Editing Mary Hansen

{{Short description|Australian-born guitarist and singer}}
{{other people}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Use Australian English|date=September 2012}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name             = Mary Hansen
| image            = Mary Hansen (1996).jpg
| image_size       = 
| landscape        = yes
| alt              = 
| caption          = Hansen in 1996
| background       = solo_singer
| birth_name       = Mary Therese Hansen
| alias            = 
| birth_date       = {{birth date|df=yes|1966|11|1}}
| birth_place      = [[Maryborough, Queensland]], Australia
| origin           = 
| death_date       = {{death date and age|df=yes|2002|12|9|1966|11|1}}
| death_place      = [[London]], England
| genre            = {{hlist|[[Experimental pop]]|[[indie pop]]|[[experimental rock]]|[[psychedelic rock]]}}
| occupation       = {{hlist|Vocalist|musician}}
| instrument       = {{hlist|Vocals|guitar|percussion|keyboards<ref name="FCC" />}}
| years_active     = 1986–2002
| label            = 
| past_member_of  = {{hlist|[[The Wolfhounds]]|[[Stereolab]]|Schema}}
| website          =
}}

'''Mary Therese Hansen''' (1 November 1966{{spaced ndash}} 9 December 2002) was an Australian guitarist and singer. She joined the London-based [[avant-pop]] band [[Stereolab]] in 1992. As a member, Hansen recorded six studio albums from ''[[Transient Random-Noise Bursts with Announcements]]'' (August 1993) to ''[[Sound-Dust]]'' (August 2001).

As a side-project, in late 1999 she formed the [[space rock]] group Schema with members of [[Seattle]]-based band [[Hovercraft (band)|Hovercraft]], and they issued their debut album, ''Schema'', on 19 September 2000. On 9 December 2002, Hansen was struck and killed by a truck while bicycling in London.

== Early life ==
Mary Therese Hansen was born on 1 November 1966 in [[Maryborough, Queensland|Maryborough]], [[Queensland]], Australia.<ref name="Glaister" /> Her father, [[Brendan Percival Hansen]], [[Order of Australia|OAM]] (1922{{spaced ndash}}1999), was a trade unionist and [[Australian Labor Party]] parliamentarian; and her mother, Moira Ann Hansen (née O'Sullivan), was a light opera singer and is contributor to the Maryborough arts community.<ref name="Glaister">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2002/dec/14/guardianobituaries.artsobituaries|title=Obituary: Mary Hansen|work= [[The Guardian]]|last=Glaister|first=Dan|date=14 December 2002|accessdate=11 September 2012}}</ref> Hansen and her family were of Irish Catholic and Danish descent.<ref name="FCC">{{Cite web|url=https://www.questia.com/newspaper/1G1-529341849/mary-sings-in-central-park-maryborough-girl-made|title="Mary Sings in Central Park; Maryborough Girl Made Her Mark in Music Industry in London"|last=Seymour|first=George|date=2 March 2018|website=[[Fraser Coast Chronicle]]|access-date=9 January 2019|archive-date=14 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190414112452/https://www.questia.com/newspaper/1G1-529341849/mary-sings-in-central-park-maryborough-girl-made|url-status=dead}}</ref> Her parents were married at St Mary's Catholic Church, Maryborough in 1960. She was one of eight children, with her brothers (John, Tim and Gerry) and four sisters (Jenny, Maureen, Susie and Kate).<ref name="Qld">{{cite web|url=http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/members/former/bio?id=1739411422&p=1|title=Profile|publisher=Government of Queensland|date=11 September 2012}}</ref> Hansen was trained by her mother and entered [[eisteddfod]]au. She left secondary school at age 17 and worked in a bank.<ref name="Glaister" />

== Career ==
By 1988, Hansen had moved to London and worked in various jobs.<ref name="FCC" /> She soon became a backing singer with the [[Essex]]-based indie band [[the Wolfhounds]].<ref name="FCC" /> She met guitarist [[Tim Gane]] when the Wolfhounds performed alongside his indie pop band, [[McCarthy (band)|McCarthy]]. Gane formed [[Stereolab]], in 1990 with [[Lætitia Sadier]] (ex-McCarthy). Hansen joined Stereolab as second vocalist and guitarist in 1992. She also contributed percussion, keyboards, and occasional lead vocals.<ref name="AMGCredits">{{cite web|url= {{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p84079/credits|pure_url=yes}}|title=Mary Hansen – Credits|publisher=[[AllMusic]]. [[Rovi Corporation]]|accessdate=11 September 2012}}</ref> As a member of that band, Hansen recorded six studio albums from ''[[Transient Random-Noise Bursts with Announcements]]'' (August 1993) to ''[[Sound-Dust]]'' (August 2001).<ref name="AMGCredits" />

Outside of her work with Stereolab, Hansen sang on records by [[Brokeback (band)|Brokeback]], [[The High Llamas]], [[Moonshake]], and [[Mouse on Mars]].<ref name="AMGCredits" /> She was a record producer, keyboard player and vocalist for the London underground group Chicano.<ref name="Glaister" />

In late 1999, Hansen combined with [[Seattle]]-formed [[space rock]] group [[Hovercraft (band)|Hovercraft]] to form Schema. An eponymous maxi-EP/mini-album was released on 19 September 2000 on avant-garde [[Kill Rock Stars]] imprint, [[5 Rue Christine]].<ref name="Couture" /> [[AllMusic]]'s François Couture described their style as "space rock, psychedelic rock, ambient pop, and artsy avant-rock" with the feature track being "Echolalia... Curvilinear" with its "ethereal female vocals, lots of guitar noise, and a driving rhythm section".<ref name="Couture">{{cite web|url= {{AllMusic|class=album|id=r500168|pure_url=yes}}|title=''Schema'' – Schema|last=Couture|first=François|publisher=Allmusic. Rovi Corporation|accessdate=11 September 2012 }}</ref>

== Death ==
On 9 December 2002, a truck hit and killed Hansen while she was riding her bicycle in [[City of London|London]].<ref name="BBCObit">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/2566949.stm|work=[[BBC News]]|title=Stereolab Singer Killed|date=11 December 2002|accessdate=11 September 2012}}</ref> Just before her death, she had bought a block of land in Maryborough, as she frequently spent time there with her family.<ref name="FCC" /> Stereolab's subsequent release, ''[[Margerine Eclipse]]'' (2004) was dedicated to Hansen,<ref name="FCC" /> with its track "Feel and Triple" being a tribute to her.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/margerine-eclipse-mw0000332727|title=Margerine Eclipse - Stereolab|website=AllMusic|access-date=1 February 2018}}</ref>

In 2004, ''Hybird'', an EP of some of Hansen's music, was released posthumously. It also featured her artwork, contained three tracks which had been released in limited editions before her death, and a final track which was finished by Stereolab's Andy Ramsay.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.duophonic.com/discography.php?artist=Mary+Hansen+-+The+Horizontalist|title=Mary Hansen - The Horizontalist|website=[[Duophonic Records]] Official Website|access-date=16 May 2018|archive-date=16 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180516174858/http://www.duophonic.com/discography.php?artist=Mary+Hansen+-+The+Horizontalist|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/Print.do?articleId=801815 Times obituary]{{dead link|date=January 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
* [https://www.theguardian.com/news/2002/dec/14/guardianobituaries.artsobituaries The Guardian obituary]
{{Stereolab}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hansen, Mary}}
[[Category:1966 births]]
[[Category:2002 deaths]]
[[Category:Australian people of Danish descent]]
[[Category:Australian people of Irish descent]]
[[Category:Australian rock singers]]
[[Category:Australian women rock singers]]
[[Category:Road incident deaths in London]]
[[Category:Cycling road incident deaths]]
[[Category:Stereolab members]]
[[Category:People from Maryborough, Queensland]]
[[Category:Australian women guitarists]]
[[Category:20th-century Australian women singers]]
[[Category:21st-century Australian women singers]]
[[Category:20th-century guitarists]]
[[Category:21st-century guitarists]]
[[Category:20th-century women guitarists]]
[[Category:21st-century women guitarists]]
[[Category:Australian expatriates in the United Kingdom]]