Kat Bjelland
Encyclopedia
Katherine "Kat" Bjelland (born December 8, 1963) is an American
musician who is currently the lead singer-guitarist of the band Katastrophy Wife
, and is the former lead singer and guitarist of the punk rock
band Babes in Toyland
.
Bjelland grew up in Oregon and moved to Portland
in the early 1980s, where she met and became friends with Courtney Love
. The two formed several bands together and had an on-and-off friendship until Bjelland formed Babes in Toyland in Minneapolis
and gained considerable critical success. In 1995, Babes in Toyland released their final album, and the late '90s and early millennium saw Bjelland working on several side projects, including Katastrophy Wife. In 2007, Bjelland was diagnosed with schizophrenia
and spent a year in an institution receiving treatment. As of 2010, Katastrophy Wife has yet to release further material.
and grew up in nearby Woodburn
. Her mother was Lynne Irene Higginbotham; her father was Lyle Bjelland. Bjelland's parents divorced when she was young, and she referred to her stepmother in later years as "abusive" and having a great effect on her life. In the documentary, Not Bad for a Girl
(1995), Bjelland revealed this:
Bjelland also said she was told to "shut up" a lot and wasn't allowed to speak, which resulted in her outspoken nature as she grew into adulthood.
She attended Woodburn High School
, where she says she was a popular student and cheerleader. As a teenager, Bjelland became interested in music. Her uncle, David Higginbotham, taught her to play guitar. Her first performance was at a small bar in Woodburn called Flight 99 (now defunct), with the band called 'The Neurotics'.
, where she formed a series of bands, first The Neurotics and then an all-female band called The Venarays, which Bjelland has described as "rock with a '60s edge." The Neurotics were composed of Bjelland (rhythm guitar); her uncle David Higginbotham (lead guitar); Marty Wyman (vocals); Dave Hummel (drums); and Laura Robertson (bass).
In reality, the Venarays was not an all girl band as drummer Dave Hummel, and later, Jack Rhodes, were men. The name 'Venarays' was taken from a television character called Vena Ray in an early 1950s program called Rocky Jones Space Ranger. After the band was named, some members of the band discovered the word 'venary' in the dictionary and became confused regarding the origin.
After quitting The Venarays, Bjelland met Courtney Love
in Portland, and the two started a band with bassist Jennifer Finch
, called Sugar Babydoll
. Love went on to form the band Hole
, while Finch would be part of L7
.
Around 1985, in San Francisco, Bjelland and Love formed a new band called the Pagan Babies
with Deidre Schletter on drums and Janis Tanaka
(later in Stone Fox and L7
) When Love left, this lineup played under the name Italian Whore Nuns.
to Minneapolis, where she met and formed Babes in Toyland
. Kat met Lori Barbero at a barbecue not long after moving to Minneapolis in the mid-1980s, and convinced her to become a drummer — something that Lori quickly became very talented at. The pair joined with bassist Michelle Leon, and Babes in Toyland was formed. Courtney Love briefly played bass in the band for several weeks while in Minneapolis, but was kicked out and returned to the West Coast.
The Babes' début single, 'Dust Cake Boy' b/w 'Spit to See the Shine' was an instant hit. After touring Europe with Sonic Youth
, the band recorded their abrasive début album 'Spanking Machine', which was another success.
Babes in Toyland would achieve minor success in the early 1990s. Bands such as Bikini Kill
, Bratmobile
, and Sleater-Kinney
have named the group as a main influence, while less political female bands like Jack Off Jill
, 7 Year Bitch
, and Fluffy
have also cited Bjelland and Babes in Toyland as an inspiration. Babes in Toyland's career peaked in mainstream exposure when they performed on a portion of the Lollapalooza
tour in 1993.
with new husband Stuart Gray
(aka Stu Spasm), formerly of Lubricated Goat
. Bjelland played bass and Gray guitar, while Russell Simins of Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
was the drummer. In February 1994, the band released a self-titled début, along with its first single, "Swine". For a time there was talk that Crunt would replace Babes in Toyland as Bjelland's main project. The band had ended by the time Bjelland and Gray divorced in January 1995.
, worldwide. Katastrophy Wife have so far released two albums, Amusia and All Kneel; as well as a single Heart On on the Australia
n record label Rish in April 2007. The single was intended as a trailer for a forthcoming album, Pregnant, although as of 2011 the album has not been released. Bjelland has also done some soundtrack work. In an update to the Katastrophy Wife website, Bjelland reported that "Katastrophy Wife have had a few incarnations but from here on I will only re-incarnate my self."
She produced the album The Seven Year Itch
for the band Angelica
, released in 2002.
episode and had received treatment. Bjelland commented on the event, saying: “I don’t know how I’ve progressed musically as such but a major influence in my writing was dealing with my whole schizophrenia episode. I actually haven’t spoken to anyone much about this. Dealing with multiple personalities was extremely difficult because some days I didn’t know who I was or where I was at. I was very lucky that Adrian stuck by and helped me through it all. So obviously that was going to affect some of what I wrote about.”
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
musician who is currently the lead singer-guitarist of the band Katastrophy Wife
Katastrophy Wife
Katastrophy Wife is an American rock band formed by Kat Bjelland and her former husband Glenn Mattson in 1998. Bjelland also fronted the alternative rock band Babes in Toyland between 1987 and 2001. The band currently consists of Bjelland on lead vocals and guitar and her boyfriend, Adrian Johnson,...
, and is the former lead singer and guitarist of the punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band Babes in Toyland
Babes in Toyland (band)
Babes in Toyland was an American alternative rock band formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1987. The band was formed by Oregon native Kat Bjelland , with Lori Barbero and Michelle Leon , who was later replaced by Maureen Herman in 1992...
.
Bjelland grew up in Oregon and moved to Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
in the early 1980s, where she met and became friends with Courtney Love
Courtney Love
Courtney Michelle Love is an American rock musician. Love is the lead vocalist, lyricist, and rhythm guitarist for alternative rock band Hole, which she formed in 1989, and is an actress who has moved from bit parts in Alex Cox films to significant and acclaimed roles in The People vs...
. The two formed several bands together and had an on-and-off friendship until Bjelland formed Babes in Toyland in Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
and gained considerable critical success. In 1995, Babes in Toyland released their final album, and the late '90s and early millennium saw Bjelland working on several side projects, including Katastrophy Wife. In 2007, Bjelland was diagnosed with schizophrenia
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
and spent a year in an institution receiving treatment. As of 2010, Katastrophy Wife has yet to release further material.
Childhood
Bjelland was born in Salem, OregonSalem, Oregon
Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
and grew up in nearby Woodburn
Woodburn, Oregon
Woodburn is a city in Marion County, Oregon, United States. Incorporated in 1889, the community had been platted in 1871 after the arrival of the railroad. The city is located in the northern end of the Willamette Valley along Interstate 5 between Portland and Salem...
. Her mother was Lynne Irene Higginbotham; her father was Lyle Bjelland. Bjelland's parents divorced when she was young, and she referred to her stepmother in later years as "abusive" and having a great effect on her life. In the documentary, Not Bad for a Girl
Not Bad for a Girl
Not Bad for a Girl is a rockumentary on women musicians of the 90's from the indie rock music genre grunge and Riot Grrrl and celebrates madness, creativity, and gender play. Tina Silvey was the executive producer. Silvey Co...
(1995), Bjelland revealed this:
Bjelland also said she was told to "shut up" a lot and wasn't allowed to speak, which resulted in her outspoken nature as she grew into adulthood.
She attended Woodburn High School
Woodburn High School
Woodburn High School is a four year public high school in Woodburn, Oregon, United States.-Academics:Via funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the WHS campus is divided into four smaller schools:*Academy of International Studies...
, where she says she was a popular student and cheerleader. As a teenager, Bjelland became interested in music. Her uncle, David Higginbotham, taught her to play guitar. Her first performance was at a small bar in Woodburn called Flight 99 (now defunct), with the band called 'The Neurotics'.
Music career
Shortly after graduating from high school in 1982, Bjelland moved to PortlandPortland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, where she formed a series of bands, first The Neurotics and then an all-female band called The Venarays, which Bjelland has described as "rock with a '60s edge." The Neurotics were composed of Bjelland (rhythm guitar); her uncle David Higginbotham (lead guitar); Marty Wyman (vocals); Dave Hummel (drums); and Laura Robertson (bass).
In reality, the Venarays was not an all girl band as drummer Dave Hummel, and later, Jack Rhodes, were men. The name 'Venarays' was taken from a television character called Vena Ray in an early 1950s program called Rocky Jones Space Ranger. After the band was named, some members of the band discovered the word 'venary' in the dictionary and became confused regarding the origin.
After quitting The Venarays, Bjelland met Courtney Love
Courtney Love
Courtney Michelle Love is an American rock musician. Love is the lead vocalist, lyricist, and rhythm guitarist for alternative rock band Hole, which she formed in 1989, and is an actress who has moved from bit parts in Alex Cox films to significant and acclaimed roles in The People vs...
in Portland, and the two started a band with bassist Jennifer Finch
Jennifer Finch
Jennifer Finch , born August 5, 1966, is an American photographer and musician, notable for her involvement in the all-female punk rock group L7.-Music:...
, called Sugar Babydoll
Sugar Babydoll
Sugar Babydoll was a continuous, on-and-off musical project initially formed in Portland, Oregon by Courtney Love in 1981. The group, which in its latter stages included guitarist/vocalist Kat Bjelland and bassist Jennifer Finch, was a precursor to the Pagan Babies, formed by Love and Bjelland in...
. Love went on to form the band Hole
Hole (band)
Hole is an American alternative rock band that originally formed in Los Angeles in 1989. The band is fronted by vocalist/songwriter and rhythm guitarist Courtney Love, who co-founded Hole with former songwriter/lead guitarist Eric Erlandson...
, while Finch would be part of L7
L7 (band)
L7 was an American rock band from Los Angeles, that was active from 1985 to 2000. Due to their sound and image, they are often associated with the grunge movement of the late 1980s and early 1990s.-History:...
.
Around 1985, in San Francisco, Bjelland and Love formed a new band called the Pagan Babies
Pagan Babies (band)
The Pagan Babies were a short-lived American rock band from San Francisco, California, formed by Kat Bjelland and Courtney Love circa late 1985...
with Deidre Schletter on drums and Janis Tanaka
Janis Tanaka
Janis Tanaka is a bass player who has worked as a session musician and on tour with a number of well-known artists including Pink, Fireball Ministry, Hammers of Misfortune, Pagan Babies, Stone Fox and L7....
(later in Stone Fox and L7
L7 (band)
L7 was an American rock band from Los Angeles, that was active from 1985 to 2000. Due to their sound and image, they are often associated with the grunge movement of the late 1980s and early 1990s.-History:...
) When Love left, this lineup played under the name Italian Whore Nuns.
Babes in Toyland
In the mid-1980s, Bjelland moved from PortlandPortland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
to Minneapolis, where she met and formed Babes in Toyland
Babes in Toyland (band)
Babes in Toyland was an American alternative rock band formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1987. The band was formed by Oregon native Kat Bjelland , with Lori Barbero and Michelle Leon , who was later replaced by Maureen Herman in 1992...
. Kat met Lori Barbero at a barbecue not long after moving to Minneapolis in the mid-1980s, and convinced her to become a drummer — something that Lori quickly became very talented at. The pair joined with bassist Michelle Leon, and Babes in Toyland was formed. Courtney Love briefly played bass in the band for several weeks while in Minneapolis, but was kicked out and returned to the West Coast.
The Babes' début single, 'Dust Cake Boy' b/w 'Spit to See the Shine' was an instant hit. After touring Europe with Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth is an American alternative rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore , Kim Gordon , Lee Ranaldo , Steve Shelley , and Mark Ibold .In their early career, Sonic Youth was associated with the No Wave art and music scene in New York City...
, the band recorded their abrasive début album 'Spanking Machine', which was another success.
Babes in Toyland would achieve minor success in the early 1990s. Bands such as Bikini Kill
Bikini Kill
Bikini Kill was an American punk rock band formed in Olympia, Washington in October 1990. The group consisted of vocalist and songwriter Kathleen Hanna, guitarist Billy Karren, bassist Kathi Wilcox, and drummer Tobi Vail. The band is widely considered to be the pioneer of the riot grrrl movement,...
, Bratmobile
Bratmobile
Bratmobile was an American punk band. Bratmobile was a first-generation "riot grrrl" band, which grew from the Pacific Northwest and Washington, DC underground...
, and Sleater-Kinney
Sleater-Kinney
Sleater-Kinney was an alternative rock band from Portland, Oregon that formed in 1994. Originally formed in Olympia, Washington, the group's name is derived from Sleater-Kinney Road, Interstate 5 off ramp #108 in Lacey, Washington, the location of one of their early practice spaces. They were a...
have named the group as a main influence, while less political female bands like Jack Off Jill
Jack Off Jill
Jack Off Jill was an American alternative rock band from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, founded in 1992 by Jessica Fodera, Tenni Arslanyan, Robin Moulder, and Michelle Oliver. Though these four young women were the initial founders, twelve members rotated through the group in its lifespan, including...
, 7 Year Bitch
7 Year Bitch
7 Year Bitch was an American punk rock band from Seattle, Washington that was active for 7 years, between 1990 and 1997. Their career yielded three albums, and was impacted by the deaths of their guitarist Stefanie Sargent and close-friend Mia Zapata of fellow Seattle punks The Gits.-Career:7 Year...
, and Fluffy
Fluffy (band)
Fluffy was an all female punk rock band from London active between 1994 and 1998.-Origins:The band formed in 1994 after classmates, Amanda Rootes and Angie Adams were inspired by a jazz-blues singer in one of Old Compton Street's gay cafes. They were attending college in London at the time,...
have also cited Bjelland and Babes in Toyland as an inspiration. Babes in Toyland's career peaked in mainstream exposure when they performed on a portion of the Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza is an annual music festival featuring popular alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. It has also provided a platform for non-profit and political groups. The music festival hosts more than 160,000 people over a...
tour in 1993.
Crunt
Earlier in 1993, Bjelland had begun a side project called CruntCrunt
Crunt was an alternative rock band, active from 1993 to 1995. Formed when all three members were living in Seattle, the band included Kat Bjelland of Babes in Toyland and Stuart Gray, who were married during the band's career....
with new husband Stuart Gray
Stuart Gray
Stuart Allan Gray is an American/Panamanian former professional basketball player. At 7'0" tall, he played at the center position....
(aka Stu Spasm), formerly of Lubricated Goat
Lubricated Goat
Lubricated Goat was an Australian noise rock band of the 1980s.They achieved brief notoriety for playing on a television program naked, wearing only their instruments and shoes...
. Bjelland played bass and Gray guitar, while Russell Simins of Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion are an American alternative rock trio, formed in 1991 and based out of New York City, New York. The band consists of Judah Bauer on guitar, backing vocals, harmonica and occasional lead vocals, Russell Simins on drums and Jon Spencer on vocals, guitar and theremin...
was the drummer. In February 1994, the band released a self-titled début, along with its first single, "Swine". For a time there was talk that Crunt would replace Babes in Toyland as Bjelland's main project. The band had ended by the time Bjelland and Gray divorced in January 1995.
Katastrophy Wife and current projects
With Babes in Toyland playing only sporadically in the late 1990s, Bjelland started the band Katastrophy Wife in 2000. The band toured at venues, such as LadyfestLadyfest
Ladyfest is a community-based, not-for-profit global music and arts festival for female artists that features bands, musical groups, performance artists, authors, spoken word and visual artists, films, lectures, art exhibitions and workshops; it is organized by volunteers. The first ever Ladyfest...
, worldwide. Katastrophy Wife have so far released two albums, Amusia and All Kneel; as well as a single Heart On on the Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n record label Rish in April 2007. The single was intended as a trailer for a forthcoming album, Pregnant, although as of 2011 the album has not been released. Bjelland has also done some soundtrack work. In an update to the Katastrophy Wife website, Bjelland reported that "Katastrophy Wife have had a few incarnations but from here on I will only re-incarnate my self."
She produced the album The Seven Year Itch
The Seven Year Itch (album)
The Seven Year Itch is the first full-length album by Angelica released on Victory Works records. It was produced by Kat Bjelland of Babes in Toyland and Katastrophy Wife who also sang guest vocals on "Golden Lillies".-Track listing:...
for the band Angelica
Angelica (band)
Angelica were an all-girl punk rock band from Lancaster, England. Holly Ross , Brigit Colton , Claire Windsor and Rachel Parsons formed the band while still at school in 1994 and performed until 2003...
, released in 2002.
Personal life
Bjelland was married and divorced twice and had a son, Henry, with her second husband. In 2007, it was reported that Bjelland had fallen into a schizophrenicSchizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
episode and had received treatment. Bjelland commented on the event, saying: “I don’t know how I’ve progressed musically as such but a major influence in my writing was dealing with my whole schizophrenia episode. I actually haven’t spoken to anyone much about this. Dealing with multiple personalities was extremely difficult because some days I didn’t know who I was or where I was at. I was very lucky that Adrian stuck by and helped me through it all. So obviously that was going to affect some of what I wrote about.”
Albums
- 1990–Spanking MachineSpanking Machine-Musicians and personnel:*Kat Bjelland - lead vocals, guitar*Lori Barbero - drums, backing vocals *Michelle Leon - bass*Jack Endino - producer, engineer...
(Babes in ToylandBabes in Toyland (band)Babes in Toyland was an American alternative rock band formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1987. The band was formed by Oregon native Kat Bjelland , with Lori Barbero and Michelle Leon , who was later replaced by Maureen Herman in 1992...
) - 1991–To MotherTo MotherTo Mother is the first EP recorded by Babes in Toyland consisting of the outtakes from the previous release Spanking Machine, but was rerecorded in Europe after their tour with Sonic Youth which can be seen on 1991: The Year Punk Broke...
(Babes in Toyland) - 1992–The Peel SessionsThe Peel Sessions (Babes in Toyland)The Peel Sessions is the live album recorded by Babes in Toyland. It was produced by Dale Buffin Griffin and released 1992 by Strange Fruit Records/Dutch East India Trading. Babes in Toyland later self-released a 7" of four other songs from their 1992 Peel Sessions...
(Babes in Toyland) - 1992–FontanelleFontanelle (album)Fontanelle is the second studio album by the American punk rock band Babes in Toyland, released on August 11, 1992. It was the band's first release on a major label , and their first recording to feature Maureen Herman on bass.-Background and production:After extensive touring throughout 1991, the...
(Babes in Toyland) - 1993–PainkillersPainkillers (album)Painkillers is the second EP recorded by Babes in Toyland. It consists of a re-recording "He's My Thing", outtakes from Fontanelle, and a live version of the tracks from Fontanelle, titled "Fontanellette", recorded at CBGB's...
(Babes in Toyland) - 1994–CruntCrunt (album)Crunt is an album by Grunge supergroup Crunt, released on February 14, 1994. It was the band's first and only release.-Track listing:All songs by Babes in Toyland#Theme From Crunt#Swine*#Blackheart#Unglued#Changing My Mind#Snap Out Of It#Sexy...
(CruntCruntCrunt was an alternative rock band, active from 1993 to 1995. Formed when all three members were living in Seattle, the band included Kat Bjelland of Babes in Toyland and Stuart Gray, who were married during the band's career....
) - 1994–DystopiaDystopia (Babes in Toyland album)Dystopia is a compilation album consisting of earlier albums, Spanking Machine, To Mother, and the Handsome and Gretel Single recorded by Babes in Toyland...
(Babes in Toyland) - 1995–NemesistersNemesistersNemesisters is the third and final studio album recorded by Babes in Toyland. It was produced by Tim Mac, and released 5 May 1995 by Reprise Records.-Track listings:All song by Babes in Toyland, except as noted:#"Hello" - 4:45#"Oh Yeah!" - 3:16...
(Babes in Toyland) - 2000–LivedLived (album)Lived is the first compilation of the trilogy released by Babes in Toyland. It was produced by Tim Mac, and released May 2000 by Almafame.-Track listing:All songs by Babes in Toyland #Introduction: Dr...
(Babes in Toyland) - 2000–DevilDevil (Babes in Toyland album)Devil is the second compilation of the trilogy released by Babes in Toyland. It was produced by Tim Mac, and released May 2000 by Almafame.-Track listing:All songs by Babes in Toyland...
(Babes in ToylandBabes in Toyland (band)Babes in Toyland was an American alternative rock band formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1987. The band was formed by Oregon native Kat Bjelland , with Lori Barbero and Michelle Leon , who was later replaced by Maureen Herman in 1992...
) - 2000–ViledViledViled is the third compilation of the trilogy released by Babes in Toyland. The previous two were Lived and Devil. Viled was produced by Tim Mac, and released May 2000 by Almafame.-Track listing:...
(Babes in Toyland) - 2001–MinneapolismMinneapolismMinneapolism is a live album recorded by Babes in Toyland. It was released in May, 2001 by Cherry Red Records.- Track listing :All song by Babes in Toyland#Bruise Violet#Swamp Pussy#Vomit Heart#Oh Yeah#Handsome and Gretel...
(Babes in ToylandBabes in Toyland (band)Babes in Toyland was an American alternative rock band formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1987. The band was formed by Oregon native Kat Bjelland , with Lori Barbero and Michelle Leon , who was later replaced by Maureen Herman in 1992...
) - 2001–AmusiaAmusia (album)Amusia is the first album by Punk rock band Katastrophy Wife, released in 2001.-Track listing:All songs by Katastrophy Wife#Gone Away#Boomerang Doll#Git Go#Rosacea#Pretty Car#Anathema#Knife Fight#Haunted#Window#Widdershins...
(Katastrophy WifeKatastrophy WifeKatastrophy Wife is an American rock band formed by Kat Bjelland and her former husband Glenn Mattson in 1998. Bjelland also fronted the alternative rock band Babes in Toyland between 1987 and 2001. The band currently consists of Bjelland on lead vocals and guitar and her boyfriend, Adrian Johnson,...
) - 2004–All Kneel (Katastrophy WifeKatastrophy WifeKatastrophy Wife is an American rock band formed by Kat Bjelland and her former husband Glenn Mattson in 1998. Bjelland also fronted the alternative rock band Babes in Toyland between 1987 and 2001. The band currently consists of Bjelland on lead vocals and guitar and her boyfriend, Adrian Johnson,...
) - 2004–The Best of Babes In Toyland and Kat Bjelland
Singles
- 1989–Dust Cake Boy (Babes in ToylandBabes in Toyland (band)Babes in Toyland was an American alternative rock band formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1987. The band was formed by Oregon native Kat Bjelland , with Lori Barbero and Michelle Leon , who was later replaced by Maureen Herman in 1992...
) - 1990–House (Babes in Toyland)
- 1991–Handsome and Gretel (Babes in Toyland)
- 1991–Bruise Violet (Babes in Toyland)
- 1993–Catatonic (Babes in Toyland)
- 1994–Swine (CruntCruntCrunt was an alternative rock band, active from 1993 to 1995. Formed when all three members were living in Seattle, the band included Kat Bjelland of Babes in Toyland and Stuart Gray, who were married during the band's career....
) - 1995–Sweet '69Sweet '69"Sweet '69" is a song by Babes in Toyland, released in 1995. B-sides, "S.F.W." and "Swamp Pussy", are live recordings from the Roskilde Festival in 1994 by Radiomafia. "Sweet '69" is the first single by Babes in Toyland to get a lot of radio airplay in the US, reaching #37 on the Billboard Modern...
(Babes in Toyland) - 1995–We Are Family (Babes in Toyland)
- 2001–Gone Away (Katastrophy Wife)
- 2003–Liberty Belle (Katastrophy Wife)
- 2003–Money Shot (Katastrophy Wife)
- 2004–Blue Valiant (Katastrophy Wife)
- 2007–Heart-On (Katastrophy Wife)