Lydia Lunch on Art, Music, and Upcoming Projects
Born in 1959 in Rochester, New York, Lydia Lunch is a multifaceted American artist recognized as a singer, poet, writer, and actress. Her artistic journey took off in the late 1970s and 1980s within the New York no wave movement. At the age of 16, she relocated to New York, where she formed friendships with Alan Vega and Martin Rev of Suicide. In 1976, she co-founded the band Teenage Jesus & the Jerks alongside James Chance. Renowned for her bold noise music and spoken word performances, Lunch was acknowledged as one of the top ten most influential performers of the 1990s. Her recent endeavors include an LP with Tim Dahl's GRID, another with Sylvia Black, her podcast The Lydian Spin, and a documentary with Jasmine Hirst.
Key facts
- Lydia Lunch was born in Rochester, New York in 1959.
- She co-founded Teenage Jesus & the Jerks in 1976 with James Chance.
- Her debut album with Big Sexy Noise received a 5-star review from Rolling Stone.
- She was named one of the ten most influential performers of the 1990s.
- In 1997, she published an autobiography about her experiences with sex, substance abuse, and mental health.
- Her 2020 release Wrong Ninna Nanna features Marco Bertoni, Franco Bifo Berardi, and Bobby Gillespie.
- She defines art as 'the ointment for the universal wound.'
- Her favorite visual artwork is Marcel Duchamp's Étant donnés.
Entities
Artists
- Lydia Lunch
- Alan Vega
- Martin Rev
- James Chance
- Brian Eno
- Nick Cave
- Rowland S. Howard
- Michael Gira
- Steven Severin
- Cypress Grove
- Jeffrey Lee Pierce
- James Johnston
- Terry Edwards
- Ian White
- Richard Kern
- Marco Bertoni
- Franco Bifo Berardi
- Bobby Gillespie
- Tim Dahl
- Sylvia Black
- Jasmine Hirst
- Samantha Stella
- Marcel Duchamp
Institutions
- Teenage Jesus & the Jerks
- Suicide
- Sonic Youth
- The Birthday Party
- Swans
- Siouxsie and the Banshees
- Einstürzende Neubauten
- The Gun Club
- Big Sexy Noise
- Gallon Drunk
- Rolling Stone
- GRID
- Artribune
Locations
- Rochester
- New York
- United States
- Italy
- Genoa
- Milan
- Switzerland