Swahili Blonde

Swahili Blonde is the project of percussionist/multi-instrumentalist Nicole Turley, formerly of underground Los Angeles bands WEAVE! and Seventh Sea. A former photographer and dancer, Turley took up drumming when she was in her early twenties when her friend Ivory invited her to be in a new group that became Seventh Sea. During her stint with WEAVE!, Turley performed with artists including Warpaint and Flea and John Frusciante's improvisatory band. While she played with these groups, Turley also worked on Swahili Blonde's music, combining live and programmed drums with dub, Krautrock, post-punk, and no wave influences, and topping it all with her vocals. She recruited Frusciante, violinist Laena Myers-Ionita, Duran Duran bassist John Taylor, Warpaint’s Stella Mozgawa, and other friends to record with her, and Swahili Blonde released the debut single Elixir Fixir digitally on Manimal Records in 2009. The following year, the album Man Meat arrived, and the group’s cover of David Bowie's “Red Money” appeared on Manimal's David Bowie tribute.