Dum Dum Girls was an American rock band, formed in 2008. It began as the bedroom recording project of singer and songwriter Dee Dee (née Kristin Gundred). She is currently based in Los Angeles. The name is a double homage to the Vaselines’ album Dum Dum and the Iggy Pop song “Dum Dum Boys”.
The first release under the Dum Dum Girls moniker was a five-song CDR on her own label, Zoo Music, in late 2008. It was followed by an EP on Captured Tracks and a 7-inch on HoZac Records She quickly gained attention with these releases and signed to Sub Pop in July 2009. Dum Dum Girls’ debut album, I Will Be, was released in March 2010 and was well received by critics. Pitchfork described the songs as “genuine earworms, both unfailingly hip and often wonderfully associative”. Dee Dee produced the record with Richard Gottehrer, who had previously worked with Richard Hell, Blondie, the Go-Gos and the Raveonettes. Gottehrer also co-wrote the early 1960s hit songs “My Boyfriend’s Back” and “I Want Candy”. The record included guest guitarists Nick Zinner of Yeah Yeah Yeahs on “Yours Alone”; Dee Dee’s ex-husband, Brandon Welchez of Crocodiles, on “Blank Girl”; and Andrew Miller on multiple tracks. The cover of the album featured a college snapshot of Dee Dee’s mother, who died from cancer in 2010. After its release, Dee Dee assembled a touring band, and their first shows were in support of Girls.
In 2011, the EP He Gets Me High was released, which included a cover of “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out” by the Smiths. This record marked the addition of Sune Rose Wagner of the Raveonettes to the production team.Second album Only in Dreams was released in September 2011, featuring the singles “Coming Down” and “Bedroom Eyes”. This album is the only Dum Dum Girls recording to feature the full band. In December 2011, Dum Dum Girls performed “Bedroom Eyes” on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.
In September 2012, the EP End of Daze was released, preceded by the single “Lord Knows” in July 2012, which Pitchfork awarded “Best New Track”. The EP received “Best New Music” from Pitchfork as well. In October 2013, Dum Dum Girls announced their third full-length album Too True, set for release on January 28, 2014 and featuring the single “Lost Boys & Girls Club”, whose video premiered with H&M in October 2013. For this album, Dee Dee cited Suede, Blondie, the Pretenders and the Stone Roses as her influences.
In December 2014, Converse released a Dum Dum Girls split single, “On Christmas”, as the third part of three digital instalments of the company’s holiday-themed compilation EP, Noise to the World 2. In January 2016, Dee Dee announced the closure of the Dum Dum Girls and the creation of a new solo project, Kristin Kontrol. Her debut album, X-Communicate, was released by Sub Pop in May 2016.
