Ani DiFranco

  • Buffalo, NY
    hometown
  • Alternative
    genre
  • 1990
    started
  • Bio
    full story
  • Share
  • Similar
Close

About Ani DiFranco

Official Site: righteousbabe.com | @anidifranco | facebook.com/pages/Ani-DiFranco/69843430225


A folkie in punk's clothing, Ani DiFranco battled successfully against the Goliath of corporate rock to emerge as one of the most influential and inspirational cult heroines of the 1990s. A resolute follower of D.I.Y. ethos, DiFranco released her records through her own indie label, Righteous Babe, slowly but steadily building a devout grassroots following on the strength of a relentless tour schedule. An ardent feminist and an open bisexual, her songs tackled issues like rape, abortion, and sexism with insight and compassion, the music's empowering attitude and anger tempered by the poignant candor of singer/songwriter confessionalism.

DiFranco was born in Buffalo, NY, on September 23, 1970. She began her career at the age of nine, when her guitar teacher helped her land her first gig -- performing a set of Beatles covers -- at an area coffeehouse. Befriended by the likes of Suzanne Vega and Michelle Shocked, she later gave up music to study ballet, but at the age of 14 returned to the guitar and began composing her first songs. A year later, alienated from her crumbling family structure, she left home, living with friends while making the rounds of the Buffalo folk club circuit.

DiFranco had written over 100 original songs by the age of 19, and after briefly studying art, she relocated to New York City to further her musical aspirations; besieged by requests from fans for tapes of her performances, she recorded a demo and pressed 500 copies of a self-titled cassette to sell at shows. The tape -- a Spartan acoustic folk collection of intensely personal essays on failed relationships and gender inequities -- quickly sold out, and in 1990 DiFranco founded Righteous Babe to better distribute her recordings, which were slowly spreading across the country on the strength of a substantial word-of-mouth following.

In 1991, after issuing the assured Not So Soft, DiFranco hit the road alone, touring the nation in her Volkswagen and playing gigs wherever she could find them. Her cult blossomed, and her distinct image -- shaved head, tattoos, and body piercings -- soon became the de rigueur look for her fans as well. As albums like 1992's Imperfectly and 1993's Puddle Dive expanded her musical ambitions as well as her following, DiFranco became the subject of considerable major-label interest, yet she steadfastly rejected all offers as Righteous Babe grew to become a highly viable business venture.

DiFranco continued playing over 200 dates a year, and soon even the mainstream media took notice of her cottage-industry music; after 1994's masterful Out of Range, she exploded with the following year's Not a Pretty Girl, which garnered notice from outlets ranging from CNN to The New York Times. A sprawling, eclectic work detailing a heated love affair with a man (much to the chagrin of her lesbian followers), 1996's Dilate even debuted in the Top 100 of the Billboard charts, a stunning achievement for an independent release. The live set Living in Clip followed in 1997.

Early in 1998, DiFranco released the studio effort Little Plastic Castle; her most musically diverse release yet, it also was her highest-charting album to date, and set the stage for the release of Up Up Up Up Up Up the following year. Another new LP, To the Teeth, appeared in 1999 as well, and in mid-2000 came the release of the odds-and-ends compilation Swing Set. Revelling: Reckoning appeared in spring 2001. In 2002, DiFranco trudged on; a road warrior at heart, she issued the double-disc So Much Shouting, So Much Laughter in September, her first live album since 1997's Living in Clip. The So Much Shouting set captured handpicked favorites by DiFranco and three previously unreleased songs.

The following year's Evolve added funk, jazz, and Latin elements to the mix, while 2004's Educated Guess was performed completely by DiFranco. Knuckle Down, co-produced by Joe Henry, arrived in 2005. The eighth disc in her Official Bootleg series, Carnegie Hall (recorded live on April 2, 2002), was released in the spring of 2006, and then -- shortly after the singer announced she was pregnant -- her studio album Reprieve arrived that same August. DiFranco gave birth to her daughter in January 2007 and released another Official Bootleg, Hamburg, Germany, in 2008. Red Letter Year appeared later in 2008, featuring songs inspired by the impending presidential race, DiFranco's baby daughter, and her partner/producer Mike Napolitano. 2012's Which Side Are You On?, the sixteenth studio album from the alternative folk legend, featured twelve new songs, including the rousing title cut, which was a re-working of a song made popular by Pete Seeger, who lent his distinctive voice and banjo to DiFranco's rendition. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi

Scroll up Scroll down

Music

From position 0, showing 2 items, asking 10
See All
  • In Or Out
    ani-difranco
    Video
    In Or Out
  • Joyful Girl Remix
    ani-difranco
    Video
    Joyful Girl Remix
  • 1174
    SoundStream
    SoundStream
    song name
    0:00
    Audio powered by
    All the music you want, just 10 bucks a month. Try it free.
    • Wishin' and Hopin'
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g1/6/4/0/2/3/199032046.mp3
    • Untouchable Face
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g1/2/9/6/6/2/980126692.mp3
    • 32 Flavors
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g2/5/0/9/8/3/881038905.mp3
    • Little Plastic Castle
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g1/4/0/9/0/3/980130904.mp3
    • You Had Time
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g2/9/6/4/8/3/881038469.mp3
    • As Is
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g1/3/8/2/1/3/980131283.mp3

Photos

From position 0, showing 10 items, asking 10
See All
Next Page
  • Ani DiFranco
    Courtesy of Righteous Babe
  • Ani DiFranco
    Ani DiFranco
    Ani DiFranco
  • Ani DiFranco
    Ani DiFranco
    Ani DiFranco
  • Ani DiFranco
    Ani DiFranco
    Ani DiFranco
  • Ani DiFranco
    Ani DiFranco
    Ani DiFranco
  • Ani DiFranco
    Ani DiFranco
    Ani DiFranco
  • Ani DiFranco
    Ani DiFranco
    Ani DiFranco
  • Ani DiFranco
    Ani DiFranco
    Ani DiFranco
  • Ani DiFranco
    Ani DiFranco
    Ani DiFranco
  • Ani DiFranco
    Ani DiFranco
    Ani DiFranco

News

From position 0, showing 9 items, asking 10
See All
  • Ani DiFranco
    Ani DiFranco looks toward "Red Letter Year"
    music.yahoo.com
    yet, look how much the world loves you," she sings in the latter track. Just in time for this year's presidential race -- DiFranco's political musings...
    Read More
  • Ani DiFranco
    Ani DiFranco Looks Toward 'Red Letter Year'
    www.billboard.com
    Ani DiFranco is notorious for releasing an album a year and 2008 will be no exception. "Red Letter Year," the artist's 20th release since 1990, will a...
    Read More
  • Ani DiFranco
    Ani DiFranco
    www.rollingstone.com
    Photo: Gardner/Getty Ani DiFranco may have a reputation as a confrontational folk firebrand, but for all its sociopolitical savvy, her new album, Red ...
    Read More
  • Ani DiFranco
    Ani DiFranco Readies New Songs For Tour, Album
    www.billboard.com
    Matthews, John Mellencamp, Arlo Guthrie, Ben Harper and Emmylou Harris. "Two words - Pete Seeger," DiFranco says. "He's a hero of mine I would say. It...
    Read More
  • Ani DiFranco
    Ani DiFranco Readies New Songs For Tour, Album
    www.billboard.com
    Matthews, John Mellencamp, Arlo Guthrie, Ben Harper and Emmylou Harris. "Two words - Pete Seeger," DiFranco says. "He's a hero of mine I would say. It...
    Read More
  • Ani DiFranco
    Dr. John, Bruce Hornsby, Ani DiFranco and Jackson Browne Set for Wavy Gravy's Beacon Birthday Bash
    www.jambands.com
    show that will take place at Richmond, CA's Craneway Pavilion on May 14. An East Coast benefit has now been added as well. The Beacon Theater will hos...
    Read More
  • Ani DiFranco
    Ani DiFranco Teams With Pete Seeger For Which Side Are You On?
    American Songwriter
    On January 17, Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco will return with her 17th full-length album, Which Side Are You On? It's three year...
    Read More
  • Ani DiFranco
    Ani DiFranco, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Bela Fleck, Arlo Guthrie & The Guthrie Family, Dawes and Punch Brothers Set for Clearwater
    www.jambands.com
    Ani DiFranco, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Béla Fleck, Arlo Guthrie & The Guthrie Family, Dawes and Punch Brothers are among the acts slated to appear...
    Read More
  • Ani DiFranco
    The Neville Brothers, Ani DiFranco, Trombone Shorty and More Join Dumpstaphunk
    www.jambands.com
    members of the Neville Brothers--Art, Aaron, Charles and Cyril--sat in for a mini-set of Neville Brothers classics. The Neville Brothers--who headline...
    Read More

Tour Dates

From position 0, showing 11 items, asking 50
See All
  • Sep 21 Saturday
    Columbus, OH, US Lifestyle Communities Pavilion
    Buy Ticket
  • Sep 22 Sunday
    Cleveland, OH, US House of Blues
    Buy Ticket
  • Sep 24 Tuesday
    Nashville, TN, US Marathon Music Works
    Buy Ticket
  • Sep 25 Wednesday
    Atlanta, GA, US Variety Playhouse
    Buy Ticket
  • Sep 27 Friday
    Durham, NC, US Carolina Theatre
    Buy Ticket
  • Sep 28 Saturday
    Asheville, NC, US The Orange Peel
    Buy Ticket
  • Nov 8 Friday
    West Long Branch, NJ, US Pollak Theatre
    Buy Ticket
  • Nov 10 Sunday
    Northampton, MA, US Calvin Theatre & Performing Arts Center
    Buy Ticket
  • Nov 11 Monday
    Norfolk, CT, US Infinity Hall
    Buy Ticket
  • Nov 13 Wednesday
    Brownfield, ME, US Stone Mountain Arts Center
    Buy Ticket
  • Nov 16 Saturday
    New York, NY, US The Town Hall
    Buy Ticket

Discography

From position 0, showing 10 items, asking 10
See All
Next Page
  • Which Side Are You On? (2012)
    Ani DiFranco
    Which Side Are You On? (2012)
    Righteous Babe Records
  • Red Letter Year (2008)
    Ani DiFranco
    Red Letter Year (2008)
    Righteous Babe Records
  • Reprieve (2006)
    Ani DiFranco
    Reprieve (2006)
    Righteous Babe Records
  • Carnegie Hall (2006)
    Ani DiFranco
    Carnegie Hall (2006)
    Righteous Babe Records
  • Knuckle Down (2005)
    Ani DiFranco
    Knuckle Down (2005)
    Universal Jazz
  • Educated Guess (2004)
    Ani DiFranco
    Educated Guess (2004)
    Righteous Babe Records
  • Evolve (2003)
    Ani DiFranco
    Evolve (2003)
    Righteous Babe Records
  • So Much Shouting, So Much Laughter (2002)
    Ani DiFranco
    So Much Shouting, So Much Laughter (2002)
    Righteous Babe Records
  • Revelling: Reckoning (2001)
    Ani DiFranco
    Revelling: Reckoning (2001)
    Righteous Babe Records
  • To the Teeth (1999)
    Ani DiFranco
    To the Teeth (1999)
    Righteous Babe Records
Are You Ani DiFranco? Claim this page | Learn more about Artists.MTV | FAQ for Artists
Ani DiFranco Bio | Ani DiFranco Tour Dates | Ani DiFranco Music | Ani DiFranco News | Ani DiFranco Discography |
MTV | MTV Jobs | Privacy Policy | User Content Agreement | Copyright | Artist Index | Social Projects Agreements | Ad Choices |
Portions of this page powered by
This site contains content from artists, fans, and writers from around the internet in it's natural form. Such content is not representative of Viacom Media Networks.

©2012 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved. MTV and all related titles and logos are trademarks of Viacom International Inc.

  • Explore
    • Popular
    • Emerging
    • Genres
      • Rock
      • Hip Hop
      • Indie
      • Electronic/EDM
      • Country
      • Pop
    • Collections
    • Artist To Watch
  • Search
  • Are you an artist?
    • Claim Your Page
    • Learn More
    • FAQ
    • Opportunities