Vivian Girls
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1 March 2007 in Brooklyn, New York, United States |
| Headquarters | Brooklyn , United States |
| Products | Music albums, singles, EPs |
| Website | polyvinylrecords |
Vivian Girls is a Brooklyn-based American band originating from Brooklyn, New York. The lineup has consistently included Cassie Ramone on guitar and Katy Goodman on bass, while the drummer position has seen multiple changes over time. Their name was inspired by a work created by outsider artist Henry Darger.
2007–2014
The band Vivian Girls took its name from Henry Darger's extensive work, The Story of the Vivian Girls, in What is Known as the Realms of the Unreal, of the Glandeco-Angelinian War Storm, Caused by the Child Slave Rebellion. Formed as a trio in Brooklyn in March 2007, it consisted of Cassie Ramone (guitar and vocals), Katy "Kickball Katy" Goodman (bass, drums, vocals), and Frankie Rose (drums, bass, vocals). Early on, they produced a demo featuring five original songs plus a cover of a track by Wipers, quickly gaining traction locally by opening for artists such as Jay Reatard, Sonic Youth, and King Khan & BBQ Show, and aligning themselves with groups like Cause Co-Motion!, Crystal Stilts, and Woods.
In March 2008, their single "Wild Eyes" was released via Plays With Dolls. Despite minimal marketing efforts, it became an underground indie favorite. Their first album, self-titled Vivian Girls, was launched on Mauled by Tigers; the initial pressing sold out within ten days. Subsequently, they signed with In The Red Records, issuing a new single in August 2008 and re-releasing their debut album on LP and CD formats in October.
Drummer Ali Koehler replaced Frankie Rose in July 2008. Over the next two months, the band embarked on extensive tours spanning the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and Puerto Rico.
Their sophomore album, Everything Goes Wrong, was published by In the Red Records in September 2009. In May 2010, Fiona Campbell took over drumming duties from Koehler. With Campbell behind the kit, they toured internationally to promote their third album, Share the Joy, covering Europe, Asia, and North America.
Vivian Girls also appeared on "Worse to Come," a track from noise pop group Male Bonding's debut record Nothing Hurts.
The band's third studio effort, Share the Joy, was released in spring 2011 through Polyvinyl Record Co..
In January 2014, Vivian Girls announced their disbandment following farewell performances at The Church on York in Los Angeles and at Brooklyn's Death by Audio. They briefly reunited in October 2015 to perform two songs at bassist Katy Goodman's wedding celebration.
2019–present
On July 17, 2019, Cassie Ramone, Katy Goodman, and Ali Koehler declared that Vivian Girls had reformed and would release a new full-length album titled Memory in September. This record was recorded in 2018 with producer Rob Barbato. Its release was accompanied by music videos for "Something to Do" and "Sludge," directed respectively by Jason Lester and Alex Ross Perry.
Side projects
In 2010, Katy Goodman collaborated with Gregg Foreman from Cat Power to create All Saints Day, releasing a self-titled EP digitally. Her solo venture under the name La Sera has produced four albums to date. Additionally, she teamed up with Greta Morgan of Springtime Carnivore as Books of Love; their sci-fi themed track "Space Time" debuted in 2013 followed by a punk cover album titled Take It, It's Yours in 2016.
Cassie Ramone co-founded The Babies alongside Woods bassist Kevin Morby in 2009; they released two albums between 2011 and 2012. During The Babies’ hiatus period, she pursued a solo career releasing The Time Has Come (2014) and a holiday-themed album called Christmas in Reno (2015).
Originally from New Zealand, Fiona Campbell previously performed with The Coolies and Coasting and was involved with Ian Svenonius' Chain & The Gang. She co-owned M'Lady's Records for some time and has experience as a talent booker, promoter, and tour manager for artists including Hinds, Mitski, and Shamir. Since 2015 she has been performing with New Zealand’s Guardian Singles.
Ali Koehler served as drummer for Best Coast between 2010 and 2011 before founding Upset in 2013; this band has released three albums.
Formerly part of Crystal Stilts and Dum Dum Girls as well as an original member of Beverly, Frankie Rose launched her solo career with Frankie Rose and the Outs in 2010 and has since issued four albums under her own name.
Band members
- Ali Koehler (2008–2010, 2011–2014, 2019–present)
- Cassie Ramone (2007–2014, 2019–present)
- Katy "Kickball Katy" Goodman (2007–2014, 2019–present)
- Former members
- Fiona Campbell (2010–2011)
- Frankie Rose (2007–2008)
Albums
| Year | Album details | Chart rankings | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Billboard 200 | Top Heatseekers | ||
| 2008 | Vivian Girls
|
— | 44 |
| 2009 | Everything Goes Wrong
|
— | 31 |
| 2011 | Share the Joy
|
— | 20 |
| 2019 | Memory
|
— | 17 |
EPs
| Date | Title | Format | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 & 2009 | Live on the Radio (WFMU 9/1/2008) | CD & LP | Limited edition run: 150 hand-numbered CDs; 1000 vinyl LPs |
Singles
| Date | Single title | B-side track(s) | Record label | Format | Additional information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | "Wild Eyes" | "My Baby Wants Me Dead" | Plays With Dolls / Wild World | 7" vinyl single | Pressed in a quantity of 4000 copies |
| 2008 | "Tell the World" | "I Believe in Nothing" & "Damaged" | Woodsist | 7" vinyl single | Limited to a pressing of 3000 copies |
| 2008 | "I Can't Stay" | "Blind Spot" (The Daisy Chain cover) | In the Red | 7" vinyl single | Pressed to a total of 2000 copies |
| 2008 | "Surfin' Away" & "Second Date" | "Girl Don't Tell Me" (The Beach Boys cover) | Wild World | 7" vinyl single | Limited edition of 1000 copies |
| 2009 | "Moped Girls" | "Death" | For Us Records | 7" vinyl single | Pressed with a run of 1500 copies |
| 2010 | "My Love Will Follow Me" | 'He's Gone' (The Chantels cover) | 'Wild World' | '7" vinyl single' | 'Limited pressing of 2000 copies' |
| '2011' | 'I Heard You Say' | 'I Won't Be Long' | 'Polyvinyl' | '7" vinyl single' | 'Record Store Day exclusive; limited to 2000 copies' |
Compilation appearances
- Live at KEXP Vol.5 - featured track: "I Can't Stay" (2009)
- Short Attention Span (Methodist Leisure Inc.) - includes "Snack Attack" (Hardcore Mix) (2009)
- The World's Lousy With Ideas: Vol. 8 - song included: "Lake House" (2009)
- Rough Trade Shops: Indiepop 09 - features "Moped Girls" (Cooperative Music, 2009)
- We Were So Turned On: A Tribute to David Bowie - cover of "John, I'm Only Dancing" (David Bowie cover) (2010)
Further reading
- Acoustic session hosted by 'They Shoot Music - Don't They'
- Podcast interview featuring Cassie Ramone
External links
- Vivian Girls on the Polyvinyl Record Co. website
- Vivian Girls (@viviangirls) via Instagram
- Musical groups originating from Brooklyn
- American dream pop bands
- Indie rock bands based in New York (state)
- Musical groups formed in 2007
- Musical groups that disbanded in 2014
- American noise pop bands
- Artists associated with In the Red Records
- Artists signed to Polyvinyl Record Co.
- 2007 establishments in New York City
- American all-female music groups
- All-female pop ensembles
- All-female rock ensembles
- Musical groups disestablished in 2014