Cat Power

Cat Power, the creative identity of singer-songwriter Chan Marshall, occupies a singular and profoundly influential space in American music, foundational to modern indie rock and experimental songwriting. Her catalog is defined by an unflinching emotional rawness and deep, instinctual craft. Marshall's career is a restless evolution, seamlessly traversing the fractured minimalism of early New York noise rock (Dear Sir, Myra Lee), the intimate, soul-soaked restraint of the Memphis sessions (The Greatest), and the integrated electronic pulses of her later, highest-charting work (Sun). Cat Power pioneered a songwriting path that successfully blends extreme vulnerability with resilient strength, profoundly shaping the landscape for subsequent artists focused on intense, personal introspection like Mitski, Snail Mail, and Angel Olsen.

Biography

Marshall was born Charlyn Marie Marshall in Atlanta on January 21, 1972. She spent her childhood moving across the South, living with her mother, father, and grandparents. Music was a constant, offering stability amid change. She sang hymns with her grandmother in church, absorbed her stepfather’s records by Otis Redding, The Rolling Stones, and Creedence Clearwater Revival, and later fell for The Smiths, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and The Cure. She wrote her first song in fourth grade and began performing as a teenager, teaching herself guitar on a 1950s Silvertone, the kind Dex Romweber played in Flat Duo Jets.

By eighteen, Marshall had dropped out of high school and immersed herself in Atlanta’s indie music scene. She performed in several bands before borrowing the name Cat Power from a trucker hat that read "Cat Diesel Power." The name stuck, and with it, she began to build her identity as a solo artist.

In 1992 she moved to New York, stepping into the city’s experimental and free-jazz community. Her early performances were loose, improvised, and unpredictable. In 1993, God Is My Co-Pilot released her first single, “Headlights.” The following year she recorded twenty songs in a single day with Tim Foljahn and Sonic Youth drummer Steve Shelley. Those recordings became Dear Sir (1995) and Myra Lee (1996), establishing her as a fiercely original voice, one who could inhabit both vulnerability and defiance in the same breath.

Her partnership with Matador Records began in 1996 with What Would the Community Think, an album that sharpened her songwriting while refining her studio approach. After its release, Marshall retreated from New York, moving first to Portland and later to a farmhouse in South Carolina. A vivid nightmare she experienced there inspired much of Moon Pix (1998), recorded with members of Dirty Three. The album became a turning point, earning critical praise and cementing her signature sound.

Her fascination with reinterpretation led to The Covers Record (2000), a collection of classic songs stripped to their emotional core. The album resonated with listeners, reaching the Billboard Heatseekers chart and building a devoted following.

In 2003 Cat Power returned with You Are Free, a record that felt confident and cohesive. Contributions from Dave Grohl, Eddie Vedder, and Warren Ellis expanded its reach, earning her first entry on the Billboard 200. She followed with The Greatest in 2006, recorded in Memphis with legendary soul musicians. Its warm, restrained sound marked one of her most celebrated shifts, debuting at number thirty-four on the Billboard 200 and winning the Shortlist Music Prize, confirming her growing influence.

Through the late 2000s she collaborated widely, appearing on projects with Beck, Yoko Ono, Mick Collins, Karen Elson, and others. In 2008 she released Jukebox, another collection of covers shaped by her Dirty Delta Blues Band, followed by the Dark End of the Street EP. Her interpretations became a defining part of her artistry.

Released in 2012, Sun introduced electronic elements into her music and became the highest-charting album of her career, debuting at number ten on the Billboard 200. Much of it was created while she faced serious health challenges, including a diagnosis of hereditary angioedema. The album’s resilience and experimentation struck a chord with fans and critics alike.

Marshall signed with Domino Records for Wanderer (2018), a stark and intimate album that included a collaboration with Lana Del Rey and a reimagining of Rihanna’s “Stay.” She continued touring and contributing to film soundtracks, including four songs for the 2021 film Flag Day. In 2022 she released Covers, further demonstrating her ability to transform well-known songs through her own emotional lens. The following year she released Cat Power Sings Dylan: The 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert, a full live recreation of Bob Dylan’s legendary performance in London.

Watch

"Cross Bones Style" Music Video

"Lived In Bars" Music Video

"He War" Music Video

Personnel

• Chan Marshall (Vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards)

• Jim White (Drums, on Moon Pix)

• Mick Turner (Guitar, on Moon Pix)

• Al Green's Hi Rhythm Section (Rhythm Section on The Greatest)

Discography

• Dear Sir (1995) The debut album, recorded in a single day, showcasing Marshall's earliest, rawest style of fractured, intensely vulnerable songwriting rooted in the New York experimental scene.

• Myra Lee (1996) Recorded during the same 1994 session as Dear Sir, this album further explored her stripped-down, improvised, and deeply personal approach to guitar and vocal minimalism.

• What Would the Community Think (1996) Her Matador debut, featuring slightly higher fidelity and tighter arrangements, which began to sharpen the focus on her singular songwriting voice. Key track: "Nude as the News."

• Moon Pix (1998) A pivotal album recorded with members of Dirty Three. Inspired by a nightmare, the record features sparse, atmospheric arrangements that cemented her signature sound and earned widespread critical acclaim. Key tracks: "Cross Bones Style" and "Pony Ride."

• The Covers Record (2000) A breakthrough collection of covers where Marshall stripped down songs from The Velvet Underground, Bob Dylan, and others to their emotional core, building a devoted following and establishing her reinterpretation skills.

• You Are Free (2003) A confident, cohesive album that incorporated contributions from high-profile collaborators (Dave Grohl, Eddie Vedder), broadening her sonic palette and giving her a first entry on the Billboard 200 chart. Key tracks: "Good Woman" and "I Don't Blame You."

• The Greatest (2006) A celebrated departure recorded in Memphis with legendary soul musicians. The album is characterized by a warm, restrained, and emotionally resonant soul sound, earning her the Shortlist Music Prize. Key tracks: "The Greatest" and "Lived In Bars."

• Sun (2012) Her highest-charting album, which saw Marshall embrace electronic elements and synths. It is characterized by themes of resilience and experimentation, marking a significant sonic shift in her career. Key tracks: "Ruin" and "Manhattan."

• Wanderer (2018) A return to a starker, more intimate sound, released on Domino Records. The album focuses on themes of identity and movement, featuring a collaboration with Lana Del Rey. Key tracks: "Woman (ft. Lana Del Rey)" and "Stay."

• Covers (2022) A second full-length covers album further showcasing her unique talent for emotional transformation, giving new life to songs by Frank Ocean, Iggy Pop, and The Pogues.

• Cat Power Sings Dylan (2023) A live album fully recreating Bob Dylan's famed and often controversial 1966 performance in London.