 8, 2008, Kittie completed their first European tour in six years. The Kittie Does Europe tour included dates in the Netherlands, England, Wales, Scotland, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Russia.[5]
On 26 June 2009, Kittie announced that they had signed to the E1 Music label. A new album, entitled In the Black, was released on 15 September 2009. Videos were shot for two singles, "Cut Throat" and "Sorrow I Know". "Cut Throat" premiered on MTV 2's Headbangers Ball on 5 September 2009 and on the Canadian show Much Loud on 20 September 2009. "Cut Throat" was also featured on the Saw VI Soundtrack released on October 20, 2009.[6] On 16 September 2009, an announcement was made that German label Massacre Records would distribute In the Black in Europe.[7]
In January 2010, Kittie again toured Europe to promote the album In the Black. Supporting bands on the tour included It Dies Today and Malefice. This tour included dates in Scotland, England, France, Switzerland, Denmark, Belgium, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. In a January 27, 2010 interview, Morgan Lander revealed that the band was in talks to film a video for the track "Die My Darling". [8]
March 2010, Kittie embarked on another North American tour with God Forbid, Periphery and Gwen Stacy as support. In May/June 2010 Kittie will be taking part in the Happy Daze tour. Insane Clown Posse will be headlining the month-long tour, and other acts appearing on the bill are Coolio, Kottonmouth Kings and Necro.
Kittie participated in the 2010 Thrash and Burn tour through July and August featuring: Asking Alexandria, Born of Osiris, Evergreen Terrace, Stick to Your Guns, Through the Eyes of the Dead, Impending Doom, Periphery and more.
On June 24, 2010 Blabbermouth.net announced that Kittie will be opening for Devildriver for a North American tour.[9]
2011
According to Kittie's Facebook fanpage and Twitter accounts the band is hard at work writing new material for their next CD. Pictures posted at both Kittie's Facebook and Twitter accounts show a song list with humorous temporary working titles and a clever hand drawn pentagram with a smiley face and cat whiskers. Songs on the list in order from top to bottom as of March 19th, 2011 include : Metal Song #1, Banana-nana, Stoner Jam, Finger Blastica, Dolly Dearest, Part 1 & Part 2, Radio Panty Remover, My Butt Hurts, Can Abyss.
On April 2nd 2011 Ivy Vujic married Geoffrey Jenkins, the former vocalist of Gwen Stacy .[10]
On April 11th, 2011 Kittie announced they were heading into the studio once again with Siegfried Meir who has engineered on Oracle and produced,engineered, mixed In The Black. Commented KITTIE guitarist/vocalist Morgan Lander: "We have been working exceptionally hard these cold winter months, crafting what is to be our six full-length release, and our second for eOne. In some cases these new songs are faster, darker and much more sinister than our previous release. It contains some of the most difficult and personal subject matter I have had the pleasure (or displeasure) of writing." Added Meier: "The girls have written some incredible and personal songs this time around. They're heavy as shit and relentless. It's a pleasure and an honor to be doing another record with one of the best metal bands of our time."[11]
In August, Kittie will play on the second stage at the 2011 Gathering of the Juggalos, along with artists such as Dope, Hed PE, and Saliva.
Band name
| “ | When we were thinking of names to call the band before our first show, we had decided that we wanted something completely contradictory to what the band and the sound of the band was. I think we chose Kittie because we wanted something totally unexpected, something that sounded weak, so that when you heard the band for the first time, it would be a total shock. I think there were a few other pussy sounding names...Like Swan or Swansong (which is what I remember really wanting to call the band)...But Kittie was chosen, and the rest is history. | „ |
Band members
| 1996–1999 |
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|---|---|
| 1999–2001 |
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| 2001–2002 |
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| 2002–2004 |
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| 2004–2005 |
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| 2005–2007 |
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| 2007–present |
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Discography
For a more comprehensive list, see Kittie discography.
- Studio albums
- Spit (1999)
- Oracle (2001)
- Until the End (2004)
- Funeral for Yesterday (2007)
- In the Black (2009)
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