Heavens to Betsy
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1991 in Olympia, Washington, U.S. |
| Founder | Corin Tucker, Tracy Sawyer |
| Headquarters | Olympia , United States |
| Products | Punk music albums and singles |
Heavens to Betsy was a punk group originating from Olympia, Washington in 1991, founded by vocalist and guitarist Corin Tucker alongside drummer Tracy Sawyer. This pair played a significant role in the DIY riot grrrl underground movement, marking Tucker’s initial foray into music prior to her co-founding of Sleater-Kinney. Both The New York Times and Rolling Stone have acknowledged Heavens to Betsy as a crucial component of the riot grrrl scene. Their raw punk energy and candid expressions of female anger were highlighted in 2018 for their lasting influence.
History
Tucker and Sawyer first crossed paths during middle school in Eugene, Oregon. After a 1990 visit to Athens, Georgia, where Sawyer acquired a drum set and Tucker received a guitar from her father, the two formed their band. Tucker’s enrollment at Evergreen State College in Olympia immersed her in a thriving music community alongside bands like Bikini Kill and Bratmobile. Heavens to Betsy made their public debut in 1991 at the International Pop Underground Convention, a landmark event for riot grrrl featuring an exclusively female lineup.
As a duo, Tucker managed both guitar and vocals while Sawyer played drums and occasionally bass. Their sound was characterized by raw, intense vocals influenced by artists such as Kathleen Hanna and Sinéad O'Connor. Their lyrics tackled a variety of intersectional social topics including body shaming, patriarchy, white privilege, rape culture, queerness, and working-class issues. All lyrics were penned by Tucker, who also co-composed the music with Sawyer.
Their initial release was an eight-track cassette demo recorded by Molly Neuman of Bratmobile and distributed through K Records. They followed this with a split single titled "My Secret" alongside Bratmobile, two four-song seven-inch records, and the LP Calculated. The album Calculated was featured in Rolling Stone’’’s "Riot Grrrl Album Guide." Additionally, the band contributed tracks to several compilation albums.
In 1992, Heavens to Betsy encountered Carrie Brownstein at a performance in Bellingham, Washington. They embarked on tours across the U.S. with Bratmobile, then toured England before undertaking another national tour with Brownstein's band Excuse 17. By mid-1994, the band dissolved due to shifting personal dynamics and difficulties balancing their evolving professional relationship amid increasing commitment to their music.
Post break-up
Following the dissolution of Heavens to Betsy, Tucker teamed up with Brownstein to create Sleater-Kinney.[1][2] In addition to this, Tucker engaged in various other musical endeavors including Heartless Martin, Cadallaca, The Corin Tucker Band, and Filthy Friends.[3][4][5]
Meanwhile, Sawyer continued her musical career participating in groups such as The Flying Tigers, KaraNEEDoke, The Lies, and Motel No-Tell.[3]
Pop culture
Heavens to Betsy's tracks were included in the soundtracks of the movies I Was a Teenage Serial Killer (1993) and Itty Bitty Titty Committee (2007), as well as the 2013 video game Gone Home. In 2011, London-based artist Katie Hare developed an installation that combined video, audio, and zine materials connected to Heavens to Betsy's album Calculated, emphasizing its unfiltered and candid nature.
In 2017, actresses Mackenzie Davis and Carrie Coon produced an acoustic rendition of “Axemen” for the film Izzy Gets the F*ck Across Town. Later, in 2021, the band Whisper Hiss recorded a cover of “Firefly” for the compilation Stars Rock Kill (Rock Stars),, marking three decades of the Kill Rock Stars label.
Discography
Albums
- Heavens To Betsy, cassette release on K Records (1992)
- Calculated, available on CD and LP via Kill Rock Stars (1994)
Seven inch recordings
- PUNK1 split single "My Secret" with Heavens to Betsy and Bratmobile, K Records (1992)
- These Monsters Are Real, issued by Kill Rock Stars (1992, remastered in 2018)
- Direction, released through Chainsaw Records (1994)
Compilations
- Kill Rock Stars compilation CD/LP featuring "My Red Self," Kill Rock Stars (1991)
- Throw Yoyo Compilation CD including "Baby's Gone," Yoyo Recordings (1992)
- Julep Another Yoyo Compilation CD with "She's the One," Yoyo Recordings (1993)
- Free to Fight double CD/triple LP featuring "Get Out of My Head," Candy Ass Records and Chainsaw (1995)
- Yo Yo A Go Go compilation CD/LP with live version of "Axemen," Yoyo Recordings/Natch (1996)
- Some Songs compilation CD containing "Firefly," Kill Rock Stars (1997)
Soundtracks
- "My Secret" included in the film I Was A Teenage Serial Killer (1993)
- "Complicated" featured in the video game Gone Home (2013)
See also
References
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedNYTimes-May2019 - ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedRollingStone-March2020 - ↑ 3.0 3.1 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs named:7 - ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ↑ Cash, Andy (March 1, 2017). "Hear "Any Kind Of Crowd," A New Song From Sleater-Kinney/R.E.M. Supergroup Filthy Friends". SPIN. Retrieved January 23, 2022.