Siouxsie Medley

Siouxsie Medley during filming of Lemon Scent video by Dead Sara

Siouxsie Medley playing Guitar for Dead Sara

Siouxsie Medley, born and raised in Los Angeles, is a musician, artist and actress. Medley is best known as the guitarist for Dead Sara, a rock band she started at age 15 with her friend Emily Armstrong, who was 16.

Since then, Dead Sara has released an EP^[1] and a self-titled album,^[2] had a hit record with "Weatherman", and opened for bands such as Bush, The Used, Chevelle, The Offspring, and MUSE as well as headlined shows.^[3] Dead Sara released their second album "Pleasure To Meet You" on March 31, 2015.^[4]

In 2012, Medley was the only woman among the 10 finalists for Loudwire's rock guitarist of the year award.^[5] As of 2014, Medley is the only female guitarist ever named as a guitarist of the year finalist in Loudwire's yearly awards.^[6][7]

Medley acted in Dead Sara's music video "Lemon Scent"^[8] and made appearances with the band on Jimmy Kimmel Live,^[9] Vampire Diaries,^[10] Late Night with Seth Meyers ^[11] and in a special about the band on Fuse News.^[12]

Medley composed the artwork for the Dead Sara single "Heart Shaped Box",^[13] which Sony Computer Entertainment commissioned Dead Sara to cover for its Infamous Second Son video game. Her artwork can be seen on iTunes.^[14]

Early Years

Medley was born in downtown Los Angeles to her parents, Stan Medley and Sandra Sherman, in the Promenade Towers on the 13th floor. A home birth, she was born in her father's music room right next to the piano. Medley was raised by her father after her parents broke up when she was 4. Medley's interest in music began at age 9 when she started practicing on a Fender Telecaster owned by her nanny, Magic Wand’s Dexy Valentine, before she used two years’ worth of saved allowances to purchase her own guitar, a Fender Squier, at age 11.

Medley started acting at age 12 when she won a part in an international commercial. The commercial played mostly in Europe and Medley became a SAG actress as a result. She was pursuing an acting career until she met Emily Armstrong and formed the band Epiphany in 2004; shortly thereafter, they changed their name to Dead Sara.

Dead Sara

Medley and Armstrong met through a mutual friend, Diva Gustafsson, in late 2002.^[15] The pair began writing songs in 2003,^[16] and in 2004 their song “Changes” became the duo’s first recorded collaboration. Their first live performance as a band was in March 2005 at The Mint nightclub in Los Angeles.

In mid-2005, they changed their name from Epiphany to Dead Sara as a reference to the Fleetwood Mac song “Sara” and its lyrics, which include the line “Said Sara”, sometimes heard as “Dead Sara”.^[17] Armstrong and Medley have cited Stevie Nicks, who wrote "Sara", as a primary influence.^[18] Around this time, Medley began styling her first name as "Siouxsie", as a nod to the Sioux Indians tribe and the Native American heritage of one of her great-grandparents (rather than a reference to the musical artist Siouxsie Sioux).

Dead Sara released their second album "Pleasure To Meet You" worldwide through Pocket Kid Records on March 31, 2015.^[19]

References