Peaches

Since the release of her debut album in 2000, Peaches has spread her seed on the pop culture landscape, harnessing a worldwide audience and, along with the countless followers she’s inspired, has shaped the mainstream into a more inclusive and sexually progressive surrounding. Over the years, she’s built a reputation on her suggestive and intelligent lyrics, her amalgamation of rock and electro sounds and her balls-out performances, continuing to outdo herself with each brash step. By 2006, Peaches was in full thrust, and Impeach my Bush further infused the sexual and political into pop territory. This record, with our protagonist donning a sequined burqa, incited a full-on revolutionary orgy, highlighted by the anthem “Boys Wanna Be Her” as well as guest spots from Gossip’s Beth Ditto, former roommate Feist, and her teen idol Joan Jett. And for this incarnation of Peaches’ live concerts, she got to fulfill a longtime fantasy by forming the Herms, her own version of the Runaways. This all-girl supergroup of sorts, consisting of J.D. Samson (Le Tigre), Samantha Maloney (Hole) and Radio Sloan (The Need), toured the U.S. with Bauhaus and Nine Inch Nails and played a number of international festivals. Parallel to this, Peaches the solo entity forged new paths, exhibiting visual work for the Canadian Biennial and gaining strength as a DJ in club settings.  On the other end of the spectrum, she conceived Peaches Does Herself, a quasi-autobiographical, career-chronicling theatrical production that pastiched over 20 of her songs into an abstract narrative.  The retrospective extravaganza employed a cast and crew of over 40, including her backing band Sweet Machine, full-frontal nudity courtesy of trans porn actress Danni Daniels, oversize upholstered vaginae, and elements from the Peaches Laser Show she had brought to several European capitals earlier in the year.   Peaches Does Herself represented her body of work dealing with such themes as gender, beauty and age. Aside from her featured appearances on the latest albums from R.E.M., Christina Aguilera and the Flaming Lips, Peaches has been a keynote speaker and guest lecturer at institutions like NYU and the University of Toronto. Her plans for 2012 involve producing the next album from Taiwanese band Go Chic and taking the stage as the titular character in a production of L’Orfio, Monteverdi’s 1607 opera, standing out as the only classically untrained cast member.