We're The Deadly Nightshade Band
One of the Nation's First All-Female Bands
The Deadly Nightshade is a New England-based, all-female band consisting of musicians Pamela Brandt, Anne Bowen and Helen Hooke. As one of the first outspokenly feminist women’s rock bands in the United States, our musical repertoire (and attitude) has expanded over the years to encompass rock, soul, kick-ass country/bluegrass, and whatever else makes us and our audiences feel good.
Broad Perspectives Interviews Anne Bowen
Our Vibe...
The Deadly Nightshade is a drummerless (but very danceable) high-energy female band playing our own original songs as well as covers and requests. Don’t let the violin fool you... we're electric... very... we play loud. But we also play with listeners' minds, contrasting direct, gutsy instrumentals with unexpectedly complex, melodic (and hey, even pretty sometimes) three-part harmonies.
Our History...
Since our first go-round in 1972 to 1978 — when we went from a Western Massachusetts bar band, to national tours with the likes of Billy Joel, not to mention two mainstream albums — several newer musical bands have adopted our name.* But make no mistake: we’re the ONLY Grammy-nominated, all-female, “The Deadly Nightshade” band you’ll find in the Smithsonian Institution, in the archives of the Country Music Hall of Fame, AND in the Sophia Smith Collection of Women’s History (now there’s a combo for ya...).
While all these years have naturally aged us, they never once mellowed us.
*These other bands include an Italian death-metal Deadly Nightshade (without the vital "The" which, we feel, makes the name way funny), and the Australian Deadly Nightshades – like us, a trio; unlike us, acoustic.