Gin Wigmore facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gin Wigmore
Wigmore performing in 2010
Background information
Birth name	Virginia Claire Wigmore
Born	(1986-06-06) 6 June 1986 (age 39) Auckland, New Zealand
Genres	Blues rock, pop rock, alternative rock
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, keyboards
Years active	2008–present
Labels	Island, Dangerbird
Associated acts	Smashproof, The Cardinals, Letlive

Virginia Claire Wigmore (born 6 June 1986), known as Gin Wigmore, is a singer and songwriter from New Zealand. She is famous for her unique, high-pitched, and raspy voice.

Wigmore became well-known after being featured on the hit song "Brother" by the group Smashproof in 2009. She has released four albums: Holy Smoke (2009), Gravel & Wine (2011), Blood to Bone (2015), and Ivory (2018). Her first three albums all reached number one on the New Zealand music charts.

Musical Journey

Winning a Major Competition

When Gin Wigmore was 14, she was inspired by the album White Ladder by David Gray and wrote her first song, "Angelfire." A couple of years later, her father passed away, and she stopped making music for a while. She traveled to Argentina to teach at a kindergarten.

After returning to New Zealand, she wrote a song called "Hallelujah" in memory of her father. Her sister secretly entered the song into the International Songwriting Competition in 2004. Wigmore won the Grand Prize, beating 11,000 other songwriters from 77 countries. She was the youngest and only unsigned artist to ever win.

Hallelujah was my way of telling my family I had dealt with dad's passing and honestly, I didn't want to share these feelings with anyone else. I wanted the moment for myself and my family.

— Gin Wigmore

First Recordings

Wigmore's first release was an EP called Extended Play. An EP is like a mini-album with just a few songs. It included "Hallelujah" and other tracks like "These Roses" and "Under My Skin." The EP was a success in New Zealand, reaching number ten on the charts.

She began touring with famous musicians like Pete Murray, John Mellencamp, and Sheryl Crow. Her song "Under My Skin" was even used in an Air New Zealand commercial.

Holy Smoke Album

In 2009, Wigmore released her first full album, Holy Smoke. The album was a huge hit in New Zealand. The first single, "Oh My", climbed to number four on the charts. Other popular songs from the album included "I Do" and "Hey Ho."

Her music started appearing in TV shows. "Oh My" was the theme song for the series The Almighty Johnsons, and "Hey Ho" was featured in an American TV show.

Gravel & Wine Album

Gin Wigmore performing in 2015

For her second album, Wigmore traveled through the Southern United States to find new inspiration. The result was Gravel & Wine, released in 2011. It went straight to number one in New Zealand.

The single "Black Sheep" became very popular. It was used in TV shows like Grey's Anatomy and Teen Wolf. Another song, "Kill of the Night," was featured in shows like Pretty Little Liars and was used in commercials around the world. Her song "Man Like That" was even in a commercial for the James Bond movie Skyfall.

Blood to Bone Album

Wigmore's third album, Blood to Bone, came out in 2015. It also hit number one in New Zealand, making it her third album in a row to do so. It was also successful in Australia, reaching number 13 on the charts.

A song from this album, "New Rush," was included on the soundtrack for the video game FIFA 16. She also released a song called "Willing To Die" with rappers Logic and Suffa.

Ivory Album

Wigmore's fourth album, Ivory, was released in 2018. She named the album after her son. Before the album came out, she released singles like "Dirty Mercy" and "Hallow Fate."

In 2017, she gave a presentation at TEDxScottBase, a conference held at New Zealand's research center in Antarctica.

Personal Life

Wigmore was born in Auckland, New Zealand. Her older sister, Lucy Wigmore, is an actress known for her role in the New Zealand TV show Shortland Street.

In 2014, she married Jason Butler, the lead singer of the band Fever 333. They have two sons, Pascal and Izaiah. The family lives in Palm Springs, California, where they run a hotel. Wigmore is also a vegetarian.

Discography

Wigmore has released four studio albums, three of which have reached number one in New Zealand.

• Holy Smoke (2009)
• Gravel & Wine (2011)
• Blood to Bone (2015)
• Ivory (2018)

Awards

Gin Wigmore has won many awards for her music, especially at the New Zealand Music Awards.

• 2009: Won for Highest Selling Single for "Brother" with Smashproof.
• 2010: Won four awards, including Album of The Year for Holy Smoke and Breakthrough Artist Of The Year.
• 2015: Won for Best Female Solo Artist for her album Blood to Bone.