Kimya Dawson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kimya Dawson
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Dawson at the 2010 Harvest of Hope Festival in St. Augustine, Florida
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| Background information | |
| Born | November 17, 1972 Bedford Hills, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | Anti-folk |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar |
| Labels | Rough Trade Records, K Records |
| Associated acts | Moldy Peaches, Aesop Rock, The Uncluded, Antsy Pants |
Kimya Dawson (born November 17, 1972) is an American singer and songwriter. They are famous for their unique style of folk music and for being one half of the musical group the Moldy Peaches.
Dawson's work with the Moldy Peaches helped the band become very popular. Their 2001 song "Anyone Else but You" was featured in several movies. The song became a big hit after it was used in the 2007 movie Juno. In the film, the song was performed by actors Michael Cera and Elliot Page. This version of the song made it onto the Billboard Hot 100 music chart.
Besides their work with the Moldy Peaches, Dawson has released seven solo albums. They have also worked with many other musicians, such as Aesop Rock, They Might Be Giants, and Third Eye Blind.
Contents
Music Career
The Moldy Peaches
Kimya Dawson and Adam Green started the band the Moldy Peaches. Their music is often described as anti-folk, which is a style that mixes folk music with a punk attitude. After the band decided to take a break in 2004, Dawson began to focus on their solo career.
Solo Work
Dawson started releasing their own albums, which often had a homemade, do-it-yourself sound. They toured across North America and Europe, sharing their music with fans.
In 2008, Dawson released a children's album called Alphabutt. It included fun songs like "The Alphabutt Song," "Seven Hungry Tigers," and "Pee Pee in the Potty." Other musicians and their children helped make the album. Dawson was also invited to be on the TV show Sesame Street.
In 2012, Dawson took part in a project called "30 Songs / 30 Days." The project was made to support the book Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, which is about helping women around the world.
Music in Movies and TV
Dawson's music is known for being in many movie soundtracks. Their emotional and simple songs have helped tell stories on screen.
The Juno Soundtrack
The most famous example of Dawson's soundtrack work is for the movie Juno. The movie is about a pregnant teenager, and Dawson's music helped show the character's feelings. Dawson even helped pick other songs for the movie.
The Juno soundtrack was a huge success. It included five of Dawson's solo songs, one from the Moldy Peaches, and two from their other band, Antsy Pants. The soundtrack album became so popular that it reached the #1 spot on the Billboard 200 chart. It also won a Grammy Award in 2009 for Best Compilation Soundtrack.
Other Soundtracks
Dawson's songs have also been featured in other films and documentaries.
- The Moldy Peaches song "Anyone Else But You" was used in the documentary Murderball.
- The song "Anthrax," which is about the 9/11 attacks, was in the documentary Body of War.
- Their music was also in the films The Guatemalan Handshake, Glue, and Unmade Beds.
Working With Other Artists
Dawson has enjoyed working with many other musicians throughout their career. They have sung on albums by Ben Kweller, They Might Be Giants, and the Mountain Goats.
Dawson sang with Stephan Jenkins, the lead singer of Third Eye Blind, on the song "Self-Righteous." They also appeared on another Third Eye Blind song called "Why Can't You Be."
In 2011, Dawson recorded a music session with the rapper Aesop Rock. This led to them forming a new group called The Uncluded. They released an album called Hokey Fright in 2013.
Dawson released the solo album Thunder Thighs in 2011. It featured many guest artists, including Aesop Rock and John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats.
Personal Life
In 2006, Dawson married musician Angelo Spencer and they had a child together. The family moved to Olympia, Washington.
Dawson is good friends with professional wrestler Daniel Bryan. He even appeared as a guest artist on the song "Captain Lou" from the album Thunder Thighs.
In late 2019, Dawson shared that they experience gender dysphoria. They stated that their pronouns are she/they. Dawson has said that if words like "gender fluid" and "nonbinary" had been more common when they were younger, things might have been different for them.
Discography
With the Moldy Peaches
- The Moldy Peaches (2001)
- Moldy Peaches 2000: Unreleased Cutz and Live Jamz 1994-2002 (2003)
Solo Albums
- I'm Sorry That Sometimes I'm Mean (2002)
- Knock Knock Who? (2004)
- My Cute Fiend Sweet Princess (2004)
- Hidden Vagenda (2004)
- Remember That I Love You (2006)
- Alphabutt (2008)
- Thunder Thighs (2011)
- ”Follow That Dream” (2023)
With Other Bands
- Antsy Pants (2006) (with Antsy Pants)
- The Bundles (2009) (with The Bundles)
- Hokey Fright (2013) (with The Uncluded)
See also
In Spanish: Kimya Dawson para niños
