Nina Gordon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nina Gordon
Gordon in 2014
Background information
Birth name	Nina Rachel Gordon Shapiro
Born	(1967-11-14) November 14, 1967 (age 57) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Origin	Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Genres	Alternative rock power pop grunge
Occupation(s)	Musician singer songwriter
Instruments	Vocals guitar
Years active	1992–present
Labels	Warner Bros.
Associated acts	Veruca Salt Fig Dish

Nina Rachel Gordon Shapiro (born November 14, 1967), known as Nina Gordon, is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. She is famous for being a co-founder of the alternative rock band Veruca Salt.

Nina played on their first two studio albums, American Thighs (1994) and Eight Arms to Hold You (1997). She wrote some of the band's biggest hit songs, including "Seether" and "Volcano Girls".

After leaving Veruca Salt, Nina released two solo albums: Tonight and the Rest of My Life (2000) and Bleeding Heart Graffiti (2006). She later rejoined Veruca Salt for their album Ghost Notes (2015).

Early life

Nina Rachel Gordon Shapiro was born on November 14, 1967, in Washington, D.C.. She grew up with her brother, Jim Shapiro. They moved between Washington, D.C., and Madison, Wisconsin.

Eventually, her family settled in Chicago when Nina was a teenager. She went to high school in Chicago. Nina first wanted to study music at university. However, she ended up earning a degree in art history from Tufts University.

Career

Veruca Salt: How the Band Began (1992–1996)

Nina Gordon and Louise Post started the band Veruca Salt in Chicago, Illinois, in 1992. A friend, actress Lili Taylor, introduced them. Nina and Louise quickly became friends and began making music together.

In 1993, they added bassist Steve Lack. Nina's brother, Jim Shapiro, joined as the band's drummer. Nina and Louise both sang and played guitar. They also wrote most of the band's songs separately.

Getting Signed and First Hits

Veruca Salt made a demo tape themselves. They sent it to record labels and played a few small shows. Many record labels became interested in the band. After only a few live performances, they signed with Minty Fresh Records.

They started recording with producer Brad Wood. He had worked on popular albums before. The band released a single for the song "Seether". Nina Gordon wrote this song. It was a rock song about an angry woman.

"Seether" was very catchy and became popular on college and alternative radio stations. It quickly became a hit on MTV. The song reached number 8 on the Modern Rock charts.

American Thighs Album Success

Veruca Salt's first album, American Thighs, came out on September 27, 1994. It was first released by Minty Fresh. Later, Geffen Records re-released it because they signed the band.

The album reached number 69 on the Billboard Top 200 chart. It eventually sold enough copies to be certified gold. The second single, "Number One Blind," did not do as well as "Seether."

To support the album, Veruca Salt went on tour. They opened for bands like Hole and PJ Harvey. They also did their own club tour.

Eight Arms to Hold You and Nina's Departure (1997–1998)

Veruca Salt's second album, Eight Arms to Hold You, was released on February 11, 1997. Making this album was difficult for the band. Some fans of their first album were surprised by its harder rock sound.

Music critics had mixed opinions about the new album. The band members later said that recording this album was tense. Nina and Louise had different ideas about the music.

Album Sales and "Volcano Girls"

Despite the challenges, Eight Arms to Hold You sold well. This was thanks to the first single, "Volcano Girls." Nina Gordon wrote this song. It was a catchy, powerful pop song.

"Volcano Girls" was as successful as "Seether," reaching number 8 on the Modern Rock charts. The album itself reached number 55 on the Billboard Top 200. However, sales slowed down after the second single, "Shutterbug," did not become a hit.

After recording the album, Jim Shapiro left the band. Stacy Jones became the new drummer. Veruca Salt toured a lot for Eight Arms to Hold You. They opened for Bush and did a long international tour.

Nina and Louise then started working on Veruca Salt's third album. But their disagreements grew. After a big argument with Louise, Nina left the band in early 1998. Stacy Jones also left at the same time.

Starting a Solo Career (1999–2001)

Soon after leaving Veruca Salt, Nina Gordon began working on her own music. She recorded demo songs with friends in Boston. Then, she started recording with Bob Rock, who had produced Eight Arms.

Her first solo album was called Tonight and the Rest of My Life. It was finished in early 1999. It was supposed to be released by Outpost Records. However, her record label closed down.

Tonight and the Rest of My Life Release

A few months later, Warner Bros. Records signed Nina Gordon. Tonight was finally released on June 27, 2000. The first single, also called "Tonight and the Rest of My Life," did well on the radio.

This song was later used in commercials for movies like Chocolat and The Notebook. It also appeared in an episode of the TV show Charmed.

The album reached number 123 on the Billboard Top 200 chart. However, it stayed on the charts for months. It sold nearly 300,000 copies in the U.S. and 50,000 in Japan. Nina toured with David Gray and also did her own headlining tour.

Bleeding Heart Graffiti and a Break (2002–2011)

In the early 2000s, Nina Gordon and Louise Post became friends again through email. But they did not work together professionally for many years. Louise continued Veruca Salt with new musicians.

After promoting her first solo album, Nina took a break. She started writing songs for her second solo album. She did not go into the studio again until late 2003. Nina said she wanted to write many great songs first.

New Music and Collaborations

To give fans something new, Nina released some extra songs from Tonight on her website. She also released a demo song called "The Time Comes." This song was used in an independent film. Around this time, she moved to California.

Nina began recording her second album in late 2003. She said she was excited about the album, even though it was very calm and sad. She finished recording in early 2004 and named it Even the Sunbeams.

A few months later, Nina decided she was not happy with the album. She chose not to release it. Only one song from these sessions, "Lighter on the Moon," appeared on her MySpace page. She later explained that the album was too sad. Some songs were re-recorded for her next album. The other songs were later given away for free on her website as an EP.

During this time, Nina performed at a club in Los Angeles. She covered songs by different artists, including N.W.A and Backstreet Boys. Her cover of N.W.A's "Straight Outta Compton" became popular on music websites.

She also wrote songs with other musicians. She wrote "Get You Off" for Fefe Dobson's album. She also wrote "This Is the Day" for Courtney Jaye's album with her boyfriend, Jeff Russo.

Bleeding Heart Graffiti Release

Nina still believed in the songs from Even the Sunbeams. So, she hired her long-time friend and producer Bob Rock to record an album in 2005. In a few months, Nina re-recorded most of the songs and added new ones.

The album, now called Bleeding Heart Graffiti, was released on August 8, 2006. The first song released from the project was "The Blue Hour." This song was half-French and half-English.

The main single from Bleeding Heart Graffiti was "Kiss Me 'Til It Bleeds." After this album, Nina did not release new music for the rest of the decade.

In the late 2000s, Nina Gordon had two children with her boyfriend, musician Jeff Russo. Nina and Jeff later got married.

Reunion with Veruca Salt

Nina Gordon later rejoined Veruca Salt. The original lineup of the band, including Nina, Louise Post, Steve Lack, and Jim Shapiro, reunited. They released a new album called Ghost Notes in 2015.

Personal life

Nina Gordon is married to musician Jeff Russo. They have two children together.

Discography

Veruca Salt

Solo

See also

In Spanish: Nina Gordon para niños