Garbage is the project of three masters of remixing: Steve Marker, Duke Erikson and especially Butch Vig, who previously produced one of the most important albums of the Nineties: Nirvana's "Nevermind". But it's the sensual singer and front-girl Shirley Manson (former Goodbye Mr Mackenzie and Angelfish) the real engine of the band. Thanks to her charm Garbage has become one of the coolest band in the alternative rock of today. After an MTV video performance with the Angelfish ("Suffocate me"), Shirley conquered Butch Vig and the others who wanted strongly as a singer of their band. So Shirley took the first flight to the States and joined the band in Madison (Wisconsin), where the Garbage adventure started. They chose that name for two main reasons: the ri-arrangements works, "where you can find everything like in the garbage", and the words of a supervisor of Butch & C.. Commenting one of their song remixed for the Nine Inch Nails, he said: "It seems like garbage". But such a vulgar name hides a refined musical production. In fact Garbage's songs are little "pop symphonies" inspired by new wave, dance and (partly) glam-rock. They're refined scores released after an intense work in the studios. A work especially made on keyboards and samplings. The sensual singing of Manson echoes the energy of Patti Smith, the feminist pride of Chrissie Hynde (the Pretenders) and the teeny coarseness of Courtney Love (the Hole).

These were the ingredients for their debut album Garbage (1995) who immediately conquers the audience (three millions of copies sold) and the critics, thanks to a collage of turbid ballads and knocking-out hits: "Only Happy When It Rains", with an irresistible refrain, "Stupid Girl" echoing the disco-music in the style of the Blondie, "Milk", an intense and morbid ballad, "Queer" a sensual trip-hop, "Vow" a carousel of special effects and sounds. Born during the remixing sessions in the Vig's Smart Studios that hosted Nirvana, Depeche Mode, U2, Killdozer and many others, "Garbage" is a synthetic-pop melange, a cascade of sounds, a sequence made of rhythms changes in balance between rock, pop, techno and trip-hop. A musical formula that perfectly fits the sensual vocalizes and the aggressive lyrics of Shirley Manson. 

The singer from Edinburgh has become a sex-symbol of the alternative rock. She received tens of proposals a week to strip on the cover of a lot of magazines, starting from Playboy and Penthouse. "But I've never felt to be very attractive, I didn't like myself too much and even today I don't like myself", she revealed. "But any female singer in every band catches the looks on her. Tina Turner, Chrissie Hynde, Debbie Harry played when I was young. I can't imagine seriously that I'm a sex-symbol, I prefer to let people talk and don't care about that". In fact some tabloids offended her: "A newspaper wrote that I'm a former junky prostitute, really kind of them!", she told the Scottish singer, who also revealed to have been a Siouxsie and The Banshees fan and to be deeply influenced by Chrissie Hynde, the leader of the Pretenders: "I didn't want to be a musician. I couldn't stand the violin and piano lessons. But I remember that the first singer who really shocked me was Chrissie. I still remember the first time I saw her on Top of the Pops, she sang, she played the guitar and leaded a band: she was as I could be, as a woman, not a star, should be". 

Shirley's tribute to Chrissie Hynde was completed in the second Garbage's album, Version 2.0, where she included a verse of the Pretenders' song "Talk Of The Town" (in the track "Special"). This album confirmed the power of Garbage's music, featuring the sick ballad "I think I'm paranoid" (soundtrack for a watch advertising campaign), the explosive melody of "Push it", the disco beat of "Dumb", the soul-funky of "You look so fine". A repertory that crosses Pretenders' classic rock'n'roll, Nirvana's aggressive grunge-rock, Portishead and Massive Attack trip-hop, and the dance rhythms of Madonna and Blondie. The result is fascinating, tough not as "fresh" as the sound of their debut album. The tracks are full of sophisticated sounds that can enjoy the audiophiles but use also many FM radios stereotypes. Manson herself explained: "We use to rent and sometimes even steal from every musical scene or period. Everything from 80's, 70's, 60's, 90's: pop, techno, drum'n'bass, rock. I especially like pop music, from Beach Boys on". Such a refined work in studio doesn't easily fit a live concert: "How can we do it live? It's easy, we swindle...", the Scottish singer revealed. "Butch and the others take the samplers close to the traditional instruments. Even if it's difficult to transfer all our music in a concert, the main thing is to keep the spirit of our songs. Ok, we use to manipulate a lot of music, but I can grant we're a real band". So said Shirley, that also use to play guitar.

Today the red vocalist of the Garbage tells she usually listen to "Bjork, PJ Harvey, Fiona Apple and Tori Amos". She married the Scottish sculptor Edward Farrell. And she showed all her sensuality in the touching ballad "The World Is Not Enough", main soundtrack of the last, homonymous James Bond's film. 

But the last times were really hard for Shirley. She had a nervous breakdown that forced her to face a psychiatric therapy for one year: "After the last tour I felt like I was getting crazy. I need some help", she revealed. But in 2001 Garbage came back with a new album, Beautifulgarbage, pervaded by an electronic pop-rock, even more influenced by the typical Blondie's disco-punk. You can still find their "sensual ballads", from "Til the day I die" to "Cup of coffee", from "Drive you home" (maybe the best track) to "Nobody loves you" (echoing Portishead's "Sour Times"). And arrangements are always sophisticated. But you have the impression that Garbage have lost the irresistible refrains they were capable of. The wild charm of "Only happy when it rains" comes again very rarely. You can hear it sometimes, in songs such as "Silence is golden" or "Cherry Lips (Go Baby Go)" or in the catchy single "Androgyny", a song with a clear sexual meaning as Manson explained: "Everyone has both a female and male part. One rules, but the other can't be canceled. Boys and girls together... an ideal situation". Talking about "Cherry Lips (Go Baby Go)", Shirley gave another curious explanation: "It's our first song with tuba. After all, I lost my virginity making love with a tuba player...".