Mary Timony

Mary Timony (born in Washington, D.C., 1970) is an American indie rock singer, guitarist, keyboardist, and violist. In 1990-91 Timony played guitar and shared lead vocals in the Washington, D.C.-based band Autoclave. She later relocated to Boston, where she graduated from Boston University with a degree in English literature and formed the band Helium in the summer of 1992, recording two albums and three EPs with the group between 1994 and 1997. Helium disbanded in 1997 or 1998, whereupon Timony embarked on her solo career, recording albums in 2000 and 2002 (Mountains and The Golden Dove). In 2005 Timony joined with drummer Devin Ocampo; her 2005 CD Ex Hex, released on the Lookout! Records label, features the two performing together as a duo. In the same year, she contributed vocals to Team Sleep's premier self-titled album on the tracks "Tomb of Liegia" and "King Diamond." Timony's music is often heavy and dark, frequently using drones, beats, and modal melodies that are reminiscent of European Medieval music. She uses a number of alternate guitar tunings, most prominent of which is DADGAE, which allows for the execution of melodic passages. She had a cameo role in the movie All Over Me as lead singer/guitarist of the fictional girl rock band Coochie Pop, along with another real-life singer/guitarist, Leisha Hailey. They performed the Helium song "Hole in the Ground" in the movie. Timony's 2007 album, The Shapes We Make, is out on Kill Rock Stars and is released under the name Mary Timony Band.