Talena Atfield facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Talena Atfield
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| Background information | |
| Born | January 14, 1983 |
| Genres | Nu metal, industrial |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Bass |
| Years active | 1999–2009 |
Talena Atfield, born on January 14, 1983, is a Canadian musician and historian. She is well-known for being the bass guitarist in the heavy metal band Kittie. Today, she is a historian who studies Indigenous peoples at the University of Waterloo.
Contents
Growing Up and Music
Talena Atfield grew up in London, Ontario, Canada. She is the older of two children. When she was 14, she received her first guitar as a Christmas gift. This gift made her want to play music.
Her parents introduced her to bands like Bon Jovi, AC/DC, KISS, and Guns N' Roses. These bands inspired her music style. When she was younger, she played guitar and drums in different bands. However, these bands usually only played a few shows.
Music Career
Playing with Kittie
In September 1999, Talena got a call from Mercedes Lander, the drummer for the band Kittie. Kittie needed a new bass player because their old one had left. Talena was a fan of Kittie and was excited to join.
She learned to play the bass guitar in just two weeks! After that, she traveled to New York to film the music video for Kittie's popular song, "Brackish." Talena played bass on a new version of the song "Paperdoll" for Kittie's first album, Spit. This album was re-released in 2000 with new artwork showing Talena.
Talena also played bass on Kittie's second album, Oracle, which came out in 2001. She performed with the band during their live shows for this album.
Talena's Music Gear
While playing with Kittie, Talena used specific music equipment. She used Ampeg amps and cabinets for her sound. For her bass guitars, she played an LTD F-205 and an LTD B-205. Later, she used a special B.C. Rich Widow 5-string bass.
At first, she used a pick to play her bass. But before the Oracle album came out, she started using her fingers instead.
On March 18, 2002, Talena left Kittie. Another musician, Jennifer Arroyo, took her place two days later. Talena was part of early photos for a movie about Kittie called Kittie: Origins/Evolutions. However, she chose not to appear in the final film, which was released in 2017.
After Kittie
After leaving Kittie, Talena also played with Fallon Bowman's project called Amphibious Assault. This group played industrial music. Talena helped with their album District Six in 2003 and their EP On Better Days And Sin-Eating in 2006.
Talena was also a judge on a TV show called America's Hot Musician. This show was a talent competition for musicians who play instruments. She judged alongside famous musicians like Gregory Charles Royal and Marissa Regni. The show was planned to air in July 2007.
Life After Music
Talena Atfield stopped working in the music industry in 2009. She then went to the University of Toronto and earned a special degree called a doctorate in Anthropology.
Today, she is an expert in Indigenous relations and history. In an interview in July 2022, Talena shared that she is a member of the Kanien'kehá:ka Nation. This is one of the Indigenous peoples societies from the Six Nations of the Grand River in Canada.
See also
In Spanish: Talena Atfield para niños
