KatieJane Garside facts for kids

Katrina Jane Garside (born on July 8, 1968) is an English singer, songwriter, and visual artist. She is known for her unique musical style, which includes genres like noise rock, alternative metal, and acoustic folk music. Her singing can range from soft whispers to powerful screams. People have called her one of the most interesting women in alternative music.

KatieJane had an adventurous childhood, moving around England because her father was in the British Army. She also spent a big part of her teenage years sailing the ocean with her family on a yacht. Later, she was discovered by music producer Glyn Johns. She then worked with his son, Ethan, for about a year. She became well-known as the lead singer of the band Daisy Chainsaw, which she started in 1989 in London with guitarist Crispin Gray.

After leaving Daisy Chainsaw in 1993, KatieJane took a break from music for several years. She reunited with Crispin Gray in 1999 to form the rock band Queenadreena. With Queenadreena, she released four studio albums between 2000 and 2008. In both Daisy Chainsaw and Queenadreena, KatieJane was praised for her powerful and sometimes childlike singing, as well as her energetic live shows.

In 2007, KatieJane released her own solo album called Lullabies in a Glass Wilderness. That same year, she worked with composer Hector Zazou on an album called Corps Electriques. She also started a new acoustic music project called Ruby Throat with her partner, American guitarist Chris Whittingham. Ruby Throat released their first album, The Ventriloquist, in late 2007. At the same time, KatieJane had an art show called Darling, they've found the body at the WOOM Gallery in Birmingham. Ruby Throat released more albums, Out of a Black Cloud Came a Bird in 2009 and O' Doubt O' Stars in 2012. During this time, KatieJane and Chris lived on a yacht with their children, sailing around the world.

Ruby Throat released their fourth album, Baby Darling Taporo, in 2017. KatieJane and Chris then started a new music project called Liar, Flower. They released the album Geiger Counter in April 2020. KatieJane talked a lot about this album in an interview on Conan Neutron's Protonic Reversal.

Early Life and Adventures

KatieJane Garside was born on July 8, 1968, in Buckrose, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. She was the first of two daughters. Her family moved often because her father was in the British Army. He also played music in bands in London.

When KatieJane was 11, her father took the family to live on a 9.8-meter (32-foot) yacht. They sailed around the world for four years. KatieJane said that living on the sea gave her a "different way of seeing things." She explained that on long journeys, "everything you know stops, even time. It's the same thing every day, without end. There's nothing to see, no one to talk to. It's very beautiful because all distractions disappear."

While living on the sea, KatieJane and her younger sister, Melanie, listened to cassette tapes from their grandfather. These were mostly soundtracks from musical films, like West Side Story. To pass the time, they would act out scenes from the soundtracks with ragdolls. KatieJane also listened to albums by Led Zeppelin, which she felt "completed a story."

After returning to England, KatieJane's father went abroad to earn money. KatieJane's sister Melanie went to a boarding school. One day, Melanie played a tape of KatieJane singing along to "Dreams" by Fleetwood Mac. Record producer Glyn Johns, whose daughter was also at the school, heard the tape. He was impressed and contacted KatieJane. He invited her to work with his son, Ethan, who was starting to make music. KatieJane had been offered a scholarship to art school, but she chose to work with Ethan instead. She spent about a year writing and recording music with him in his father's studio. She later moved to London and worked different jobs while trying to become a singer.

Musical Journey

Starting with Daisy Chainsaw (1989–1995)

KatieJane Garside performing live with Daisy Chainsaw in London, 1990.

KatieJane formed Daisy Chainsaw in 1989 after seeing an advertisement by guitarist Crispin Gray. Bassist Richard Adams and Canadian drummer Vince Johnson joined the band. The group quickly became known for their energetic live shows. KatieJane's look was described as a "Gothic street urchin image, with dead flowers in her dreadlocked hair."

The band toured the United Kingdom with Hole and Mudhoney before their album was released. British newspapers compared KatieJane to Hole's lead singer Courtney Love. It is said that Courtney Love called KatieJane one of the "first true riot grrrls" in 1991 and admitted she was inspired by KatieJane's style. However, KatieJane never said she was part of the riot grrrl movement, which started in the Pacific Northwest of the United States.

Daisy Chainsaw released Eleventeen in 1992. This was their only full album before KatieJane left the band in 1993. The album included "Love Your Money," which was the band's most popular song. They performed it live on the British TV show The Word in 1992. "Love Your Money" reached number 26 on the UK Singles Chart in February 1992.

After KatieJane left Daisy Chainsaw, she stepped away from the public eye and the music scene. She lived quietly in the Lake District. KatieJane later said that if she had not left the band, "it would have been too much for me." She felt that because she didn't write the songs in Daisy Chainsaw, she couldn't express herself enough through the lyrics.

While living in the Lake District, KatieJane started writing her own music. She also worked with the industrial band Test Department in 1995 on their album Totality.

Queenadreena Years (1997–2007)

Garside performing with Queenadreena, 2005

KatieJane did not plan to return to music until the late 1990s. She returned to London and was contacted by her former guitarist Crispin Gray. In 1999, they formed Queenadreena. They released four studio albums over the next ten years: Taxidermy (2000), Drink Me (2002), The Butcher and the Butterfly (2005), and Djin.

In 2003, KatieJane sang on the song "Last Leaf Upon the Tree" for the group Minus's album Halldor Laxness.

After recording Live at the ICA, which showed a live Queenadreena performance from 2005, the band released two more albums. These were Ride a Cockhorse, a collection of unreleased demo songs, and Djin, which was their last studio album before the band stopped playing together around 2009.

KatieJane's solo work from this time includes a collection of home recordings called Lalleshwari/Lullabies in a Glasswilderness, released in 2006. This release also came with a collection of short films made by KatieJane.

Ruby Throat and Liar, Flower (2008–Present)

In 2007, KatieJane formed the musical duo Ruby Throat with Chris Whittingham. Chris is an American guitarist from Hawaii whom she met while he was playing music on a train platform in the London Underground. KatieJane said meeting Chris was a "cosmic intervention" that helped her.

The duo released their first album, The Ventriloquist, in November 2007. Unlike Queenadreena's rock style, Ruby Throat is more gentle and focuses on vocals with acoustic guitar. The album was well-received, and critics compared it to the music of PJ Harvey and Mazzy Star.

The next year, Corps Electriques, an album KatieJane made with French composer Hector Zazou, was released. Ruby Throat then released Tour EP in 2009, which had handmade artwork. This was followed by their second full album, Out of a Black Cloud Came a Bird (2009). Ruby Throat toured internationally during this time, opening for Rasputina in the United States.

In 2012, they released their third album, O' Doubt O' Stars. This album came with a special limited edition package that included a book of art by KatieJane and her handwritten lyrics. In April of the same year, the band announced on their official Facebook page that they were recording new music. In 2014, a new song, "Secret Fires," was released on a compilation album called Axels & Sockets.

In November 2016, KatieJane announced a limited edition book of 34 poems called A whispering frayed edge, which was released in 2017. In November 2017, Ruby Throat released their fourth studio album, Baby Darling Taporo. KatieJane gave a long interview in October 2018, where she shared that she and Chris still lived on their boat, Iona, with their children. They had recently finished a long sailing trip around the world.

In April 2020, KatieJane and Chris released a full album, Geiger Counter, under a new music project called Liar, Flower.

On May 24, 2025, KatieJane announced an upcoming full-length album on her social media and personal page. The album is called Ornamental Gardens and is set to be released in September 2025 under the name Liar, Flower.

Other Creative Works

Visual Art

KatieJane had a mixed media art show at the WOOM Gallery in Birmingham in 2007. It was called Darling, they've found the body. The show featured photographs, films, and other visual artworks.

Writing and Graphic Novels

In 2005, KatieJane worked with comics artist Daniel Schaffer on a graphic novella called Indigo Vertigo. It was published in August 2007. Daniel Schaffer said the graphic novel was "designed to communicate on many different levels. KatieJane's words are captivating and deeply moving."

In 2017, a book about KatieJane's career was released called Under a Floorboard World: The Career of Katie Jane Garside. It was published by Breakbeat Books. The book explores KatieJane's career and includes a new interview with her. In the same year, she also released A whispering frayed edge, a collection of her poems in a limited edition.

Artistic Style

Vocals, Music Style, and Song Themes

Critics have often noted KatieJane's unique singing voice. It can change from "childlike whispers" to strong scream singing, especially in her work with Queenadreena. One review mentioned, "It's surprising that such a loud noise can come from such a small person." KatieJane said, "Sometimes the urge is too big, and I just have to." Some critics have compared her voice to Macy Gray.

In her songs, KatieJane often explores themes like childhood, innocence, and how people are treated. While her music with Daisy Chainsaw and Queenadreena was often loud and rock-influenced, her work with Ruby Throat is calmer. A review in PopMatters noted: "KatieJane's soft, almost childlike voice is the main part of [Ruby Throat's debut] The Ventriloquist. Gentle acoustic guitars and lap steels set the scene for her voice."

Influences

Early in her career, KatieJane didn't talk much about her influences. However, in a 1992 interview, she said she liked Carly Simon. In a 2020 interview, she shared that one of her first musical inspirations was Petula Clark's "Downtown." She also admired the work of Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac. She has also said she looks up to Courtney Love, whose band, Hole, KatieJane toured with while in Daisy Chainsaw. KatieJane called Courtney Love "a force of nature" and said, "I admire her... She is so powerful."

In a 2020 interview, KatieJane mentioned Nico's The Marble Index (1968) as a very important influence on her music.

Live Performances

Throughout her career, KatieJane has been known for her lively and theatrical live performances. In 1999, the Evening Standard described her as having an "eerie voice and piercing eyes." While in Daisy Chainsaw, she would do things like drilling doll heads on stage. The band's energetic concerts sometimes led to KatieJane getting very intense on stage. Russell Senior, a guitarist from Pulp, remembered a 1989 concert where KatieJane wrapped the microphone cord so tightly around her neck that she passed out, and the show had to end early.

Talking about live performances in 2002, she said: "I know what excites me, and it's that fine line, that point where you're falling off the edge of a cliff... I'm always trying to find that point in music." She added that playing live allows her to reach that point where she has "lost balance." In her early career, KatieJane's stage presence was noted for her messy appearance, with torn clothes and dirt on her body. Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian wrote in 1992: "KatieJane's intense energy gives a feeling of great fragility, and her openness is almost surprising."

Despite her often energetic performances, KatieJane has admitted to having stage fright, especially early in her career. She said, "I feel things very strongly, and the absolute fear of walking onstage... it just flipped a switch in me." In a 2003 interview, she explained: "I think going on stage is one of the most unnatural things anyone can do... To put someone who is not always capable into that position creates a strong reaction inside me." She added, "The beauty of playing live is when my drummer goes into high gear... and for some reason something hits me... and I'm gone, and that's wonderful for me."

Personal Life

In 2011, KatieJane had a daughter named Leilani with her partner and musical collaborator Chris Whittingham. Chris also has a son from a previous relationship. As of 2012, the couple lived on a ketch boat named Iona with their two children. The boat was damaged in a storm in St Mawes, Cornwall, in June 2012. They made repairs in Falmouth and left England soon after, planning to sail around the world.

KatieJane shared in a 2020 interview that she meditates, and that helps her feel good.

Discography

signifies extended play

Daisy Chainsaw

• LoveSickPleasure (1991)
• Pink Flower (1992)
• Eleventeen (1992)

Queenadreena

• Taxidermy (2000)
• Drink Me (2002)
• The Butcher and the Butterfly (2005)
• Live at the ICA (2005)
• Ride a Cock Horse (2007)
• Djin (2008)

Solo

• Lalleshwari/Lullabies in a Glasswilderness (2005) (Boxset included an audio CD and a DVD. This version was limited to 300, with the first 100 being signed and numbered)
• Lalleshwari/Lullabies in a Glass Wilderness (2006) (Version did not include a DVD but included two different tracks from the previous release)
• Corps Electriques (2007) (Collaboration with Hector Zazou)

Ruby Throat

• The Ventriloquist (2007) (Version limited to 500, signed and numbered)
• Tour EP (2009) (Limited Edition handmade 5-track EP sold exclusively on their 2009 tour, including 2 photographs)
• Out of a Black Cloud Came a Bird (2009) (Version limited to 500 number copies, including 10 fine art prints, 5 photographs and a personal effect)
• O' Doubt O' Stars (2012) (34-page ribboned and hand assembled litho printed art book, 12 songs, 55 minutes, 500 numbered copies) and (Albums 1–10, handwritten cover, signed and numbered, KJG original handwritten lyrics of 1 of the 12 songs (these were used in making the finished artwork litho plates). There are only 10 of these in total, and include 1 song lyric sheet each with the first 10 albums, and a signed and numbered photo)
• The Jeffrey Lee Pierce Sessions Project: Axels & Sockets (Various artists compilation featuring Ruby Throat's cover of Secret Fires by The Gun Club)
• Baby Darling Taporo (2017)
• Stone Dress (2018)

Liar, Flower

• Geiger Counter (2020)
• Ornamental Gardens (2025)

Collaborations

• Creaming Jesus – Dead Time (1991)
• Creaming Jesus – Guilt By Association (1992)
• Frostbite – The Second Coming (1993)
• The Sacred Sawdust Ring – The Greatest Show Of Truth (1994)
• Test Dept – Totality 1 (1995)
• Test Dept – Totality (1995)
• Test Dept – Totality 1 & 2: The Mixes (1997)
• Mínus – Halldór Laxness (2004)
• Ghostigital – In Cod We Trust (2006)
• Stories From The Moon – Stories From The Moon (2006)
• Jeff Zentner – The Dying Days Of Summer (2009)
• Kittens in the Bin – Yellow Snake (2021)