Laura Jane Grace

Born on November 8, 1980, in Fort Benning, Georgia, Laura Jane Grace is an American musician. While in junior high school, Grace became a fan of punk rock music. At age 13, she played bass in her first band. The band included members of her youth group at church. The played Nirvana and Pearl Jam covers at church talent shows. After a bad experience with authority, Grace came to identify with British anarcho-punk band Crass. Grace befriended James Bowman on their first day of freshman year. At age 16, Grace published a zine called "Misanthrope."  From 1994 to 1996, Grace played bass in a band called the Adversaries. In 1996, Grace briefly played in a band called Common Affliction. After leaving the band, Grace recorded the first "Against Me!" demo tape in December 1996. At age 18, Grace began performing as Against Me!, either alone on acoustic guitar or with friend Kevin Mahon. In 2000, Grace began teaching Bowman how to play Against Me! songs on guitar. After some early EP releases, Against Me! developed into a full band consisting of Grace, Bowman, bassist Dustin Fridkin and drummer Warren Oakes. In December 2005, Against Me! signed with Sire Records. Grace's solo EP, "Heart Burns," was released in October 2008. In the spring of 2012, Grace performed on the Revival Tour with Chuck Ragan and Cory Branan. On November 15, 2016, Grace's memoir "Tranny: Confessions Of Punk Rock's Most Infamous Anarchist Sellout," co-written with Noisey editor Dan Ozzi, was published. Grace released an album in the fall of 2018 under the name "Laura Jane Grace & the Devouring Mothers." In 2020, Laura Jane Grace released her debut solo studio album, "Stay Alive."