Garbage’s Shirley Manson reveals her favourite artist
As the lead singer of the alternative rock band Garbage, Shirley Manson has enthralled fans since the 1990s. Known for her distinctive singing voice, bold style and rebellious nature, Manson joined the band after a music video for her shortlived project Angelfish was seen on MTV by Steven Marker. He had just formed a band with Nirvana’s Nevermind producer Butch Vig on vocals, yet upon hearing Manson sing, he thought she would be a better fit.
Marker described Manson’s voice as “more like the voices that we loved growing up, which was more Patti Smith and Chrissie Hynde – sort of that classic pop sound – maybe Dusty Springfield”. He also said that the band desired someone “who didn’t have a high, chirpy, girly quality to her voice”, in contrast to “these alterna-rock singers [that] have a tendency to scream”.
With Manson fronting the band, Garbage released their self-titled debut album in 1995, which reached number six on the UK Album Charts. Upon its release, the band embarked on a year-long tour, including a stint supporting the Smashing Pumpkins. By 1997, Garbage had been nominated for two Grammys, including Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song for ‘Stupid Girl’.
The group has since released seven studio albums, most recently dropping No Gods, No Masters in 2021. Garbage has sold over 17 million albums, remaining one of the most influential bands of the 1990s. Manson has cited plenty of musicians that inspired her to become an artist over the years. Prominent examples include Patti Smith, Siouxsie Sioux, Debbie Harry and David Bowie. However, Manson’s love for art extends past music, citing Tracey Emin as a huge inspiration.
Tracey Emin is a British artist known for confessional and autobiographical artworks, working with mediums including sculpture, neon text, painting, photography and sewn applique. She has made a number of controversial works over the past few decades, such as Everyone I Have Ever Slept With 1963–1995 – a tent stitched with the names of every person she’d shared a bed with, and My Bed – a readymade installation of her unmade bed, littered with blood-stained underwear and used condoms.
Whilst studying painting at the Royal College of Art, Emin became disillusioned with the medium, stating: “The idea of being a bourgeois artist, making paintings that just got hung in rich people’s houses was a really redundant, old fashioned idea that made no sense for the times that we were living in.” Detailing further, she claimed: “I had to create something totally new or not at all.”
Although Emin’s work has not resonated with everyone, it certainly has with Manson. She called Emin “someone who’s inspired me throughout my adult career… She’s one of the few artists I really feel is speaking in my language.”
Referring to Emin’s joint exhibition with artworks by Edvard Munch, Manson said: “I couldn’t admire her more, and I’m so delighted that she’s having this opportunity to share an exhibition space with someone who has so deeply influenced her. She’s been so open about her struggle with cancer last year. I am blown away by her immense courage and her willingness to share unpleasant, frightening experiences, which I think illuminates the path for so many of us.”
