Killer Queens

The **Killer Queens** is a Lashardian all-female rock band from Ubenmoor. The group consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Veronika Klarköpolö, lead guitarist Francheska Borisökleffer, bassist Inna Palöjarginson, and drummer Palina Charköfordin.

The band was formed in 1980 and signed to Cyclops Records in 1984, in an attempt by Cyclops to achieve the same success The Cherry Bombs did for Akai Music Group.

They released their debut single, "Walk This Way", in 1985 to rave reviews. It reached number-one in Lashardia, and they were hailed "The New Cherry Bombs" by the Lashardian media, a term frequently attributed to them throughout their career that they readily despised. They released albums in 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1992, and 1994 before splitting amicably. In 2014, the band reunited.

Throughout their career, they were commonly known as a harder and more rock-influenced version of The Cherry Bombs. While they never achieved the extremely high levels of commercial success that the former achieved, they were often considered better musicians.

## History

### 1980–1984: Early career and formation

Shortly after arriving in Ubenmoor, Veronika Klarköpolö tried to launch a solo career of her own. She was signed to a independent label, but requested a release from her contract due to a lack of creative control. Klarköpolö soon began working as a waitress at a local singing diner where she was introduced to Inna Palöjarginson, another waitress and struggling musician.

Palöjarginson, who had recently formed a rock band with close friends Francheska Borisökleffer and Palina Charköfordin, was looking for a lead singer for the band, as she disliked playing bass and singing lead vocals at the same time. Klarköpolö was invited to join the band as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist, and she soon began performing gigs with them.

The group began to gain a following in some club scenes, but stated that they experienced a lot of sexism for being an all-female rock band. In 1984, they signed with Cyclops Records and began work on their debut studio album.

### 1980s: Career peak and breakthrough

In 1985, the group released their debut single, "Walk This Way". The song was an uptempo pop rock song heavily inspired by Lashpop. Although in subsequent years, all members of the band expressed their dissatisfaction with the song, it was a smash hit and the biggest hit of their career. It debuted atop the charts in Lashardia, and also reached the top position in Adoriam.

Their debut studio album, *The Jungle*, was released later in the year. The album saw a similar style featured in its lead single; pop rock with an influence from Lashpop. The album peaked at number-one in three countries, and also contained the hit singles "Tonight", "Sleepwalking", and "Fading".

The band had their career peak in the mid-80s. They released two more albums in the decade; *Pretend You're There* in 1987, and *The Killer Queen* in 1988. Both albums achieved extreme levels of success and featured a pop rock/Lashpop style. However, the group members were not happy with the Lashpop direction that the band was going in, and instead wished to focus more on their rock roots.

### 1990s: Focus on rock music and breakup

After being unhappy with the music they released in the 1980s, the band's record label allowed them to have more creative control over their future releases, due to the levels of success that their early albums had received. The band members were ecstatic over the news, and began writing their fourth studio album entirely by themselves.

The released the lead single to their fourth studio album, "Belladonna", in January 1990. The song did not fare as well commercially as their previous work had, reaching only the top 50 in Lashardia, and the top 80 in Adoriam. Their fourth studio album, also titled *Belladonna*, reaching the top ten in Lashardia, but was not nearly as successful as their previous works.

The group released two more albums in the 90s, 1992's *Alive* and 1994's *Thanks for the Memories*. *Thanks for the Memories* was decided to be the group's farewell album before amicably splitting up. Its deluxe edition also included a compilation of their biggest hits. In 1994, the group officially announced that they'd be parting ways.

### 2014–present: Reunion and upcoming studio album

In 2009, they were inducted into the Lashardian Music Hall of Fame.

In December 2014, it was rumored that the group was reforming when Twitter and Instagram accounts were found to be registered in their name. Later in the month, the band officially announced that they had gotten back together, and were going into the studio to work on new music. In an August 2015 interview, lead singer Klarköpolö, stated, "We're working on it, but it's not a priority. We each have families and our own stuff so the Killer Queens is gonna have to take a back seat, but we'll definitely have new stuff coming out eventually".

In December 2016, it was announced that their comeback single would be released the following month. Later that month, they were confirmed to be competing in *Mösikalifestivali 2017*, with the song "Hung Up". They qualified directly to the final from the first semi-final, and went on to place last in the final.

## Members

* Veronika Klarköpolö – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
* Francheska Borisökleffer – lead guitar, backup vocals
* Inna Palöjarginson – bass, backup vocals
* Palina Charköfordin – drums, tambourine

## Awards and nominations

 Best Rock Song
 Best Rock Album
 1994
 Best Band, Duo, or Group
 Best Rock Album