Nicole Dollanganger

Nicole Ann Bell (born September 8, 1991), known professionally as Nicole Dollanganger, is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter. Dollanganger's music is characterized by a feminine, high-pitched vocal style, minimalist instrumentation, and lyrical themes frequently pertaining to true crime, violence, sexuality, and romance. Her music has been described as "lo-fi", "atmospheric",

In 2015, Rolling Stone named Dollanganger in an article titled "10 New Artists You Need to Know," stating that her "gothic folk songs," described as "macabre millennial nightmares, softened by dream-pop tranquilizers, reverberating from a casket-shaped music box," are "as beautiful as they are brutal."

Early life Dollanganger was born on September 8, 1991, in Scarborough, a suburban district in Toronto, Ontario in Canada. Dollanganger grew up between Whitchurch-Stouffville, Ontario, Dollanganger would later go on to cite musicians her father listened to during her childhood, such as American country music singers Bobbie Gentry and Tammy Wynette, as influential on her own musical style.

Career

2010–2014: Career beginnings Dollanganger first began writing, producing, and recording music in 2010. She recorded original songs, as well as covers, in her bedroom and bathroom

Curdled Milk, written, produced, and recorded entirely by Dollanganger in 2011 and early 2012, was self-released online as her debut album and first record on July 13, 2012. After being released from the program, she went on bed rest for a year, during which she dropped out of Ryerson University, where she had been studying film.

On January 10, 2014, Dollanganger released her fourth album, Observatory Mansions. The title of the nine-track album was adopted from Observatory Mansions, the 2000 debut novel by English novelist Edward Carey. In October and November 2015, Dollanganger was a supporting musician in Grimes' Rhinestone Cowgirls Tour.

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". Later, from August to September 2016, Dollanganger embarked on a co-headlining tour across the United States with bands Elvis Depressedly and Teen Suicide.

2017–2020: Heart Shaped Bed, touring, and collaborations In February 2017, Dollanganger was the support act for the last leg of hardcore band Code Orange's Forever tour. In May 2017, she collaborated with grindcore band Full of Hell by providing clean vocals on the title track of their LP Trumpeting Ecstasy.

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. In June, she joined Code Orange for select dates for their The New Reality tour, alongside acts Vein and Twitching Tongues. Later, on October 26, Heart Shaped Bed was properly released and included a newly recorded version of the single "Chapel", produced by Arthur Rizk.

In 2020, she collaborated with musical duo 100 Gecs, Craig Owens, and Fall Out Boy on a remix of the 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).

2021–present: Married in Mount Airy On March 31, 2021, Dollanganger released a new song "Whispering Glades". On November 4, 2022, Dollanganger released a new song "Gold Satin Dreamer". A few weeks later, Dollanganger released "Runnin' Free". All three singles ended up being included on Dollanganger's seventh studio album titled Married in Mount Airy, which was released on January 6, 2023. Vinyl record releases of her most recent three albums were made available in limited stock on the week of November 20, 2024.

Discography

Studio albums +List of studio albums, with selected details Title Album detailsCurdled Milk Released: July 13, 2012 Label: Self-released Format: Digital download, streamingFlowers of Flesh and Blood Released: November 25, 2012 Label: Self-released Format: Digital download, streamingOde to Dawn Wiener: Embarrassing Love Songs Released: February 20, 2013 Label: Self-released Format: Digital download, streamingObservatory Mansions Released: January 10, 2014 Label: Self-released Format: Digital download, streamingNatural Born Losers Released: October 9, 2015 Label: Eerie Organization Format: Digital download, streamingHeart Shaped Bed Released: October 26, 2018 Label: Crystal Math Music, Eerie Organization Format: Digital download, streamingMarried in Mount Airy Released: January 6, 2023 Label: Self-released Format: Digital download, streaming

Singles