1968–1988: Early life and feminism Hanna was born on November 12, 1968, in
Portland, Oregon. At age three, her family moved to
Calverton, Maryland; as Hanna's father changed occupations, the family moved several more times. Hanna's interest grew when her mother checked out a copy of
Betty Friedan's
The Feminine Mystique from the library. Their involvement in the women's rights movement was done quietly during Hanna's childhood, due to her father's disapproval. Upon her parents' divorce, Hanna returned to Portland and later worked as a
stripper to pay her college tuition at
The Evergreen State College, where she and fellow student and photographer Aaron Baush-Greene, she set up a photo exhibit featuring the pair's photography, which dealt with sexism, violence against women, and AIDS – issues that were heightened for Hanna when she volunteered for SafePlace, a
domestic violence organization. However, the school administrators took the photos down before they had the chance to be viewed, an act of censorship that prompted what Hanna refers to as her "first foray into activism": the creation of Reko Muse, an independent feminist art gallery, with friends Heidi Arbogast and
Tammy Rae Carland.
1989–present: Bikini Kill in 1991 Later, Hanna started another band called
Viva Knievel that toured the United States for two months before disbanding. Upon returning to Olympia in 1990, Hanna began collaborating with Evergreen student, drummer and
punk zinester
Tobi Vail after seeing a performance of
the Go Team (a band made up of Vail,
Billy Karren, and
Calvin Johnson) and recognizing Vail as the mastermind behind the
fanzine Jigsaw that Hanna greatly admired and loved. In October 1990, Hanna and Vail joined with Karren and bassist
Kathi Wilcox to form
Bikini Kill, which soon became part of the seminal early-1990s
Olympia, Washington music scene. One goal of the band was to inspire more women to join the male-dominated punk scene. Bikini Kill's first release for the
Kill Rock Stars label was a self-titled EP produced by
Ian MacKaye of
Fugazi. Bikini Kill then toured the UK, recording a split LP with UK band
Huggy Bear. This tour was filmed and the band was interviewed by
Lucy Thane for her documentary,
It Changed My Life: Bikini Kill in the UK. Upon returning to the U.S., the band began working with
Joan Jett, who produced their single "New Radio/
Rebel Girl". After the single's release, Hanna began co-writing songs with Jett for her new album. At the same time, Hanna recorded her spoken-word "Rockstar", released on a
7-inch single in the Kill Rock Stars "Wordcore" series; and "I Wish I Was Him", which appears on the KRS compilation
Rock Stars Kill. The song, written by
Ben Lee about alternative rock heartthrob
Evan Dando, was originally recorded by Lee's band
Noise Addict. , 1996 The first two Bikini Kill EPs were released on CD as
The C.D. Version of the First Two Records in 1993. The band released two more full-length albums,
Pussy Whipped in 1994 and
Reject All American in 1996, and in 1998,
Kill Rock Stars released
Bikini Kill: The Singles, a collection of the group's seven-inch and compilation tracks. Bikini Kill is actively touring to date.
2000–present: Le Tigre and the Julie Ruin After Bikini Kill's breakup, Hanna began working on a solo project called
Julie Ruin. The project was created entirely in Hanna's bedroom using a $40 drum machine. One self-titled album was released under the Julie Ruin
pseudonym, and was partially inspired by the work of feminist theorist
Julia Kristeva. Hanna said of the project: While in
Portland, Oregon, Hanna began working with friend and then-
zine editor
Johanna Fateman on a live show for Julie Ruin. The collaboration resulted in the two briefly forming a band called the Troublemakers, named after a
G. B. Jones film, which ended when Fateman relocated to New York City to attend art school. Hanna soon moved to New York City, and with the addition of filmmaker
Sadie Benning, they started another band called
Le Tigre based upon a more electronic style of music, similar to the sampler-driven sound Hanna had begun to explore with Julie Ruin. (She later revealed to
Bust magazine that she was "totally broke" at this time and ate oatmeal daily. The band recorded for the
Mr. Lady Records label, its first recording being an eponymous album which included the singles "
Hot Topic" and "Deceptacon." Benning then left the band and was replaced by
JD Samson for their second album,
Feminist Sweepstakes. Mr. Lady Records folded, and the group switched to
Universal Records for the 2004 release of
This Island. Hanna left the band in 2005 due to illness; she was later diagnosed with late-stage
Lyme disease. According to the Le Tigre website, during her time off from the band, Hanna volunteered as a band coach for the
Willie Mae Rock and Roll Camp for Girls. She also taught an art class at
NYU's graduate school in the Fall 2007 semester and attended interior design classes. In 2010, Hanna DJed at the
Museum of Modern Art, later joining the
Raincoats on stage to cover the
Slits'
Vindictive. In June 2013, Julie Ruin released its first single, "Oh Come On". An album,
Run Fast was released in September 2013 with the band going on tour. The band cancelled the tour planned for May to September 2014 due to Hanna's Lyme disease deteriorating. ==Activism and impact==