Lois

by Jason AnkenySinger/songwriter Lois Maffeo long reigned as one of the most respected voices in American indie-pop — a key proponent of the Pacific Northwests love-rock scene, her spare, lo-fi sound and steadfast adherence to underground ethos blazed a trail for the countless female acts to emerge in her wake. A native of Phoenix, AZ, Maffeo began attending Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA in 1981, initially becoming a fixture of the citys thriving music scene as a result of her grrrl-centric radio show Your Dream Girl on local station KAOS. After picking up the guitar, in 1987 she formed the short-lived Cradle Robbers with future Spinane Rebecca Gates before joining drummer Pat Maley in the duo Courtney Love, issuing three acclaimed singles before disbanding. Maffeo then relocated to Washington, D.C., where she began playing simply as Lois or sometimes even the Lois — in short, a band made up of herself and whatever backing musicians were available. One early collaborator was Bratmobile drummer Molly Neuman, who regularly accompanied Maffeo live as well as on her first two solo LPs, 1992s lovely Butterfly Kiss and its 1993 follow-up, Strumpet. After issuing the live cassette Lowrider a year later, she toured with drummer Amy Farina, who returned for the Ian MacKaye-produced EP Shy Town; for the full-length Bet the Sky, Maffeo was joined by ex-Tiger Trap drummer Heather Dunn, who remained on board for 1996s Snapshot Radio as well as its full-length follow-up, Infinity Plus. She teamed with Fugazi drummer Brendan Canty for 2000s The Union Themes.