Melora Creager

Melora Creager (born March 25, 1966) is an American cellist, singer-songwriter, performing artist and founder of the cello rock group Rasputina.In the late 1980s Creager played with the New York indie rock band Ultra Vivid Scene. In 1991, Creager founded alternative cello ensemble Rasputina by writing a manifesto and placing a want-ad in the Village Voice stating "electric cellists wanted". Cellist/composer Julia Kent was the first respondent. Rasputina performed regularly at NYC venues such as CBGB's Gallery, Brownie's and Fez before being signed to Columbia Records in 1996, for whom they subsequently made two albums. With varying members, Creager has made five more albums as Rasputina, and multiple shorter releases. Creager also played cello for Nirvana on the European leg of the In Utero world tour (including the band's final show in Munich).Creager designed all the Rasputina album covers, except for Lost & Found which was designed by artist Ryan Obermeyer and included in the 44th Annual Society of Illustrators Exhibition in New York, 2002. From 1988 to 1996, Creager was employed as a jewelry designer for Erickson Beamon, creating costume jewelry for Anna Sui, Donna Karan, Barney's New York, and Vogue magazine. She continues her relationship with Anna Sui, occasionally designing fashion show invitations and T-shirts. Through more than seven albums and frequent touring, Creager through Rasputina has been an originator of and influence on such movements as freak folk and steampunk.Creager makes unique use of historical events and figures in her lyrics and themes. Inspirations include the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire of 1911, Howard Hughes, Rose Kennedy, victims of Josef Mengele, Emily Dickinson, Pitcairn Island, Columbia County, New York. Combining history and humor in song-form and spoken-word pieces, Creager is also unique in exploring women's history through pop music.