Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 29, 2026

Grass Widow

Grass Widow was an American indie rock band from San Francisco, California. Their music has been described as discordant and lo-fi, and connected to the post-punk roots of the members of the band.

Last revised
Jul 29, 2026
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≈ 3 min
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Grass Widow
Grass Widow in 2008
Grass Widow in 2008
Background information
OriginSan Francisco, California, USA
Genres
Years active2009 (2009)–2013 (2013)
Labels
Past members
  • Lillian Maring
  • Hannah Lew
  • Raven Mahon
WebsiteGrass Widow

Grass Widow was an American indie rock band from San Francisco, California.1 Their music has been described as discordant and lo-fi,2 and connected to the post-punk roots of the members of the band.3

History

Grass Widow was formed in San Francisco in 2007, by former members of the band Shitstorm.3 Hannah Lew played bass, Raven Mahon played guitar and Lillian Maring played the drums, with all three members sharing vocal duties.2 The band mentioned in interviews their intentionally collaborative creative process,4 and their focus on sustainability in their music careers, opting to tour for only two weeks at a time to stay connected with friends and family.2 Songs were created together in their San Francisco practice space and all members contributed equally to the work of the band.5

Their second album, Past Time, was released on Kill Rock Stars in 2010. Their third album, Internal Logic was self-released on their own label, HLR, in 2012.5

Members of the band were often asked about the fact that the band is all-women and about their feminism, and have responded with a quote from Gina Birch: "And you ask me if I’m a Feminist? Why the hell would I not be?!"6 They cite influences like Neo Boys and Kleenex, they also note Roy Wood's The Move and The Kinks as a major source of inspiration.7

The band dissolved circa 2013, with members moving on to pursue other projects.891011

Their namesake term grass widow, shared across Germanic languages, is of various shared meanings tied to abandonment, but now often refers to a divorced and/or promiscuous woman, or a wife whose husband is away.12

Discography

Studio albums

Other releases

  • Grass Widow (2009, Captured Tracks)
  • Milo Minute 7" (2011, HLR label)
  • Disappearing Industries (2012, HLR label)
References

References

  1. Merry, Stephanie (May 19, 2023). "Grass Widow, a band in perfect harmony". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on November 10, 2012. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  2. Merry, Stephanie (November 9, 2012). "Grass Widow, a band in perfect harmony". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 29, 2013.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  3. Colville, Liz. "Grass Window: Past Time". Pitchfork (album review). Retrieved September 29, 2013.
  4. Vail, Tobi. "Grass Widow [band]". The Believer (interview). Retrieved September 29, 2013.
  5. "Grass Widow interview: "Our own internal logic"". Dummy. Retrieved September 29, 2013.
  6. "Grass Widow". Interview. Lady Bang Beat. Retrieved September 29, 2013.
  7. "Grass Widow". Kill Rock Stars. Archived from the original on October 3, 2013. Retrieved September 29, 2013.
  8. Canino, Gary (October 6, 2015). "Cold Beat [band]". BOMB Magazine (interview). Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  9. Fortune, Hether. "On figuring out how to do whatever you want". The Creative Independent (interview). Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  10. ":::::::: by Wet Drag". Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  11. "Bridge Collapse: Wilderness/Blockbreaker". Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  12. Harper, Douglas. "grass widow". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved February 2, 2025.

Reviews

External links