Shirley Manson

Full name: Shirley Ann Manson
Also known as: Shirl, The Queen, Queen Helen, Queen Anne
Born: 26 August 1966 in Edinburgh, Scotland
Occupations: singer-songwriter, model, actress
Instruments: vocals, guitars
Ex-bands: Autumn 1904 (1982-1983), Wild Indians (1983), Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie (1984-1992), Angelfish (1994)

Biography:
Shirley Ann Manson was born on 26 August 1966 in Edinburgh, Scotland. She was born middle-child between older sister Lindy-Jayne and younger sister Sarah, and was brought up in the Stockbridge area of the city. Her mother Muriel is a former big band singer and her father John is a geneticist from the team that cloned Dolly the Sheep.

At age 7 Shirley began learning the piano, later attending the City of Edinburgh Music School where she also joined the school's theatre group. At school, she was regularly bullied because of her natural red hair and large green eyes. She sometimes returned home after school bloody and bruised from being beaten up. The incessant teasing and bullying led her into depression and drove her to self-harm. Also as a result of the bullying, she dropped out of school at the age of 16.

Manson's first job was voluntary work in a local hospital's cafeteria, then as a breakfast waitress at a local hotel before spending five years as a shop assistant for Miss Selfridge, beginning on the make-up counter. Manson was eventually moved into stockrooms for her attitude to customers. Despite her own feelings towards her look, Manson also briefly modeled clothing for Jackie magazine (for money, according to a Q Magazine interview).

Her first experience with music was with the bands Autumn 1904 (between 1982-1983) and Wild Indians (in 1983) where she sang backing vocals. In 1984, Shirley joined Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie, with whom she sang backup vocals and played the keyboards. She remained in the band for eight years until they split in 1992.

After the split, Shirley and two other members of the band formed Angelfish with her as the lead singer. Angelfish released one self-titled album and had one hit "Suffocate Me." This single aired on MTV's 120 Minutes and Steve Marker was watching that night and he arranged a meeting with Shirley the next day. After two auditions, Shirley became the lead singer in 1994 which led to Angelfish breaking up soon.

On 7 September 1996 Shirley married the sculptor Eddie Farrell. They separated in 2001, which led Shirley to cut her hair short and dye it blonde.

She has cited Siouxsie Sioux from the post-punk band Siouxsie & The Banshees as a main influence on her. Another major influences are Debbie Harry from Blondie, Chrissie Hynde from The Pretenders and Patti Smith.

Her debut album supposed to be released in 2008 is on hold. Even if Shirley's album is finished, her record label don't want to release it because they consider her album to be "too noir" (uncommercial).

In 2008 Shirley joined the cast of US TV show Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles in a regular role.

On March 2009 Shirley posted a demo song entitled "In the Snow" on her Facebook profile.

Butch Vig

Full name: Bryan David Vigorson
Also known as: Butch, Grunge Is Dead, The Embalmer, Sonic Mortician, Frank Gearhead
Born: 2 August 1957 in Viroqua, Wisconsin, USA
Occupations: drummer, record producer, sound engineer, remixer
Instruments: drums, piano, guitars, loops, noise, EFX
Ex-bands: The Schilts, Eclipse, Spooner (1978-1986, 1989-1993), First Person (1986), Fire Town (1986-1989), Rectal Drip

Biography:
Bryan David Vigorson was born on 8 December 1957 in a small dairy farm community of Viroqua, Wisconsin. Vig studied piano as a child and drums as a teenager. A fascination with electronic music led him to begin experimenting with synthesizers, and his interests soon led him into production.

Soon Butch joined his first band called The Schlits, named after the front man, Kevin Schlit, but the group lasted only one gig. The next band he joined was called Eclipse. They played a bunch of covers, but they only had one original song.

After graduating from high school, Butch took two years of medical school at the University of Madison but dropped out on 1975 to play drums in Spooner, lead by Duke Erikson. They had some success with the release of three albums along with several singles from 1978 to 1986. Spooner reunited in 1989 to record a third album, however the band split up permanently in 1993.

Later Butch attended two years of film school and became interested in writing electronic soundtracks for his arty films. He did the special effects and synthesized the sounds. He shot 16mm films, which he describes as "abstract, arty, very unwatchable." He also contributed soundtracks to many low-budget films, including the B-movie "Slumber Party Massacre." In film school he met Steve Marker, who had bought a four-track with money he earned from a summer of mowing lawns. When the band members heard about this, Steve started to record for them.

After "doing really crude demos" in Steve's basement, Butch and Steve decided to set up a studio, and in 1983 they founded Smart Studios. They hired some space in an old warehouse and bought a Tescam eight-track and a Peavey 12-channel board with a $3,000 USD loan from Butch's parents. They produced and recorded local punk and hardcore bands' singles for $100 USD. By the late '80s, Smart had become one of the hippest recording studios in America. Many records released on Touch & Go, Sub Pop, and Twin/Tone, among other indie labels, were made at Smart. They also remixed some songs from Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails and House of Pain.

After Spooner in 1986, Butch along with Steve were also part of a dark and edgy band, First Person. An year after First Person, Butch became part of a band named Fire Town in 1987. Fire Town had limited success with the release of two albums as well as five singles. However, Fire Town split up in permanently 1989. Butch was also part of a punk band named Rectal Drip along with Steve and Duke but this band was mostly a filler band for Smart Studios and as a result, it was short-lived. The next band was Garbage.

Butch is one of the most influential and talented musicians of the 90's. He has produced and mixed for many artists, including Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, U2, Beck, Hole, Ash, Sonic Youth, Green Day and of course Garbage.

Duke Erikson

Full name: Douglas Elwin Erikson
Also known as: Duke
Born: 15 January 1953 in Lyons, Nebraska, USA
Occupations: guitarist, keyboard player, record producer, sound engineer, remixer
Instruments: guitars, keyboards, fuzz bass, EFX
Ex-bands: The British, Spooner (1978-1986, 1989-1993), First Person (1986), Fire Town (1986-1989), Rectal Drip

Biography:
Douglas Elwin Erikson was born on 15 January 1951 in Lyons, a small farming community in Nebraska. His first passion was the piano, until he bought a guitar. At the age of 16 he joined his first band, called The British.

When he completed his first scholastic cycle, he signed up an art school in a little college in Nebraska. He financed his studies with jobs like truck driver, carpenter and waiter. He had his first real success with the band Spooner as the main songwriter and singer. Duke was also member of Fire Town and Rectal Drip before Garbage.

Duke used to be a producer and engineer at Smart Studios. He is single and the father of a daughter Stephanie.

Steve Marker

Full name: Steven W. Marker
Also known as: Steve, The Psycho
Born: 16 March 1959 in Mamaroneck, New York, USA
Occupations: guitars, keyboard player, record producer, sound engineer, remixer, human rights advocate
Instruments: guitars, keyboards, samples and loops
Ex-bands: The British, Spooner (1978-1986, 1989-1993), First Person (1986), Rectal Drip

Biography:
Steven W. Marker was born in Mamaroneck, New York on 16 March 1959. He spent his teen in Nebraska. At the age of 6 his parents bought him a drums kit, but at 12 he shifted instruments and changed over the guitar. He passed the high-school at Mamaroneck. Then he refined his instruction at Madison, and just there he met Butch during the recording of a film. Butch proposed him to enter in the Spooner band led by Duke and he instantly accepted. He was also a member of the band named First Person.

Steve was the person who did almost all of the sound work for Spooner from 1978 to 1986, and all of the sound work for Fire Town from 1987 to 1989. He was involved on the project Rectal Drip. Then of course he helped Butch and Duke with the unnamed band project, later named Garbage.

Steve is also a human rights advocate. He is a co-owner of Smart Studios along with Butch Vig. He's married with Cindy and has a daughter Ruby.