JD Samson is best known as a member of the groundbreaking electronic-feminist-punk band Le Tigre (alongside Johanna Fateman and Kathleen Hanna) and as the lead singer of the radical queer band, MEN. With a career spanning over two decades, JD has made her mark as an artist, musician, songwriter, curator, producer, and DJ, blending music, contemporary art, activism, and fashion. She has toured globally, composed for Grammy-winning artists and Emmy-winning TV shows, and written for outlets like the Huffington Post and Creative Time Review. In addition to her musical contributions, JD has created multimedia artwork, hosted documentary programs, acted, modeled, and founded a record label, all while supporting a wide range of progressive social and political causes. She serves as an Associate Arts Professor and Area Head of Performance at NYU’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at Tisch School of the Arts. JD is also working on various collaborative music and performance projects after coming off the international Le Tigre Reunion Tour in 2023. Recently, she has been touring her score for the Oscar Shortlisted live performance documentary 32 Sounds, directed by Oscar nominee Sam Green, for which she won Best Original Score at the Cinema Eye Honors in January 2024. 

MUSIC PROJECTS

  • LE TIGRE - Member/ Composer/ Performer/ Producer (2000-2005) Reunion (2022-2023)

    • Performances at Montreaux Jazz Festival, All Tomorrow’s Parties, Big Day Out, Coachella

    • With Kathleen Hanna, Johanna Fateman, and Sadie Benning

    • Mr. Lady Records/ Universal Records/ Le Tigre Records

  • MEN - Member/ Composer / Performer/ Producer (2007-2013)

    • Performances at Coachella, Melt Festival, SF MOMA, The New Museum, Ballroom Marfa, Vienna Bienalle

    • With Ginger Brooks Takahashi, Michael O’Neill, Every Ocean Hughes, Johanna Fateman, Tami Hart, Lee Free, and Lorna Dune

    • MEN Make Music, Sony Records, Columbia Records, IAMSOUND Records, Trouble Records

  • PEACHES - Live Band Member and Music Director (2006-2008)

    • Performances at Art Basel, Coachella, Big Day Out, Winter Music Conference

    • XL Records

  • SHARER - Member/ Composer and Producer (2015-Present)

    • With Nick van Hofwegen of Young & Sick

  • CRICKETS - Member/ Composer/ Performer/ Producer 2017-Present)

    • With Roddy Bottum and Michael O’Neill

    • Performances at The Kitchen June 2018, Basilica Soundscape 2019, Pioneerworks 2022 with Laura Parnes, Tour Without End

    • BIKELANE STEMS VIDEO PROJECT: featuring Nicole Eisenman, Brontez Purnell, Mariana Valencia, Matt Connors

    • Muddguts Records

  • NEW ENGLAND ROSES - Member/ Composer / Performer / Producer (2003-2005)

    • With Sarah Gertrude Shapiro and Brendan Fowler

    • Dogg N’ Pony Records

    SCORING

  • 32 SOUNDS- Composer/ Producer/ Performer and Music Director, Sam Green (Sundance Premiere 2022, BAM, NYUAD, Stanford, Arizona Arts, National Gallery, ICA, Big Ears, etc.) Shortlisted for Academy Awards: Best Documentary 2024, Winner of CAS 2024: Best Sound Mix
    - Winner of Best Original Score at Cinema Eye Honors 2024

  • 7 SOUNDS - Composer/ Producer/ Performer with Filmmaker, Sam Green (Sundance 2021, Headlands Center for the Arts 2020, IDFA 2020)

  • DE-SUICIDE- Sound design/Composition/Production with Deville Cohen (JOAN Gallery 2021, PS 122 2021)

  • TENDER BUTTONS - Composer/ Producer/ Performer with choreographer, Julie Cunningham (Art Night London 2019)

  • GAY ZELIG - Composer/ Producer/ Performer with Filmmaker, Sam Green (Whitney Biennial 2019)

  • QUEEN BEE IS STINGING MAD - Composer/ Producer with Artist Liss Lafleur (2019)

  • HYPE AND INFLUENCE - Composer/ Producer for Viacom series (2018)

  • RADIOTOPIA - Ad Music Composer/ Producer (2017)

  • PEABODY AND SHERMAN - Composer/ Producer/ Performer (Season 3 Episode 11) (2016)

  • BALLEZ- "Sleeping Beauty & the Beast" - Composer/ Producer with choreographer, Katy Pyle (La Mama Theater 2016)

  • REVERSE TO REVERANCE - Composer/ Producer with choreographer, Vanessa Anspaugh (Hessel Museum 2013)

    Co-writes

    Universal Publishing (2011-Present)

  • CHRISTINA AGUILERA - Composer/ Producer on "My Girls" (2010) and “Untitled” (2010)

  • COBRA STARSHIP - Composer “Schwick” (2011)

  • YUKSEK - Composer/ Performer “Peter Pan” (2013), “Don’t Even Try” (2018)

  • PUSSY RIOT - Composer/ Performer/ Producer “Don’t Cry Genocide” for House of Cards (2015)

  • THE AIKIU - Composer/ Performer “Win” (2013)

  • PRINCESS - Composer/ Producer/ Performer “Rise Up” (2019)

multimedia performance events

  • Creative Time and New York Public Library Present: In Situ- JD Samson Performance Featuring Xoir and LES Girls Club (2017)

  • Ballroom Marfa- MEN with Drilling Rocks (2017)

  • Angels Gate Arts Center - E L E M E N T S with Drew Denny (2016)

  • Outsider Festival- E L E M E N T S- with Drew Denny (2015-16)

  • Brooklyn Museum- MEN Performances (2011, 2014)

  • Museo Tamayo- MEN Performance with painter, Celeste Dupuy Spencer and Local Female Percussionists (2010)

  • SF MOMA- MEN Performance with painter, Celeste Dupuy Spencer, and ASL interpreter, Jennie Batchelder- (2010)

  • New Museum - MEN performance (2009)

VISUAL ART PROJECTS

  • Residency at Obracadobra in Oaxaca, Mexico- Sculpture, Sound, Video, and Performance (2018)

  • Residency at Northampton Peach House- Sculpture, Sound, and Performance (2017)

  • Residency at Headlands Center for the Arts- Visual art and Sound (2015)

  • Drilling - Video (2019)

    • LANDMARKS show at SVA Flatiron Project Space NYC

  • Joint Collaboration- Design Project with Lauryn Siegel (2018)

  • STONED- Multimedia Sculpture/Video/Photo/Book Project (2017)

    • Solo Show at Angels Gate Art Center in 2017, Creative Time/New York Public Library in 2017, ‘Cast of Characters’ at The Center in NYC 2018, Ballroom Marfa in 2017

  • E L E M E N T S- with Drew Denny- Video/Sound/Sculpture Installation (2015-2016)

    • Shown at MIXNYC, HOLD UP, Outsider Festival and Angels Gate Arts Center

  • JD'S Lesbian Utopia 2006 - Art Book (2005)

    • Opening at Deitch Projects SOHO, sold worldwide

    • Collaboration with Photographer, Cass Bird

  • JD's Lesbian Calendar 2003- Art Book (2002)

    • Opening at Kathleen Hanna's Spring St. Gallery, sold worldwide

    • Collaboration with Photographer, Cass Bird

ACTING/Hosting

  • RUSSIAN DOLL - Netflix Series (2018) Actor

  • ODD MOM OUT- Bravo (2017) Actor

  • CECILE ON THE PHONE- Short Directed by Annabelle Dexter-Jones (2016) Actor

  • WIFEY- Vice for Go90 (2016) Host

  • LAST LESBIAN BARS- Vice (2015) Host

  • MARGARET CHO INTERVIEW- Vice (2015) Host

  • KATE NASH INTERVIEW- Vice (2015) Host

  • MEDEA- Ursula Mayer (2013) Leading Actor

  • SHORTBUS- Directed by John Cameron Mitchell (2006) Actor

MODELING

  • VOGUE HOMME

  • OAK

  • CANDY

  • I.D.

  • DIESEL

  • OPENING CEREMONY

  • PUR-SUIT by Naima Green

  • T Magazine (New York Times)

curation

  • THE PITS- Vans Channel 66 Live TV show focusing on music/performance art connections. Curator/Director (2021-22)

  • PAT- Free Monthly Queer House/Disco party at Union Pool in Brooklyn (2013-Present)

  • SCISSOR SUNDAYS- Weekly Queer Sunday Tea Dance at The Rusty Knot in the West Village of Manhattan (2012-2016)

  • ACE Hotel - New York City DJ Curator- (2015 and 2016)

  • EVERYONE - (Pan-Property party at the Ace Hotel for Pride. London, Palm Springs, LA, NYC) (2014)

  • Sia Remixes- Curated Remixes for Sia’s “We Are Born” LP (2010)

  • U.N.I.T.Y - (90's dance party at HUGS in Brooklyn with Lauren Flax) (2007-8)

writing

  • Down Below- Experimental memoir WIP

  • “Queercore” Yony Leyser - Blurb 2019

  • “Why Karen Carpenter Matters” by Karen Tongson - Blurb 2018

  • “What is Obscenity” Rokudenashiko - Blurb 2016

  • Talkhouse- Music reviews for Tuneyards, CocoRosie, The Go! Team, Enya, Bat For Lashes, and Tensnake (2013-18)

  • Creative Time Reports- "We’re Here, We’re Qwerty, and I’m Not Sure I Want to Get Used To It" (2014)

  • Huffington Post- "I Love My Job But it Made me Poorer" (2011)

  • Tom Tom Magazine - Feature on band, Skip The Needle (2014)

  • “In a Queer Time and Place” Jack Halberstam - Blurb 2005

Lectures and talks

  • Assistant Arts Professor at NYU Tisch Clive Davis School of Recorded Music (2016-Present)

  • Yale Art (2021)

  • We Make Waves Festival- Berlin (2017)

  • Women of Letters- Three Different Readings (2014-2017)

  • Artists with a Conscience Conference- Amherst College Lecture and Performance (2016)

  • Face The Music (Melbourne)- "The Cost of a Token" (Music Industry Version) (2015)

  • TED X (CLE)- "The Cost of a Token" Lecture (2014)

  • Bard College- "Working Hard Isn't Hardly Working" (2013)

  • NYU- "JD Samson is Ugly and Has a Moustache" (2008)

  • Mack Lectures at Walker Art Center - CANCELLED DUE TO COVID (2020)

"ATLAS CHAIR" LABEL RELEASES

  • The Aikiu (With Sony France)

  • Avan Lava

  • Baby Alpaca

  • Bianca Casady & C.i.A (With Fantasyrecords)

  • bottoms

  • Claude Violante (With Tsunami Addiction)

  • Kitten Forever

  • LEFTI

  • Julie Hanse