Samantha Maloney and The Chelsea, The All-Female Band which died after one show

Disclaimer: Links in the table below and some throughout the article could be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

There is no female drummer that can directly compare Samantha Maloney. She was one-of-her kind rock-solid, an all-pro player known for entering shaken bands and bringing them up to their feet.

Samantha Maloney
samantha maloney

Samantha Maloney was the replacement at Hole when Patty Schemel left, bringing insanity and harmony that was very much needed. When Tommy Lee left Motley Crue, it was Maloney who stepped in to save the day.

And when she toured with Eagles of Death Metal when Josh Homme threw in the towel, she was the thread that stitched the band right back up. In simple terms, Maloney worked as though she was a saviour sent to strengthen bands on the verge of collapsing.

Samantha only joined the bands at their tense moments; hence, she never played any of the bands’ classic albums. But it was necessary to appreciate her because they would not have gone far without her interventions.  She is characterized by a certain music-biz know-how that is critical to her current teams.

For instance, her work as the A & R vice presidents and Warner Bros impacts a lot of knowledge and skills in every process. She is, therefore, the force behind the success of many projects.

Career

Samantha Maloney Feature
Samantha Maloney Feature

Samantha Maloney was born on December 11, 1975. She started playing drums at a very early age, and by her teenage years, she was already a pro. Her career took the best when she was auditioned for the post-hardcore band Shift to replace another drummer permanently.

She was expelled from school in 1993 while playing for the Shift to choose between pursuing serious basketball with a college scholarship or continuing drumming. 

She chose to follow her passion for drums and released two independent records on Equal Vision Records in 1994 and 1995. After two years, Shift signed to Columbia records and continues to grow.

In 1998, she auditioned in Los Angeles to drum in Hole after Patty Schemel exited.  She was successful and left Shift for the new band. She was only 22 when Hole was at the peak of the popularity, and she was the main drummer, which enabled tours extensively in the U.S, Australia, Japan, and the U.S.A. Her appearance on television and magazines sealed her fate as a successful drummer.

Hole went on hiatus in 2000, and Maloney received the throne for Motley Crue after Randy Castillo vacated it due to sickness. She Apperson on their live DVD on the New Tattoo Tour.

Samantha Maloney On Stage
Samantha Maloney On Stage

In 2004, Maloney joined Melisa Auf der Maur (The Smashing Pumpkins/Hole, Paz Lenchantin (A Perfect Circle), and Radio Sloan (The Needle) to create The Chelsea, an all-female band that only played one show and died. But she did not give up the group, and instead, started composing her album. From mid-2003, she started refusing high-profile orders to concentrate on her solo project and created The New Chelsea.

Her work with the Eagles of Death Metal and Peaches between 2005 and 2007 led to the Chelsea Girls‘ rebirth in 2009. All these projects and more, show how resilient and determined Samantha Maloney is.

Photo of author

Andrea

Andrea is a music lover and an experienced drummer with more than 15 years of drumming with different bands and music projects, such as Seditius and Hermano & the Marines.