Kindred Spirit (band)

Kindred Spirit was a female duo consisting of Debbi Peterson (drummer/vocalist of The Bangles) and Siobhan Maher (vocalist of the River City People). This group dissolved in 1996 (see the history below).

At around this time another Kindred Spirit Duo was formed by singer / songwriter / guitar player Elaine Samuels, which is still active today and further evolved into the British progressive folk rock Kindred Spirit Band, as featured in Prog Magazine in February 2017. This Kindred Spirit Band are a five-piece, featuring two female vocalists, guitar, electric violin, flute/sax, bass and legendary drummer Les Binks (ex Judas Priest). The prog folk rock Kindred Spirit Band's latest album, "Phoenix Rising" is selling globally.

After the split of The Bangles, Debbi Peterson formed the group Smashbox, which also featured Gina Schock (of The Go-Go's), Sara Lee (of The B-52's) and Wendy & Lisa. This lineup didn't last long and by 1991 the group was reduced to Peterson and Schock, who signed with I.R.S. Records and renamed themselves Kindred Spirit. After recording some songs with producer Humberto Gatica, Schock decided to quit.

Peterson looked for a replacement and found Siobhan Maher, who had just split with her group, the River City People. In late 1992 they released the single Here In My Eyes in Europe and went on tour as the opening act for Joan Armatrading.

Their self-titled album was slated for release in early 1993. The songs Peterson and Schock had written together were slated for the album, however Schock sued the group and filed a lawsuit to "regain control of her material." The lengthy legal battle put the album on hold and it wasn't until 1995 that it was released, preceded by the single Ask Me No Questions.

The album, produced by Peterson and Maher, is a collection of acoustic and pop-rock songs. As with the Bangles tradition, Peterson and Maher wrote their songs separately, singing lead vocals in their own songs and harmony vocals on the other's. The only song co-written by Schock included in the album was the single Here In My Eyes. The album wasn't promoted well and was not a success.

In December 1995, the band released the song Christmas Son for a Christmas compilation album. That same month Maher gave birth to her daughter.

In 1996, IRS Records went bankrupt and the group tried to get a new record deal unsuccessfully, and parted ways. Siobhan Maher released a solo album in 2002, and Debbi Peterson rejoined the Bangles in 1999. She recorded a new version of Ask Me No Questions with the group in their 2003 album Doll Revolution.

Discography

Albums

• Kindred Spirit (Peterson / Lee, 1995)
• Dance Of Life (Samuels, 1997)
• The Watchers (Samuels, 2002)
• The Mystic Journey (Samuels, 2003)
• In The Doghouse (Samuels, 2005)
• Metamorphosis (Samuels, 2009)
• Phoenix Rising (Samuels, 2015)

Singles

• Here In My Eyes (1992)
• Ask Me No Questions (1994)