Kim Deal facts for kids

"Mrs. John Murphy" redirects here. For other people, see John Murphy.

Quick facts for kids Kim Deal
Deal performing with the Breeders in 2018
Born	Kimberley Ann Deal (1961-06-10) June 10, 1961 (age 64) Dayton, Ohio, U.S.
Other names	Mrs. John Murphy Tammy Ampersand
Alma mater	Kettering College
Occupation	Musician singer songwriter
Years active	1986–present
Spouse(s)	John Murphy (1985–1988)
Relatives	Kelley Deal (twin sister), Kevin Deal (brother)
Musical career
Genres	Alternative rock noise pop
Instruments	Vocals guitar bass keyboards drums
Labels	4AD Elektra

Kimberley Ann Deal (born June 10, 1961) is an American musician. She is known for her work as a singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist. Kim Deal was the original bassist and a singer in the alternative rock band the Pixies. She played with them from 1986 to 1993 and again from 2004 to 2013.

Kim is also the leader of the Breeders, a band she started in 1989. For some of her early work, she used the stage name Mrs. John Murphy. Later, she used the name Tammy Ampersand for another band called the Amps.

After the Pixies took a break, Kim formed the Breeders. Her twin sister, Kelley Deal, later joined the band. The Pixies broke up in 1993, and Kim focused on the Breeders. Their album Last Splash (1993) sold very well and included the hit song "Cannonball".

Kim returned to the Pixies when they reunited in 2004. In 2013, she left the Pixies again to focus on the Breeders. In 2018, the Breeders released their fifth album, All Nerve. In 2024, Kim Deal released her first solo album, Nobody Loves You More.

Growing Up
Music Career
Musical Instruments
Recording Style
Images for kids
See also

Growing Up

Kimberley Ann Deal was born in Dayton, Ohio, in the United States. Her father was a laser physicist. Kim and her twin sister, Kelley Deal, started learning about music when they were very young. They sang into a tape recorder when they were just four or five years old.

They grew up listening to hard rock bands like AC/DC and Led Zeppelin. When Kim was 11, she learned to play "King of the Road" on the acoustic guitar. In high school, she was a cheerleader and a good student.

A friend of Kelley's sent them tapes of new music from California. These tapes included artists like the Sex Pistols and Siouxsie and the Banshees. Kim said these tapes were very important to them.

As a teenager, Kim formed a folk rock band with her sister. She found it easier to write her own songs than to learn covers. They bought music equipment like microphones and a tape recorder to set up a small studio in their bedroom. They even bought a drum machine to make their music sound more like a band.

After high school, Kim went to several colleges but did not finish. She earned a degree in medical technology. She then worked in hospital and biochemical labs for a while.

Music Career

Joining the Pixies

Kim Deal became the bassist and backing singer for the Pixies in January 1986. She saw an advertisement looking for a bassist. Even though her main instrument was guitar, she borrowed her sister Kelley's bass and got the spot.

She suggested that David Lovering, a friend she met at her wedding, become the drummer. For the band's first recording, Come on Pilgrim (1987), Kim used the name "Mrs. John Murphy." She chose this name as a playful joke.

Deal (right) and Black Francis performing in a 2004 Pixies concert

For the album Surfer Rosa (1988), Kim sang the main vocals on the song "Gigantic". She also helped write this song with the band's leader, Black Francis. The album Doolittle came out a year later, and Kim contributed the song "Silver."

Around this time, Kim and Francis started having disagreements. The recording sessions became less fun and more like work. The band was also tired from releasing three albums and touring a lot in just two years. This caused more tension between them. The band decided to take a break.

Forming the Breeders

Deal performing with the Breeders, c. 2002

While touring Europe with the Pixies in 1988, Kim Deal started writing new songs. She talked with Tanya Donelly from the band Throwing Muses about starting a new project. They decided to form a band called the Breeders. Kim named it after the folk band she had with her sister as a teenager.

They recorded a demo tape, which was sent to Ivo Watts-Russell at 4AD, a record label. He quickly signed them. The Breeders allowed Kim to write more songs. Their first album, Pod (1990), was mostly written by Kim. It was recorded in Edinburgh by Steve Albini.

Many musicians praised Pod. Nirvana's leader, Kurt Cobain, said it was one of his favorite albums. He also wished Kim had been allowed to write more songs for the Pixies.

Pixies Albums: Bossanova and Trompe le Monde

After recording Pod, Kim returned to the U.S. She was briefly out of the Pixies but then rejoined them. She flew to Los Angeles to record Bossanova (1990) with the band.

The Pixies' last studio album was Trompe le Monde (1991). The recording sessions were difficult, and the band members were rarely all together. Kim did not write any songs for this album. She rarely sang on the Pixies' songs during this period. One of the few songs she sang on was a cover of Neil Young's "I've Been Waiting for You".

Last Splash Success

A year after the Pixies broke up, Kim's sister, Kelley Deal, joined the Breeders as the lead guitarist. The band then released Last Splash. This album received great reviews and was very successful. It sold over a million copies within a year.

In the mid-1990s, the Breeders became very popular. Their music videos for songs like "Cannonball", "Safari", "Divine Hammer", and "Saints" were often shown on MTV. The band also released an EP called "Head to Toe" in 1994. They performed on the main stage at the Lollapalooza music festival that summer.

The Amps and Other Projects

In 1995, Kim Deal formed a new band called the Amps. She used the name "Tammy Ampersand" for this project. Their only album, Pacer (1995), was generally well-received but did not sell many copies.

Kim also produced music for other bands. She worked with Guided by Voices, another band from Dayton. One song on Pacer, "I Am Decided", was co-written with their lead singer, Robert Pollard.

Kim has also lent her voice to other musical projects. She sang on This Mortal Coil's song "You and Your Sister" in 1991. She also appeared on the 1995 Sonic Youth single "Little Trouble Girl".

Deal in concert with the Amps in 1995.

Pixies Reunion and Beyond

Deal performing in 2009

In 2004, Kim Deal rejoined the Pixies when they reunited. They released a new song called "Bam Thwok" and toured North America. They performed at the Coachella Festival in 2004 and headlined Lollapalooza in 2005. The Pixies also toured the UK and played at the Reading and Leeds Festivals.

In 2003, Kim moved back to Dayton to care for her mother. In April 2008, the Breeders released their fourth album, Mountain Battles. An EP called Fate to Fatal followed a year later. On June 14, 2013, it was announced that Kim Deal had left the Pixies again. She has since released new solo music on her website.

Solo Music and All Nerve

In December 2012, Kim Deal played a solo show at a festival in the UK. She performed several new songs. At the same time, she released her first solo song, "Walking with a Killer." She continued to release more solo music in 2013 and 2014.

In April 2013, a special 20th-anniversary edition of the Breeders' album Last Splash was released. Kim reunited with Kelley Deal, Josephine Wiggs, and Jim Macpherson for a Last Splash anniversary tour. They toured North America, Europe, and Australia. In 2014, it was reported that this same group was working on new music.

A new song, "Wait in the Car", came out on October 3, 2017. On March 2, 2018, the reunited Breeders released All Nerve. This was their first studio album in ten years and received great reviews. The Breeders also worked with Courtney Barnett on her 2018 album Tell Me How You Really Feel. Kim and Kelley sang backing vocals on some of her songs.

In August 2024, Kim Deal announced her first solo album, Nobody Loves You More, which was released on November 22. This album features several collaborations with other artists.

Musical Instruments

Bass Guitars

Kim Deal usually plays four-string bass guitars. She always uses a guitar pick, especially green ones with a turtle on them. She likes to use old strings on her bass guitars.

Aria Pro II Cardinal Series: This was Kelley's bass and was used on early Pixies recordings.
1962 Fender Precision Reissue: Used on the Pixies' album Doolittle.
Music Man StingRay: Kim started using this bass for Bossanova because it had a different sound. It became her main bass for live shows.
Steinberger headless bass: Kim bought this bass while recording Trompe Le Monde. She said it had a "weird, organ-y sound."
Gibson Thunderbird: This is one of her favorite basses.

Guitars

When Kim plays acoustic guitars for rhythm, she likes to make their sound distorted through Marshall amps. She says the type of acoustic guitar doesn't matter much.

Seagull acoustic
1958 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop Reissue: Kelley Deal also played this guitar in the Breeders.
Fender Stratocaster: Kim plays a 1991 Strat Ultra model. Kelley also has the same model.
Fender Telecaster: Kim has sometimes used this guitar in live Breeders performances.
Gibson hollowbody: Kim borrowed this guitar for the album Last Splash.

Amplifiers

Peavey 300 Combo
Trace Elliot bass head and cabinet
SWR heads
Marshall JCM 900 head and cabinets
Gallien-Krueger cabinet
"Joe's Light" cabinet
Sears Tremolo amp

Effects

dbx 160X Compressor
Boss DS-1 Distortion pedals: Both Kim and Kelley use these.

Recording Style

Kim Deal prefers to record and mix music without using digital equipment. She even created the "All Wave" logo to show recordings that follow this old-school method. She hopes this might start a new trend in music recording.