Girl in a Coma

Naming themselves after the Smiths track “Girlfriend in a Coma,” Girl in a Coma formed in San Antonio, Texas, when best friends Jenn Alva on bass and Phanie Diaz on drums united over their mutual admiration for Nirvana and the Smiths. The pair cycled through unsuccessful attempts at assembling lineups and refining styles until they recognized the vocal, guitar, and songwriting abilities of Phanie’s younger sister, Nina Diaz. Although Nina was only twelve the first time she played a song for them, both Alva and Phanie immediately saw her promise. Once Nina joined, the three spent the next five years writing material, gigging locally, and touring before label representatives and tour managers took notice during the summer of 2004. One of those managers forwarded a homemade demo to Boz Boorer, Morrissey’s music director, who responded by summoning the trio to London to cut its initial recordings. Shortly after their return, the band appeared in a television documentary spotlighting up-and-coming Latino acts; the program arranged a New York showcase at the Knitting Factory that included an unexpected encounter with Joan Jett. Captured on camera, Jett and her production partner Kenny Laguna commended the group’s performance and extended an invitation to join Blackheart Records. Girl in a Coma accepted, issuing its first album, Both Before I’m Gone, in May 2007.