Nicole Dollanganger

Nicole Ann Bell (born September 8, 1991), known professionally as Nicole Dollanganger,[1][2] is a Canadian singer-songwriter and artist born in the Scarborough area of Toronto, Ontario and living in Oshawa. The "Dollanganger" surname was taken from the 1979 gothic novel Flowers in the Attic, the first book in the Dollanganger Series, from which her music draws inspiration.

Nicole Dollanganger
Dollanganger in November 2015
Background information
Born (1991-09-08) September 8, 1991
Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • artist
Years active2011–present
Labels
Associated acts
Websitenicoledollanganger.com

In early 2011, after being hospitalized due to her struggle with eating disorders, Dollanganger began writing, recording, and producing her own music while at home on bed rest. After completing four records during this time, she began posting her music on Tumblr and Bandcamp.[3] Dollanganger's music is characterized by her high-pitched vocal style and lyrics frequently pertaining to themes of sexuality, violence, BDSM, poverty, self-harm, eating disorders, death, and struggles with mental health. Her music has been associated with the ambient, sadcore, and dream pop genres.[2] In 2015, Rolling Stone magazine named Dollanganger in an article titled "10 New Artists You Need to Know" stating that her "gothic folk songs detailing mental illness, guns, sexual violence, poverty and death are as beautiful as they are brutal."[4]

Life and career

2011–2014: Career beginnings

In 2011, Dollanganger was hospitalized for anorexia nervosa, anorexia athletica and bulimia nervosa and was put on bed rest. On her Tumblr blog, where she had previously posted her covers of songs, she began posting songs she had written and recorded herself. During this time she posted her first original song, "Coma Baby", which was included on her 2012 debut album Curdled Milk. Over the next two years she went on to digitally release albums and EPs, including Flowers of Flesh and Blood (2012), Ode to Dawn Wiener: Embarrassing Love Songs (2013) and Observatory Mansions (2014). From 2013 to 2014, she sold each record in limited runs of handmade CD-R discs and cassettes.[5]

2015–2016: Eerie Organization and Natural Born Losers

in 2015, Dollanganger, alongside Canadian singer and musician Grimes, opened for American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey at a Toronto concert. Grimes, a fan of Dollanganger's work, later announced that she would be creating her own record label, Eerie Organization, particularly to help release Dollanganger's album Natural Born Losers, stating "It's a crime against humanity for this music not to be heard".[6] In October and November 2015, Dollanganger was a supporting musician in Grimes' Rhinestone Cowgirls Tour.[7]

In March 2016, Dollanganger's song "Chapel" (which would later be included on her 2018 album Heart Shaped Bed, released on Grimes' record label Eerie Organization which had since been renamed Crystal Math Music) was featured in the fourteenth episode of the sixth season of the television series The Walking Dead, "Twice as Far".[8] Later, from August to September of 2016, Dollanganger embarked on a co-headlining tour across the United States with bands Elvis Depressedly and Teen Suicide.[9]

2017–present: Heart Shaped Bed, touring, and collaborations

In February 2017, Dollanganger was the support act for the last leg of Code Orange's Forever tour.[10] In May 2017, she collaborated with grindcore band Full of Hell on the title track of their LP Trumpeting Ecstasy.[11]

In 2018, she announced her upcoming album Heart Shaped Bed. On March 30, she released the first five tracks of the album only on her Bandcamp page.[12] In June, she joined Code Orange for select dates for their The New Reality tour, alongside acts Vein and Twitching Tongues.[13] Later, on October 26, Heart Shaped Bed was properly released and included a newly recorded version of the single "Chapel", produced by Arthur Rizk.[14]

In 2020, she collaborated with musical duo 100 gecs, Craig Owens, and Fall Out Boy on a remix of the song 100 gecs song "hand crushed by a mallet" for the album 1000 Gecs and The Tree of Clues, a remix album of 1000 Gecs (2019).

Discography

Studio albums
  • Curdled Milk (2012)
  • Flowers of Flesh and Blood (2012)
  • Ode to Dawn Wiener: Embarrassing Love Songs (2013)
  • Observatory Mansions (2014)
  • Natural Born Losers (2015)
  • Heart Shaped Bed (2018)

Extended plays
  • Columbine (2013)
  • Unreleased (2014)
  • BabyLand (2014)
  • Greta Gibson Forever (2015)
  • Covers (2016)
  • Cute Aggression (2017)

References
  1. "Nicole Dollanganger releases hauntingly beautiful 'Heart Shaped Bed'". The Echo. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  2. Downie, Jason. "The Haunting Storytelling Of Nicole Dollanganger". Beat. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  3. McDermott, Patrick D. (October 3, 2015). "Nicole Dollanganger Sings For Freaks Like You". The Fader. Archived from the original on October 10, 2015. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
  4. "10 New Artists You Need to Know: October 2015". Rolling Stone. October 28, 2015. Archived from the original on July 29, 2016. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  5. Cusumano, Katherine (November 23, 2015). "Discovery: Nicole Dollanganger". Interview. Archived from the original on April 30, 2016. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  6. Flanagan, Andrew (August 28, 2015). "Grimes Announces the Launch of Eerie Organization, Will Release Newcomer Nicole Dollanganger". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 13, 2016. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
  7. Roffman, Michael (September 14, 2015). "Grimes announces Rhinestone Cowgirls fall tour dates". Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on March 20, 2016. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
  8. Rowles, Dustin (March 21, 2016). "10 Questions We Have After This Week's Sad, Confusing 'The Walking Dead'". Uproxx. Archived from the original on June 25, 2016. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  9. Sacher, Andrew (June 1, 2016). "Teen Suicide, Elvis Depressedly & Nicole Dollanganger announce tour". BrooklynVegan. Archived from the original on June 25, 2016. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  10. Sperry-Fromm, Rob (November 17, 2016). "Code Orange Releasing Forever, Touring with Youth Code and Nicole Dollanganger". BrooklynVegan. Archived from the original on November 18, 2016. Retrieved November 17, 2016.
  11. "FULL OF HELL Complete Work On New Album "Trumpeting Ecstasy"". Profound Lore Records. February 21, 2017. Archived from the original on February 22, 2017. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
  12. Rettig, James (March 30, 2018). "Hear 5 Songs From Nicole Dollanganger's New Album Heart Shaped Bed". Stereogum.com.
  13. Camp, Zoe (April 26, 2018). "Code Orange Announce U.S. Headlining "The New Reality Tour"". Revolver.
  14. Cusumano, Katharine (October 26, 2018). "Nicole Dollanganger's Honeymoon Phase". Stereogum.com. Archived from the original on January 23, 2019.
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