7 Year Bitch were an all-female punk band that originated in the Pacific Northwest in the early 1990s. Although they have only released three albums, their work has made an impact on the rock scene with its aggressive feminist message and legendary live performances.
Early career 7 Year Bitch
Seven Year Bitch was formed in 1990 amid the collapse of the previous team. Valerie Agnew (drums), Stephanie Sargent (guitar) and singer Celine Vigil have disbanded their previous band. It happened after their bass player moved to Europe.
The three remaining members brought in Elizabeth Davis (bass) and formed a new band. The band was named 7 Year Bitch after Marilyn Monroe's film 7 Year Itch.
They first performed in front of an audience at a concert with their friends, adherents of the northwestern punk The Gits. Mia Zapata, lead singer, was a major influence in the development of Seven Year Bitch with her aggressive performance style. And pushed them to create their own image. A mixture of punk and grunge has become the hallmark of the new group.
First success
7 Year Bitch released their debut single "Lorna / No Fucking War" (Rathouse) in '91. The debut was successful. The growing popularity and underground success of Lorna attracted the attention of local independent label C/Z Records. And at the end of the year, the girls signed a contract, agreeing to cooperate.
Almost immediately after they signed with C/Z, their friends from Pearl Jam had to cancel a string of shows. Due to insurmountable circumstances, they could not perform as the opening act for the Red Hot Chili Peppers. But they recommended 7 Year Bitch instead, which the girls took advantage of.
The tour very quickly introduced the band to a much wider audience. Fame grew like a snowball, the band became popular, the debut album was being prepared for release. But an unforeseen and tragic circumstance happened. Stephanie Sargent, the band's guitarist, died of a heroin overdose.
In this regard, the release of the album was slightly delayed and "Sick 'em" was released in October 92. The album turned out to be unusual and memorable. And received favorable reviews from critics, fans and the press.
Extension
The girls were very upset by the death of their friend, but when the emotions calmed down a bit, they decided to keep the group and invite a new member. She became Roisina Danna.
For the next few years, the band toured relentlessly throughout both North America and Europe. She has performed with such monsters of rock as Rage Against The Machine, Cypress Hill, Love Battery and Silverfish.
While the band was touring, their friend and inspiration, Mia Zapata, died in 1993 in Seattle. And it wasn't drugs. The young woman was brutally raped and killed.
The event deeply affected the band and the close-knit underground music scene in the Northwest. Valerie Agnew helped found the self-defense and anti-violence organization Home Alive, and 7 Year Bitch named their next album "! Viva Zapata! (1994 C/Z) in honor of a deceased friend.
The album is full of hard rock passions. It has all the feelings that overwhelmed the performers at that time. Shock, denial, anger, guilt, depression and finally acceptance of reality. The song "Rockabye" is a requiem by Stephanie Sargent, "MIA" is a dedication to Mia, whose murder has not been solved so far.
New contract 7 Year Bitch
Thanks to the better quality of the songs on the last album, the band became widely known among underground fans.
Several well-known recording studios became interested in the work of the female group and vied with each other to offer cooperation. In 1995, the girls signed a new contract with the largest studio "Atlantic Records" and producer Tim Sommer.
Under the auspices of this label, their 3rd collection "Gato Negro" is released in a year. It was accompanied by an unprecedented PR action, received positive reviews, but did not live up to the commercial expectations that Atlantic had hoped for.
In support of the album, the band embarks on a year-long tour, but at the end of the tour, some unpleasant news awaits them. Firstly, the decision to leave the team is made by Danna. She was replaced by the band's sound engineer, Lisa Fay Beatty. Secondly, the group discovered that they had been expelled from Atlantic. It was a blow from which the girls never recovered.
7 Year Bitch career finale
The members of 7 Year Bitch moved from Seattle to California in early 1997. Davis and Agnew settled in the San Francisco Bay Area, Vigil moved to the City of Angels. Together with Beatty, the four began recording material for a fourth album. But the geographical division of the team members and the hard times they went through affected them.
After the last tour at the end of the 97th, the girls decide to end their joint activities. Oddly enough, the team lasted exactly 7 years.
Elizabeth Davis continued to play with Clone and later became a founding member of Von Iva. Selena Vigil formed a new band called Cistine and in 2005 married her longtime boyfriend Brad Wilk, the drummer for the famous bands Rage Against The Machine and Audioslave. Thus ended the seven-year history of the 7 Year Bitch group.
