Throwing Muses consists of Kristin Hersh, Tanya Donelly.
Throwing Muses is a post-punk alternative rock band formed in 1981 in Newport, Rhode Island, that toured and recorded extensively until 1997, when its members began concentrating more on other projects. Originally fronted by two distinctive lead singers, Kristin Hersh and Tanya Donelly, who both wrote the group's songs, Throwing Muses are known for performing music with shifting tempos, creative chord progressions, unorthodox song structures, and surreal lyrics. The group was set apart from other contemporary acts by Hersh's stark, candid writing style; Donelly's pop stylings and vocal harmonies; and Narcizo's unusual drumming techniques eschewing use of cymbals. Hallucinatory, febrile songs by Hersh occasionally touched on the subject of mental illness, more often drawing portraits of characters from daily life or addressing relationships.
Hersh enlisted her stepsister, Donelly, to help form the group when they were in high school. The two served as guitarists, lead vocalists, and songwriters for the group; drummer David Narcizo joined shortly thereafter. Hersh originally named the group "The Muses". Since the band was no longer composed of only female musicians after Narcizo joined, they decided to shift to a name with fewer gender-specific connotations, "Throwing Muses".
Early recordings were made in 1983 but not released. The group self-released a set of demos in 1984, later known as "The Doghouse Cassette," garnering a number-one college radio hit, "Sinkhole," that year. A self-titled EP was also released in 1984 on their Blowing Fuses label. The demos came to the attention of Ivo Watts-Russell, who signed them to the 4AD label and released their untitled debut album in 1986.
The group also coreleased some of their later albums on Sire/ Reprise Records and Rykodisc. With cover stories about them published in most major British music publications of the 1980s, they became one of the first successful alternative rock acts to be led by two female singer/guitarists, helping set the stage for later arrivals like Sleater-Kinney.