Biography

Introduction

Kimya Dawson (born November 17, 1972) is an American singer-songwriter, best known as a solo performer and as one half of The Moldy Peaches. In Swahili, "Kimya" (?????) means "silence" or "silent".

Career

Dawson became well known as the female counterpart to Adam Green in the band The Moldy Peaches. Since the Moldy Peaches went on hiatus in 2004 Dawson has released a string of lo-fi homemade albums and toured widely in North America and Europe.

Dawson recently finished work on Alphabutt, a new album of children's music that was released September 9, 2008. Song titles include "The Alphabutt Song," "Seven Hungry Tigers," "Little Monster Babies," "Wiggle My Tooth" and "Pee Pee in the Potty," and collaborators include former Third Eye Blind guitarist Kevin Cadogan and a number of Dawson's other musical friends and their children. She has also been invited to participate in the Sesame Street television program.

Soundtrack work

Dawson's songs are featured in the films The Guatemalan Handshake and Glue, both of which were shown at the Olympia Film Festival in November 2007.

In 2008 Dawson contributed the song "Anthrax" — about 9/11 — to the soundtrack of the Body of War documentary.

"Anyone Else But You", a song she recorded with The Moldy Peaches was used in the film Murderball, about a team of wheelchair rugby players. This song was also used in the movie Juno. The melody of this song, with new lyrics, was used in a commercial for Atlantis.com.

Five of Dawson's solo songs, two from Antsy Pants, as well as one from the Moldy Peaches, are included on the Juno soundtrack, released in December 2007. Composer Mateo Messina also based the film's score on Dawson's music.

The soundtrack album, after two weeks topping Billboard's Digital Albums chart, reached #8 on the Billboard 200, in its first week of release. In its first full week of physical release the album sold 68,000 copies, reaching #3 on the Soundscan album chart. It missed out on the #1 spot by only 2,600 copies. The following week it jumped to #2, while selling 15% fewer copies (58,000), just 2,000 copies behind first place. In the album's third week of physical release it finally made the #1 spot on the Billboard 200 and Soundscan charts, selling 65,000 copies.

Dawson has two new songs that were released on April 8 on a follow-up album Juno B-Sides: Almost Adopted Songs that is available exclusively on iTunes.

Other collaborations

Dawson performs on recordings by Ben Kweller, They Might Be Giants, The Mountain Goats, John Wayne Shot Me, Your Heart Breaks, and The Terrordactyls. The Third Eye Blind track "Self-Righteous" on their album, Out of the Vein features a duet with Dawson and Third Eye Blind's lead singer Stephan Jenkins. Dawson is also slated to appear on the new Third Eye Blind record, Ursa Major due out in August of 2009, on the track "Why Can't You Be". Regina Spektor collaborated with Dawson on the song "Fire" on the Hidden Vagenda album. Kimya Dawson also collaborated with fellow antifolk Jeffrey Lewis. They made a band called 'The Bundles,' with Jack Lewis and drummer, Anders Griffen, though released the songs under the name Kimya Dawson and Jeffrey Lewis, on a split with Jeffrey Lewis and Diane Cluck.

Personal life

A sometime resident of Bedford Hills, New York, Dawson moved in December 2005 — with her mother, father, brother, Akida Junglefoot Dawson (Akida means "chief" in Swahili), and nephew — to Seattle, Washington. She is married to a musician named Ange Duval and, on July 28, 2006, Kimya gave birth to her first child, a daughter named Panda Delilah, and moved with her new family to Olympia, Washington in November, 2006. After Panda was born, Dawson and Spencer took a break from touring for a few months, playing only occasional local shows. However, they now tour together with the baby.

Dawson has knuckle tattoos which read "LAFF LOUD". She also has a freebird tattoo on her left calf.

The Matt Rouse mentioned in her song "Loose Lips", is not the American entrepeneur of the same name.

Dawson once started a rumour that she was a cousin of The Strokes' drummer Fabrizio Moretti.

Discography

Before The Moldy Peaches Rough Trade releases there were several homemade CDRs.

With The Moldy Peaches

The Moldy Peaches - Released September 11, 2001 by Rough Trade Records
County Fair/Rainbows - A single released in 2002
Moldy Peaches 2000: Unreleased Cutz and Live Jamz 1994-2002 - Released March 18, 2003 by Rough Trade Records

Solo albums

I'm Sorry That Sometimes I'm Mean - released November 5, 2002 by Rough Trade Records
Knock Knock Who? - released August 3, 2004 by Important Records
My Cute Fiend Sweet Princess - released August 3, 2004 by Important Records
Hidden Vagenda - released October 5, 2004 by K Records
Remember That I Love You - released May 9 2006 by K Records
Alphabutt - released September 2008 by K Records

With Antsy Pants

Antsy Pants - released 2006 by Plan It X Records

Compilations

Third Eye Blind's 2009 album: Ursa Major [Bonus Track Version] - "Why Can't You Be (With Kimya Dawson) [Bonus Track]"
Antifolk Vol. 1 - "I'm Fine"
Anticomp Folkilation - "Will You Be Me" (Live)
Afro-Punk Compilation Record Vol. 1 - "Loose Lips"
AFNY Collaborations. Volume 1 - Kimya Dawson and Jeff Lewis
Titanium Heart and Chains of Love - Kimya Dawson and Matt Rouse EP (collaboration) Unicorn Sounds
A.K.A.- smooth jams e.p. with Adam Green and Akida Junglefoot Dawson
The Art Star Sounds Compilation February 2005 - "Velvet Rabbit" (Live)
No Parachute. Vol. 1. A compilation of indie music videos. (DVD) - "Lullaby For The Taken" (video directed by Ted Passon). 2005, Happy Happy Birthday To Me Records.
Robot Boy DVD. Compilation of short films and videos by Ted Passon. - "Lullaby For The Taken". 2005, K Records/Secretly Canadian.
I Killed the Monster: 21 Artists Performings the Songs of Daniel Johnston - "Follow That Dream" 2006, Second Shimmy
Juno Soundtrack - Rhino Records 2008
Body of War: Songs that Inspired an Iraq War Veteran - "Anthrax". Sire Records March 18, 2008