History and Career

The Indigo Girls were formed in December 1985, in Decatur, Georgia, United States, by Amy Ray and Emily Saliers. They met in elementary school and began performing together as “The B-Band” when they were 14. When they were in high school, they started writing songs together and performing them at coffeehouses around Atlanta. After graduating from high school, they both attended Emory University in Atlanta.

Ray and Saliers began playing individually and together during their college years. They released their first album, a self-titled EP, in 1985. The album sold more than 300,000 copies and led to the duo being signed with Epic Records. Their first full-length album, Strange Fire, was released in 1989 and quickly went popular due to the success of the single “Closer To Fine”. Their album, Indigo Girls, was released in 1990 and won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Recording.

The duo’s follow-up album, Nomads Indians Saints, was released in 1990 and reached gold status. In 1992, they released the album Rites of Passage, which debuted at № 21 on the Billboard 200 chart and was certified platinum. This was followed by their 1994 album Swamp Ophelia, which also debuted at No. 9 and was certified platinum. Their 1996 album Shaming of the Sun was also very successful, reaching No. 7 on the Billboard 200 and was nominated for a Grammy Award. In 1999, they released the album Come On Now Social, which reached No. 7 on the Billboard 200. The duo’s next album, Become You, was released in 2002 and debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard 200. Despite not being as successful commercially as their previous albums, it still received critical acclaim. The duo’s final album for Epic Records, All That We Let In, was released in 2004. Jaime Hernandez, an unconventional comics creator known for Love and Rockets, designed the book’s cover.

In 2006, the Indigo Girls signed to Hollywood Records. The duo’s first album for the label, Despite Our Differences, was released in September 2006. It peaked at No. 44 on the Billboard charts. In 2007 during their tour, their contract with Hollywood Records was terminated.

The following year, the duo signed with Vanguard Records and released their eleventh studio album, Poseidon and the Bitter Bug. The album’s first single “Galileo” peaked at No. 22 on Billboard’s Adult Alternative Songs chart. In September 2010, they released their twelfth studio album and first-holiday album, Holly Happy Days. It included two original songs, “What Are You Like” and “Dear Mr. President” (with Pink). On October 4, 2011, the Indigo Girls released their thirteenth studio album, Beauty Queen Sister. The album debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Folk Albums chart and No. 14 on Top Rock Albums. On June 2, 2015, the Indigo Girls released their fourteen studio album, One Lost Day. In June 2017, the Indigo Girls released their fifteenth studio album, Look Long. The album debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Folk Albums chart and No. 21 on the Top Rock Albums chart.

Personal lives

The Indigo Girls have been involved in numerous social and environmental causes throughout their careers. They are active supporters of LGBT rights and have performed multiple same-sex marriage benefits. In 1999, they helped founded the not-for-profit organization Honor the Earth.

Discography

Awards and Nominations