Carrie Brownstein facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Carrie Brownstein
Brownstein in 2012
Born	Carrie Rachel Brownstein (1974-09-27) September 27, 1974 (age 50) Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Alma mater	Western Washington University The Evergreen State College
Occupation	Musician writer actress
Musical career
Genres	Punk rock indie rock riot grrrl
Instruments	Guitar vocals
Years active	1993–present

Carrie Rachel Brownstein (born September 27, 1974) is an American musician, actress, and writer. She is well-known for her work in music and comedy.

Carrie first became famous as a member of the band Excuse 17. Later, she helped form the rock band Sleater-Kinney.

During a break from Sleater-Kinney, she started another band called Wild Flag. Around this time, Brownstein also created comedy videos with Fred Armisen. These videos grew into the funny TV show Portlandia (2011–2018). The show won important awards like the Emmy and Peabody Awards.

Sleater-Kinney eventually got back together. Carrie Brownstein has continued to tour with the band and has also written a book about her life.

Early Life and Education

Carrie Brownstein was born in Seattle, Washington. She grew up in Redmond, Washington. Her mother was a homemaker and teacher, and her father was a lawyer. Her parents divorced when she was 14. Carrie and her younger sister, Stacey, were raised by their father. Her family has a Jewish background.

She went to Lake Washington High School. For her last year of high school, she moved to The Overlake School.

Carrie started playing guitar when she was 15. She took lessons from Jeremy Enigk. She shared that her parents wanted her to pay for the guitar herself. This made her work hard and stick with it.

After high school, Brownstein attended Western Washington University. She then transferred to The Evergreen State College. In 1997, she graduated from Evergreen. She studied how language is used in society. She lived in Olympia, Washington, for three years before moving to Portland, Oregon.

Music Career

Brownstein performing at Lollapalooza in 2006

Early Bands

While at Evergreen College, Carrie met other students who loved music. With friends Becca Albee and CJ Phillips, she formed the band Excuse 17. This band was part of the "riot grrrl" movement. This movement was about women in punk music speaking up for themselves. Excuse 17 often toured with another band called Heavens to Betsy.

Sleater-Kinney

After Excuse 17 ended, Sleater-Kinney became Carrie's main band. She formed it with Corin Tucker. They recorded their first album in 1994 during a trip to Australia. They toured with different drummers until Janet Weiss joined in 1996. The band released many albums before taking a break in 2006.

In 2014, Carrie announced that Sleater-Kinney would release a new album called No Cities to Love in 2015. They also went on tour. Music critics have called Sleater-Kinney one of the most important rock bands of the early 2000s.

Brownstein performing with Sleater-Kinney in London in 2023

Other Music Projects

Carrie Brownstein has worked on other music projects too. In 1999, she and Mary Timony released music as The Spells. They put out an album called The Age of Backwards E.P..

In 2009, Carrie worked with Janet Weiss on songs for a documentary film soundtrack.

In 2010, Carrie started a new band called Wild Flag. It included Janet Weiss, Mary Timony, and Rebecca Cole. Carrie said they formed the band because she "started to need music again." They released a self-titled album in 2011. Wild Flag toured for a few years but stopped being active by 2014.

Music Awards

In 2006, Rolling Stone magazine asked its readers to name the "Most Underrated Guitarists of All-Time." Carrie Brownstein was the only woman on this list.

Writing Career

Carrie Brownstein started writing before Sleater-Kinney took its break. She wrote interviews for The Believer magazine. She also wrote reviews for video games about music for Slate.

From 2007 to 2010, Carrie wrote a blog for NPR Music called "Monitor Mix." She wrote about music and thanked her readers in her final post.

Carrie also wrote a book about her life called Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl. It was released in 2015. The book talks about her experiences in music.

In 2020, it was announced that Carrie Brownstein was writing the script for a movie about the rock band Heart.

Acting Career

Brownstein with Fred Armisen at the 2011 Peabody Awards. Their show Portlandia won an award.

Carrie Brownstein has acted in several films and TV shows. She calls acting a "hobby." She appeared in short films and the movie Getting Stronger Every Day.

Carrie and Fred Armisen created many funny video skits together. They called themselves "ThunderAnt." These videos led to their popular TV show Portlandia. The show was a sketch comedy series filmed in Portland, Oregon. Carrie and Fred starred in the show and helped write it. Portlandia premiered in 2011 and was very popular. It finished after its eighth season in 2018.

From 2014 to 2019, Brownstein played a character named Syd in the TV series Transparent.

In 2015, she had a role in the movie Carol. Most of her scenes were cut from the final movie.

Carrie has also made guest appearances on other TV shows. These include Saturday Night Live and Curb Your Enthusiasm.

In 2020, Carrie starred in and wrote the movie The Nowhere Inn. It was a mockumentary thriller she made with Annie Clark (also known as St. Vincent).

Personal Life

Carrie Brownstein has spoken about her identity. In a 2010 interview, she said she identifies as bisexual. She has also said she uses the terms “queer” or “dyke” interchangeably.

Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen have a very close friendship. Carrie has described their relationship as "one of the most intimate, functional, romantic, but nonsexual relationships" they have ever had.

In 2022, Carrie's mother and stepfather passed away in a car accident while on vacation. This sad event and Carrie's feelings of grief influenced Sleater-Kinney's next album, "Little Rope".

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Carrie Brownstein para niños

• List of LGBT people from Portland, Oregon