Kittie

Kittie is a Canadian heavy metal band from London, Ontario, formed in 1996 and still active. The group works in alternative metal, heavy metal and nu metal, and has been associated with metalcore as well. It records under 141888 Ontario Inc and Kittie Inc.

Formation and early line-up

The band begins when Fallon Bowman and Mercedes Lander meet in gym class. Morgan Lander becomes the lead vocalist and one of the guitarists, with Tanya Candler on bass completing the original line-up. The name Kittie is chosen because it seems contradictory.

Releases and changing membership

Kittie releases six studio albums, one video album, four extended plays, thirteen singles and thirteen music videos. After signing to NG Records, the band issues its debut album, Spit, which is certified gold by the RIAA and sells at least 600,000 copies in the United States. Subsequent albums include Oracle in 2001 and Until the End in 2004.

In 2005, the band parts ways with Artemis Records and creates its own label. It then releases Funeral for Yesterday in 2007. Kittie later signs to E1 Music in 2009 and releases In the Black the same year, followed by I’ve Failed You in 2011. The band’s sound and line-up change substantially from album to album.

Later years, reunion activity and documentary

In 2014, Kittie makes a documentary marking the band’s 20th anniversary. Mercedes Lander also starts the sludge/doom metal band White Swan, whose debut EP Anubis includes the single “Illuminate”. In 2017, bassist Trish Doan dies. Later that year, the band performs a three-set concert in London, Ontario featuring different line-up combinations drawn from current and former members, including the return of Candler, Bowman, Jeff Phillips and Jennifer Arroyo for songs from their eras. The concert is released on DVD in 2019.

The documentary Kittie: Origins/Evolutions is released on Blu-ray and DVD in 2018, with a companion CD of live performances. Around the same period, Morgan Lander joins the melodic death metal band Karkaos as lead singer.

Return to live performance and new material

After a break from live activity, Kittie returns to the stage with Ivy Jenkins on bass. The band performs its first show since 2017 at Blue Ridge Rock Festival in 2022, then appears across all three days of the When We Were Young festival in Las Vegas. It is later signed to Sumerian Records by label head Ash Avildsen and begins work on new material in 2023. The band performs “Vultures” as its first new song in 12 years at Sick New World Festival. In 2024, Kittie premieres new songs through Sirius XM’s Liquid Metal channel on YouTube and releases its seventh album, Fire.

Members

Members associated with Kittie include Tanya Candler, Fallon Bowman, Mercedes Lander, Morgan Lander, Talena Atfield, Jeff Phillips, Jennifer Arroyo, Lisa Marx, Trish Doan, Tara McLeod and Ivy Jenkins.