Merrill Beth Nisker (b. 1968; Toronto, Canada), better known as Peaches, is an electroclash artist. Her songs are mainly concerned with sex. She lived and worked in Berlin for several years before moving to Los Angeles in 2005. She plays almost all the instruments for her songs, programs her own electronic beats and produces her records.

Her songs have been featured in movies such as Mean Girls, My Little Eye and Lost in Translation. Her music has also been featured on Showtime's The L Word television series. Peaches performed guest vocals on Pink's album Try This, on the song "Oh My God." Her lyrics are discussed as part of the queer-studies course curriculum at the University of Toronto, and she has been invited to lecture at the Contemporary Music Academy in Berlin. Her most notorious song, "Fuck the Pain Away," is also the name of an electro night club in Brighton.

Peaches' music is preoccupied with gender identity. Her lyrics and live shows self-consciously blur the distinction between male and female; she appears on the cover of her second album Fatherfucker with a full beard. When asked if she had chosen the title for shock value, she commented:

She disputes accusations of "penis envy," preferring the term "hermaphrodite envy" since "there is so much male and female in us all." Nevertheless, she does not shy away from identifying herself as a sexual being, although she rejects the sanitized portrayal of women in popular music.

Although she does not hold a teaching degree, she taught at private schools before her career in music.

Peaches will be the opening act for Nine Inch Nails during the second half of their summer 2006 U.S. tour.

Folklore

On Air America Radio's Majority Report, co-hosts Sam Seder and Janeane Garofalo have a trademark signoff, in which one of them ends the show with the word "Peaches." This is in reference to a lengthy interview with Peaches on the show's May 6, 2004, episode. Peaches seemed arguably out of place within the show's highly political tone and fast-paced intellectual discourse. Her slower, less articulate speaking pace and mumbled ramblings about backstage sexual experiences were not well-received by the show's audience, with many of them feeling that there were better interview subjects out there who would be more suited to the show and more relevant to the political climate of the time. As it was a taped interview, Seder and Garofalo stopped playing it halfway through because of strong complaints about from bloggers on the radio network's website. Garofalo, a fan of Peaches as a performer, later felt bad for cutting Peaches off midinterview, so she decided to say her name at the conclusion of each episode in an attempt to make it up to her.

Discography

Albums

• Fancypants Hoodlum (1995, as Merrill Nisker)
• The Teaches of Peaches (2000)
• Fatherfucker (2003)
• Impeach My Bush (2006)

Singles/EPs

• "Lovertits" (2000)
• "Set It Off" (2001)
• "Rock Show" (2001)
• "Kick It" (ft. Iggy Pop) (2003)
• "Operate (2003)
• "Shake Yer Dix" (2003)
• "Downtown" (2006) #50 UK
• "Boys Wanna Be Her" (2006)

Trivia

• Contributed to the UNICEF benefit song "Do They Know It's Hallowe'en?" in 2005.
• Duet with Gonzales called "Red Leather".
• Duet with P!nk called "Oh My God".

External links

• Peaches - official website
• allmusic.com about Peaches
• Peaches News
• XL music site
• Beggars Group, USA profile of Peaches
• ^* - Interview with Venuszine
• ^* - Fuck The Pain Away (Club)

Canadian electronic musicians | Canadian dance musicians | Bisexual musicians | LGBT musicians from Canada | 1968 births | Jewish Canadians | Living people | Torontonians | Canadian female singers

Peaches | Merrill Nisker | Merrill Nisker