Biography
Emerging as key players within the Los Angeles garage punk movement throughout the 1980s, the Pandoras ranked among the scant all-female ensembles navigating the fuzztone and Farfisa-driven circuit, yet they distinguished themselves through wider stylistic range than most contemporaries.
Paula Pierce assembled the Pandoras in 1982 after fronting the mod-revival outfit the Direct Hits, later renamed Action Now; drawn toward raw sounds echoing the 1960s, she placed notices seeking additional women interested in garage punk. Deborah Mendoza responded and joined on guitar and bass, then urged her acquaintance Casey Gomez to handle drums, while Pierce brought in keyboardist Gwynne Kelly to complete the initial roster. The band delivered its first release, the EP I'm Here I'm Gone, through Moxie Records in 1983, although Mendoza had already exited by the time of issue and Bambi Conway assumed bass duties.
Securing an agreement with Voxx, the garage-oriented imprint of Bomp Records, the Pandoras recorded the album It's About Time under the supervision of label founder Greg Shaw. Just prior to the 1984 release, the lineup fractured as Conway departed, soon followed by the contentious exits of Kelly and Gomez. While Pierce recruited replacements, Conway and Kelly began performing under the Pandoras name and negotiated with Enigma Records, contributing the track "Worm Boy" to the compilation The Enigma Variations; Enigma later required them to adopt a different moniker, after which the project dissolved.
Pierce meanwhile formed a fresh configuration featuring keyboardist Melanie Vammen, bassist Julie Patchouli, and drummer Karen Blankfeld. This iteration issued the Bomp single "Hot Generation" b/w "You Don't Satisfy" before touring, including several shows alongside the Fuzztones. Julie Patchouli left in spring 1985; Gayle Morency filled in temporarily before Kim Shattuck assumed bass. Rhino Records put out the band's second album, Stop Pretending, in 1986, revealing a tougher approach than the debut, after which the group toured with acts such as the Beat Farmers, the Cramps, and Iggy Pop.
Pierce next composed songs steering the Pandoras toward hard rock territory, prompting Elektra Records A&R executive Steve Pross, then romantically involved with Pierce, to secure a label deal. As recording commenced on the Elektra project, Blankfeld grew dissatisfied with management and was succeeded by Kelly Dillard, who posed for album artwork before Sheri Kaplan replaced her after two months. The finished album was ultimately shelved once Elektra dismissed Pross and dropped the band, though session demos later surfaced on bootlegs.
The Pandoras added guitarist Rita D'Albert and released the 1988 Restless EP Rock Hard, capturing their intensified sound. Following its appearance D'Albert exited, leaving the remaining members to tour as a quartet and enlist Billie Jo Hash on guitar for several mid-1989 performances; a Dallas date from that tour appeared as the 1989 live album Live Nymphomania. In July 1990 Pierce dismissed Vammen to pursue a keyboard-free direction, prompting dissatisfaction from Shattuck and Kaplan; after overseas dates were canceled, Shattuck resigned and co-founded the Muffs with Vammen.
Pierce was developing new Pandoras material alongside guitarist Lissa Beltri in 1991 when severe headaches emerged. She suffered a fatal aneurysm on August 9, 1991. Numerous former bandmates, notwithstanding occasional tensions with Pierce, participated in a subsequent memorial concert, and in 2014 several veterans including Susan Hyatt, Lisa Rae Black, Gwynne Kelly, Bambi Conway, and Casey Gomez issued two digital singles as the 21st Century Pandoras. A separate grouping of alumni—Kim Shattuck, Melanie Vammen, Karen Blankfeld, and Sheri Kaplan—appeared as the Pandoras at the 2015 Burger Boogaloo Festival and sustained live activity thereafter.
Shattuck and Vammen led their Pandoras lineup, now including bassist Karen Basset and drummer Hillary Burton, into the studio for the 2018 EP Hey! It's the Pandoras, which contained five compositions by Paula Pierce. The project marked Shattuck's final contribution; she passed away on October 2, 2019, after a two-year struggle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Paula Pierce assembled the Pandoras in 1982 after fronting the mod-revival outfit the Direct Hits, later renamed Action Now; drawn toward raw sounds echoing the 1960s, she placed notices seeking additional women interested in garage punk. Deborah Mendoza responded and joined on guitar and bass, then urged her acquaintance Casey Gomez to handle drums, while Pierce brought in keyboardist Gwynne Kelly to complete the initial roster. The band delivered its first release, the EP I'm Here I'm Gone, through Moxie Records in 1983, although Mendoza had already exited by the time of issue and Bambi Conway assumed bass duties.
Securing an agreement with Voxx, the garage-oriented imprint of Bomp Records, the Pandoras recorded the album It's About Time under the supervision of label founder Greg Shaw. Just prior to the 1984 release, the lineup fractured as Conway departed, soon followed by the contentious exits of Kelly and Gomez. While Pierce recruited replacements, Conway and Kelly began performing under the Pandoras name and negotiated with Enigma Records, contributing the track "Worm Boy" to the compilation The Enigma Variations; Enigma later required them to adopt a different moniker, after which the project dissolved.
Pierce meanwhile formed a fresh configuration featuring keyboardist Melanie Vammen, bassist Julie Patchouli, and drummer Karen Blankfeld. This iteration issued the Bomp single "Hot Generation" b/w "You Don't Satisfy" before touring, including several shows alongside the Fuzztones. Julie Patchouli left in spring 1985; Gayle Morency filled in temporarily before Kim Shattuck assumed bass. Rhino Records put out the band's second album, Stop Pretending, in 1986, revealing a tougher approach than the debut, after which the group toured with acts such as the Beat Farmers, the Cramps, and Iggy Pop.
Pierce next composed songs steering the Pandoras toward hard rock territory, prompting Elektra Records A&R executive Steve Pross, then romantically involved with Pierce, to secure a label deal. As recording commenced on the Elektra project, Blankfeld grew dissatisfied with management and was succeeded by Kelly Dillard, who posed for album artwork before Sheri Kaplan replaced her after two months. The finished album was ultimately shelved once Elektra dismissed Pross and dropped the band, though session demos later surfaced on bootlegs.
The Pandoras added guitarist Rita D'Albert and released the 1988 Restless EP Rock Hard, capturing their intensified sound. Following its appearance D'Albert exited, leaving the remaining members to tour as a quartet and enlist Billie Jo Hash on guitar for several mid-1989 performances; a Dallas date from that tour appeared as the 1989 live album Live Nymphomania. In July 1990 Pierce dismissed Vammen to pursue a keyboard-free direction, prompting dissatisfaction from Shattuck and Kaplan; after overseas dates were canceled, Shattuck resigned and co-founded the Muffs with Vammen.
Pierce was developing new Pandoras material alongside guitarist Lissa Beltri in 1991 when severe headaches emerged. She suffered a fatal aneurysm on August 9, 1991. Numerous former bandmates, notwithstanding occasional tensions with Pierce, participated in a subsequent memorial concert, and in 2014 several veterans including Susan Hyatt, Lisa Rae Black, Gwynne Kelly, Bambi Conway, and Casey Gomez issued two digital singles as the 21st Century Pandoras. A separate grouping of alumni—Kim Shattuck, Melanie Vammen, Karen Blankfeld, and Sheri Kaplan—appeared as the Pandoras at the 2015 Burger Boogaloo Festival and sustained live activity thereafter.
Shattuck and Vammen led their Pandoras lineup, now including bassist Karen Basset and drummer Hillary Burton, into the studio for the 2018 EP Hey! It's the Pandoras, which contained five compositions by Paula Pierce. The project marked Shattuck's final contribution; she passed away on October 2, 2019, after a two-year struggle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Albums
Singles
