Paula Pierce

PAULA PIERCE
 

One of the early L.A. punk rock bands was the Pandoras, an all-female band that was formed in 1983 by bandleader Paula Pierce (lead vocals, guitar, harmonica) and Gwynne Kahn (organ and vocals).  Pierce’s boyfriend at the time was Shelley Ganz, leader of a garage rock revival band called the Unclaimed; while Kahn was dating Joe Nolte who was in a similar band called the Last.  Bambi Conway (bass and vocals) and Casey Gomez (drums) rounded out the original line-up of the Pandoras

 

Writing in the liner notes for the Bomp! Records compilation album Destination: Bomp! (1994), Greg Shaw writes of the Pandoras:  “Someday, when all the ‘Riot Grrrl’ hype has died down, I hope Paula Pierce gets the credit she deserves for being the first to break the taboo against blatant sexual aggressiveness in female performers.” 

 

The Pandoras later signed with Elektra Records through Paula Pierce’s boyfriend at the time, who was an A&R rep for the label; but the planned album was never officially released.  Sadly, Paula Pierce died of a brain aneurysm in 1991 when she was just 31. 

 

(December 2013)

 

Last edited: March 22, 2021