Throwing Muses hold a historic place as the first American band ever signed to 4AD. The signing was sparked by a chance encounter when label founder Ivo Watts-Russell listened to the band's self-released demo cassette, The Doghouse Cassette, while stuck in traffic.

This relationship transformed 4AD's trajectory. Rooted deeply in the Boston and New England underground music scene, it was through the Muses’ network and shared manager that Watts-Russell subsequently discovered and signed the Pixies.

Over a decade-long partnership, Throwing Muses released seven studio albums and two major EPs on 4AD. You can also feel free to mention Kristin Hersh’s solo albums, Tanya Donelly’s alt-rock band Belly, and The Breeders

Ultimately, it all tracks back to their 1986 self-titled debut, a masterpiece of jarring time signatures and visceral emotion that completely shifted 4AD's identity away from UK goth-pop, laying the groundwork for 1990s American alternative rock.