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Gina Birch (born in 1955 in Nottingham, UK) is an English musician, visual artist, photographer and filmmaker, best known as a founding member of The Raincoats. Her solo debut came in 2021 (single) followed by her solo debut album in February 2023.

London-based Gina Birch began her storied career in music in 1977 when she formed the feminist punk band The Raincoats with fellow Hornsey School of Art student, Ana da Silva. Gina and Ana witnessed an early performance by The Slits and although neither of them knew how to play any instruments, they knew they had to start a band. Just months after they picked up their instruments they were on stage doing their thing around London and the UK in the fledgling and groundbreaking punk rock scene. The Raincoats quickly developed a large and loyal group of fans and supporters, among them Red Krayola, Swell Maps and Geoff Travis and his new record label, Rough Trade. The Raincoats went on to record 3 albums for Rough Trade that are frequently found on lists of the most important records of the punk rock era and are still name checked as influences by artists today.
Originally, The Raincoats broke up in 1984 but were talked into reforming in 1994 when Kurt Cobain asked them to go on tour in support of Nirvana (sadly, that never happened). With a renewed interest in the band led by Kurt and Kim Gordon, The Raincoats records were reissued with liner notes by Kurt and Kim themselves. Worldwide tours and a brand new 4th album on DGC resulted in 1996. The Raincoats still perform today for special events and have started their own record label, We Three Records, to handle their back catalog.
Gina is a respected painter, a celebrated filmmaker and video director (directing videos for The Libertines and New Order to name a few) and is a mother of 2 wonderful daughters. She has formed and fronted the band Dorothy and The Hangovers.
In September of 2021, Gina released her first ever solo single, Feminist Song, on Third Man Records in celebration of the opening of their brand new London location. In February of 2023, Third Man will release Gina’s brand new and first ever solo full length album, I Play My Bass Loud, recorded by Martin “Youth” Glover from Killing Joke and featuring Thurston Moore from Sonic Youth.

ALBUMS


APPEARANCES +


Erica Dawn Lyle and Vice Cooler
Land Trust: Benefit For North East Farmers Of Color
2024, 2xLP, Get Better Records,
Punk/Indie Rock
Various
Women In Revolt! Underground Rebellion In British Music — 1977-1985
2023, LP, Comp, Ltd, Neo, Music For Nations, Sony Music, Tate Gallery
Swell Maps C21
Polar Regions
2023
Gary Crowley
Gary Crowley's Punk & New Wave Vol. 2
2023, 4x CD, ,
Mod/Punk/Power Pop/New Wave
Television Personalities
Some Kind Of Happiness? Singles 1994-1999
2020, ,
Indie Pop/Psychedelic Rock
Phew
Vertigo KO
2020
Preoccupations
Preoccupations
2016
Preoccupations
Key / Off Duty Trip
2016
Various
Death Disco (Mojo Presents A Compendium Of Post-Punk Grooves)
2014, CD, Comp, Mojo Magazine, ,
New Wave/Post-Punk
Various
Sex Drugs And HIV
2014, 2x CD, DVD, ,
Punk/Post-Punk/Pop Rock/Folk Rock/Space Rock/Shoegaze/Goth Rock/Hard Rock/Ska/Alternative Rock/Indie Rock/Garage Rock
Schwervon!
Landlocked
2013, 7", Single, Ltd, Too Much Rock, ,
Indie Rock
Mark Stewart
Experiments
2012, Vinyl, ,
Dub/Industrial/Noise
Mark Stewart
The Politics Of Envy
2012, CD, ,
Dub/Industrial/Noise
Mark Stewart
Exorcism Of Envy
2012, CD, ,
Dub/Industrial/Noise
Alternative TV
Black And White: Live
2009, CD, Album, Bongo Beat, ,
Punk/New Wave
Helen McCookerybook
Poetry & Rhyme
2008, CD, Album, Barbaraville Records, ,
Lo-Fi/Pop Rock/Rockabilly
The Long Blondes
Weekend Without Makeup
2006
Nightingales*
Out Of True
2006
Various
Silver Monk Time (A Tribute To The Monks)
2006, 2x CD, ,
Alternative Rock/Avantgarde/Experimental
Hefner
The Best Of 1996 - 2002
2006, CD, ,
Indie Rock
Various
Rare Trax Vol. 42 - Girls, Girrls, Grrrls - Female-Fronted Post-Punk
2005, CD, Comp, Promo, Rolling Stone
Various
Digital Rock Vision 11
2005, DVD-V, Comp, PAL, Digital Press, ,
Indie Rock/Synth-pop/Big Beat/Alternative Rock/Interview
New Order
A Collection
2005, DVD, ,
New Wave/Synth-pop/Indie Rock
New Order
Item (A Collection & New Order Story)
2005, DVD, DVD, Box Set, ,
New Wave/Synth-pop/Indie Rock
The Red Krayola*
Singles
2004, ,
Art Rock/Avantgarde
The Libertines
The Libertines
2004
Various
Rough Trade Shops (Post Punk 01)
2003, 2x CD, ,
Garage Rock/Indie Rock/Punk/New Wave/Post-Punk/No Wave/Funk/Dub/Experimental
Chicken Lips
DJ-Kicks
2003, CD, ,
Electro/Leftfield/House/Disco/Dub/New Wave
The Libertines
Up The Bracket
2003
Essential Logic
Fanfare In The Garden: An Essential Logic Collection
2003, ,
Alternative Rock/New Wave
Various
Digital Rock Vision 1
2002, DVD-V, Comp, PAL, Digital Press, ,
Interview/Alternative Rock/Pop Rock/Indie Rock/Britpop/Punk
Various
Rough Trade Shops - 25 Years
2001, 4x CD Technicolor, Box Set, ,
New Wave/IDM/Punk/Indie Rock/Industrial/Indie Pop/Reggae/Post-Punk/Ambient
New Order
Crystal
2001, ,
Electro/Ambient/Synth-pop
Television Personalities
The Boy Who Couldn't Stop Dreaming
2000, CD, Comp, Vinyl Japan
The Long Decline
Wisdomism
2000, CD, Album, Wabana Ore Limited
Hefner
The Fidelity Wars
1999
SFT*
Shwarma
1996, ,
Abstract/Experimental/Ambient
Various
Buy-Product 2: Brief Encounters - Revealing Songs From 20 Underexposed Artists
1996, CD, ,
Alternative Rock/Pop Rock/Experimental/Indie Rock
Various
Totally Wired
1995, CD, Comp, Razor & Tie, ,
Alternative Rock/New Wave/Punk/Post-Punk/Indie Rock
Zounds
The Curse Of Zounds + Singles
1993, ,
Punk
Various
Lipstick Traces
1993, ,
Alternative Rock/Musique Concrète/Spoken Word/Political/Field Recording/Punk/Doo Wop/Free Improvisation/Delta Blues/Experimental
The Red Crayola* With Art & Language
An Old Man's Dream
1981, 7", Single, Rough Trade
The Red Crayola* With Art & Language
Kangaroo?
1981, ,
Art Rock/Experimental
Zounds
The Curse Of Zounds
1981
The Red Crayola*
Born In Flames
1980, 7", Rough Trade, ,
Art Rock
Various
Wanna Buy A Bridge?
1980, ,
New Wave/Industrial/Punk/Experimental
The Red Crayola*
Micro-Chips & Fish
1979, 12", Single, Rough Trade, Rough Trade, ,
New Wave/Avantgarde
Various
Cross Current: Rough Trade's Greatest Hits Volume One
LP, Comp, Base Record, ,
No Wave/Post-Punk/Rock & Roll/Art Rock
Various
Third Man Records Mix CD 2022 Vol. 1
2022, CD, Comp, Third Man Records,
Jack White
Fear Of The Dawn
2022, ,
Alternative Rock