Amanda Palmer

Amanda MacKinnon Gaiman Palmer (born April 30, 1976) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and performance artist who is the lead vocalist, pianist, and lyricist of the duo the Dresden Dolls.

She performs as a solo artist and was also a member of the duo Evelyn Evelyn and the lead singer and songwriter of Amanda Palmer and the Grand Theft Orchestra.

She has gained a cult fanbase throughout her career, and was one of the first musical artists to popularize the use of crowdfunding websites.

Palmer was born Amanda MacKinnon Palmer in New York City's Mount Sinai Hospital, and grew up in Lexington, Massachusetts.

Her parents divorced when she was one year old, and as a child she rarely saw her father.

She attended Lexington High School, where she was involved in the drama department, and later attended Wesleyan University where she studied theater and was a member of the Eclectic Society.

Palmer graduated from Wesleyan University with a BA in 1998.

Palmer then spent several years busking as a living statue called "The Eight Foot Bride" in Harvard Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts; Edinburgh, Scotland; Berlin, Germany and Melbourne, Australia (where she met future collaborator Jason Webley); and many other locations.

She refers to her street performance work in The Dresden Dolls song "The Perfect Fit", as well as on the A is for Accident track "Glass Slipper".

In 1999, Palmer founded the Shadowbox Collective, a performance group devoted to street theatre and putting on theatrical shows (such as the 2002 play, Hotel Blanc, which she directed).

At a Halloween party in 2000, Palmer met drummer Brian Viglione and afterwards they formed The Dresden Dolls.

In an effort to expand the performance experience and interactivity, Palmer began inviting Lexington High School students to perform drama pieces at the Dresden Dolls' live shows.

This evolved to The Dirty Business Brigade, a troupe of seasoned and new artists, performing at many gigs.

In 2002, after developing a cult following, the band recorded their eponymous debut album, The Dresden Dolls, with producer Martin Bisi.

They produced the album before signing with the label Roadrunner Records.

In 2006, The Dresden Dolls Companion was published, with words, music and artwork by Amanda Palmer.

In it she has written a history of the album The Dresden Dolls and of the duo, as well as a partial autobiography.

The book also contains the lyrics, sheet music, and notes on each song in the album, all written by Palmer, as well as a DVD with a 20-minute interview of Amanda about making the book.

Palmer conceived the musical/production The Onion Cellar, based on a short story from The Tin Drum by Günter Grass.

From December 9, 2006, through January 13, 2007, The Dresden Dolls performed the piece in conjunction with the American Repertory Theater at the Zero Arrow Theatre in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

While Palmer was openly frustrated with the direction of the show, fan and critical reviews were very positive.

In June 2007, as part of the Dresden Dolls, she toured with the True Colors Tour 2007, including her debut in New York City's Radio City Music Hall, and her first review in The New York Times.

In July 2007, Palmer played three sold-out shows (in Boston, Hoboken, and NYC) in a new "with band" format.

Her backing band was Boston alternative rock group Aberdeen City, who also opened along with Dixie Dirt.

In August 2007, Palmer traveled to perform in the Spiegeltent and other venues at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland, and also performed on BBC Two's The Edinburgh Show.

She collaborated with Australian theater company The Danger Ensemble; both again appeared at the Spiegeltent in Melbourne and at other venues around Australia in December 2007.

In September 2007, Palmer collaborated with Jason Webley to launch the new project Evelyn Evelyn with the EP Elephant Elephant.

In the project, the duo play conjoined twin sisters named Eva and Lyn, and through their music tell their fictional backstory.

Though the Dresden Dolls broke up in 2008, Palmer and Viglione have continued to collaborate, and have had several minor reunions under the band name in 2011, 2012, 2016, 2017, and 2018.

In 2022, The Dresden Dolls reunited, and started work on a new album.

In 2023, they toured the US.

In July 2008, the Dresden Dolls released a second book, the Virginia Companion, a follow-up to The Dresden Dolls Companion, featuring the music and lyrics from the Yes, Virginia...(2006) and No, Virginia... (2008) albums, produced by Sean Slade and Paul Kolderie.

In June 2008, Palmer established her solo career with two well-received performances with the Boston Pops.

Her first solo studio album, Who Killed Amanda Palmer, was released on September 16, 2008.

Ben Folds produced and also played on the album.

The title is a play on an expression used by fans during Twin Peaks' original run, "Who killed Laura Palmer?"

In late 2008, she toured Europe with Jason Webley, Zoë Keating and The Danger Ensemble, performing songs mostly from her debut solo album.

She did most of the shows with a broken foot she had sustained in Belfast, Northern Ireland when a car ran over her foot as she stepped out into a street.

A companion book of photos of Palmer looking as if she were murdered was released in July 2009.

Titled Who Killed Amanda Palmer a Collection of Photographic Evidence, it featured photography by Kyle Cassidy and stories by Neil Gaiman, as well as lyrics from the album.