Garbage Biography

The American alternative rock band known as Garbage was established in 1993 in Madison, Wisconsin by founding members Butch Vig and Duke Erikson. The two musicians had formed Smart Studios and began to garner significant attention for their production work.  Although both men performed on occasion with other bands, in 1994 the two decided to form their own band, and Garbage was born.

With the addition of Steve Marker and Shirley Manson on vocals, Garbage recorded a series of demo tapes and began to circulate them, eventually signing first with Mushroom UK for worldwide distribution. With Mushroom UK, Garbage released their single “Vow,” which garnered heavy airplay and began to gain some attention in the United States. After signing with Almo Sounds, Garbage released their self-titled debut in 1995.

Garbage debuted in the top twenty internationally, earning the band a Brit Award nomination for Best New Band and Best International Newcomer. The critically acclaimed album also began a slow rise on the charts in the United States, and ultimately spawned the hit singles “Only Happy When It Rains” and “Stupid Girl.” Over the next decade, Garbage released the additional albums: Version 2.0 (1998), Beautiful Garbage (2001), and Bleed Like Me (2005.) The albums spawned the additional hits: “#1 Crush,” “Push It,” “I Think I’m Paranoid,” “Special,” “When I Grow Up,” “Androgyny,” “Why Do You Love Me,” “Bleed Like Me,” and “The World Is Not Enough,” which was featured in the James Bond film of the same name.

To date, Garbage has earned more than twenty-seven award nominations, including Grammy Awards and BRIT Awards. The band continues to perform and record with its original lineup. Most recently, Garbage released the album Not Your Kind of People in 2012, featuring the songs “Blood for Poppies,” “Battle in ME,” “Big Bright World,” Control,” and “Because the Night.” They also recently released the song “Girls Talk,” featuring a collaboration with Brody Dalle.