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Kelley Deal

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Kelley Deal
Deal in 2018
Born (1961-06-10) June 10, 1961 (age 63)
Dayton, Ohio, US
Occupations
  • Musician
  • singer
  • songwriter
Years active1992–present
RelativesKim Deal (twin sister)
Musical career
GenresAlternative rock
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • bass
  • violin
  • drums
  • keyboards
Labels
  • 4AD
  • Nice Records
Member of
Formerly of

Kelley Deal (born June 10, 1961) is an American musician and singer. She has been the lead guitarist and co-vocalist of the alternative rock band The Breeders since 1992, and has formed her own side-projects with bands such as R. Ring and the Kelley Deal 6000. She is the identical twin sister of the musician Kim Deal.

In 2020, Deal joined the post-punk band Protomartyr as a touring member.

Early life

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Kelley Deal was born in Dayton, Ohio, United States, 11 minutes before her identical twin sister, Kim Deal. The sisters grew up in Huber Heights, a suburb of Dayton and graduated from Wayne High School. They first played together in their late teens, with Kim playing guitar and both singing Hank Williams songs in biker bars.[1]

In 1986, Kim joined the Pixies in Boston. She paid for Kelley to fly to Boston and audition as drummer. Though the Pixies songwriter, Black Francis, approved, Kelley was not confident in her drumming and was more interested in playing songs written by Kim.[2] Kelley worked as a defence contractor at an Air Force base.[3]

Career

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The Breeders

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Deal performing with the Kelley Deal 6000

Kim Deal and Tanya Donelly (Throwing Muses) united to form The Breeders in 1989, with its name taken from Kim and Kelley Deal's pre-Pixies folk band.[4] Kelley joined The Breeders in 1992, debuting on vocals and rhythm guitar on the band's second recording, Safari (EP). After guitarist Donelly left to form Belly, Kelley promoted to lead guitar for Last Splash (1993). The band supported the release by touring as Nirvana's opening act and performing at Lollapalooza 1994.[5]

Following a two-year hiatus, Kelley rejoined Kim in 1998 to record new demos for The Breeders. They released Title TK in 2002, Mountain Battles in 2008, and All Nerve in 2018.[5]

Other projects

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After Last Splash, Deal formed The Kelley Deal 6000[6][7] and founded the now-defunct Nice Records label. The band released two albums on Nice, Go To The Sugar Altar (1996) and Boom! Boom! Boom! (1997). Both the band and the label went on indefinite hiatus when Deal rejoined The Breeders in 1998.

In 1996, Deal joined Skid Row singer Sebastian Bach, Smashing Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin, and Jimmy Flemion of The Frogs to form The Last Hard Men.[8][9] Nice Records released a limited pressing of the supergroup's eponymous album, on which Deal shared lead vocals, guitar, bass, and songwriting duties. Bach and Spitfire Records issued an extended version of the album with a wider release in 2001.

Deal co-wrote and played guitar on Magnetophone's "Kel's Vintage Thought". She appears in a duet with Kris Kristofferson on the track "Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground" on the Twisted Willie tribute album, and on Supersuckers' track "Hungover Together" on the album Must've Been High.

Deal has been lead singer and co-songwriter in the band R. Ring with Mike Montgomery since 2011.[10] R. Ring has released seven singles/EPs and two full-length albums, Ignite the Rest and War Poems (2017) and We Rested (2023).

In January 2020, Deal joined the band Protomartyr as a touring member on bass, keyboards, and vocals[11] after collaborating with the band on their 2018 EP, Consolation.

Textiles

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Deal's sewing machine, a Kenmore 385 12-stich, on display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Used in the Breeders song "S.O.S." from Last Splash.

Deal has a life-long interest in textile arts. She brought her sewing machine to the studio while recording Last Splash so that she could quilt during down-time. Its amplified sounds were used in the album, on the song "S.O.S.".[12] The machine is on display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

She has been knitting in recent years.[13] She specializes in knitted handbags, which she sells on her website, and appeared on the DIY Network knitting show Knitty Gritty, and in 2008 released a book of her knitting handbag patterns,[14] Bags That Rock: Knitting on the Road with Kelley Deal. One of her patterns is included in the DIY Network's book Knitty Gritty Knits: 25 Fun & Fabulous Projects.[15]

Personal life

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In 1994, Deal was arrested for heroin possession. She had been using heroin since she was a teenager.[16] She went through drug rehabilitation throughout the following year.[16] In a February 2018 feature article, The New York Times reported that Deal was in her eighth year of sobriety.[17]

Discography

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The Breeders

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The Kelley Deal 6000

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The Last Hard Men

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R. Ring

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  • "Fallout & Fire" b/w "SEE" (2012)
  • The Rise EP (2013)
  • Ignite The Rest (2017)
  • War Poems, We Rested (2023)

Bibliography

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  • Deal, Kelley (2008). Bags That Rock: Knitting on the Road with Kelley Deal. Sterling. ISBN 978-1-60059-158-7.

References

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  1. ^ Frank, Josh; Ganz, Caryn (2006). Fool the world: the oral history of a band called Pixies. Macmillan. pp. 7–8. ISBN 978-0-312-34007-0.
  2. ^ Chick, Stevie (March 14, 2008). "Sister Bliss". The Guardian. Archived from the original on December 24, 2020. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
  3. ^ Simpson, Dave (January 26, 2023). "Kelley Deal: 'I threw a TV out of a hotel window with Nirvana'". The Guardian.
  4. ^ Frank & Ganz 2005, p. 106
  5. ^ a b Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th Concise Edition). London: Omnibus Press. p. 2002-2003. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8. Retrieved January 22, 2025.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. ^ Raha, Maria (2005). Cinderella's big score: women of the punk and indie underground. Seal. p. 146. ISBN 978-1-58005-116-3.
  7. ^ Carew, Anthony (April 18, 2008). "The deal makers". The Age. Retrieved April 13, 2011.
  8. ^ Flick, Larry (November 13, 1999). "Bach's Ready to 'Bring 'em Back Alive' on Spitfire Set". Billboard. Retrieved April 14, 2011.
  9. ^ Hanson, Amy (2004). Smashing Pumpkins: Tales of a Scorched Earth. Helter Skelter. p. 123. ISBN 978-1-900924-68-9.
  10. ^ "R.Ring". Rringband. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  11. ^ "Kelley Deal joining Protomartyr as part of the band for Midwest shows". Brooklynvegan.com. January 29, 2020. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
  12. ^ T. Cole Rachel (November 29, 2016). "Kelley Deal on having multiple creative outlets". The Creative Independent. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
  13. ^ Saidman, Sorelle (January 30, 2001). "Breeders Booked For Los Angeles Charity Show". MTV. Archived from the original on November 7, 2012. Retrieved April 13, 2011.
  14. ^ Harper, Kate (March 13, 2008). "The Breeders' Kelley Deal To Put Out Knitting Book". Chart Attack. Archived from the original on December 18, 2011. Retrieved April 13, 2011.
  15. ^ Howell, Vickie (2007). Knitty Gritty Knits: 25 Fun & Fabulous Projects. Sterling. pp. 30–33. ISBN 978-1-57990-916-1.
  16. ^ a b Costa, Maddy (May 9, 2002). "The Addict Family". The Guardian.
  17. ^ Ryzik, Melena (February 22, 2018). "How the Breeders Finally Learned to Get Along". New York Times. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
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