Legendary Indie Rock trio BETTY, Alyson Palmer (vocals, bass, guitar), Elizabeth Ziff (vocals, guitar, electronic programming) and her sister, Amy Ziff (vocals and cello), use beguiling melodies, compelling lyrics and signature harmonies to create energetic live shows that mix music, performance art, politics and comedy.
BETTY sings of joy, love, longing, sex, food, heartbreak, and the universal hilarity of human existence. More than a band, BETTY uses music to channel their passion for representation, fairness and equality. From the beginning, they’ve blended their voices for causes they fight for, their talents in collaboration with other artists of every medium, and their time in support of women and girls, worldwide.
In addition to creating, performing and recording together as a group of independent artists since 1986, BETTY travels the world as Arts Envoys for the US Department of State. To further their humanitarian outreach and cultural diplomacy, Gloria Steinem advised them to form a non-profit, which they did in 2014. The BETTY Effect’s mission is using music and performance techniques to help others communicate and connect for personal power, social progress and peace, especially women and girls and LGBTQIA communities.
BETTY has been featured on national and international radio, television – including their iconic theme song for the L Word – and in films, commercials, jingles, recordings, streaming projects and concert venues across five continents. They have contributed as guest artists to dozens of recordings and compilation albums, and their soundscapes can be heard in art installations, like Darren Waterston “Filthy Lucre” at Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (Mass MOCA), The Smithsonian Institute and London’s Victoria and Albert Museum. Their Off-Broadway musical, BETTY RULES, was another show in a glittering string of hits directed by Michael Greif (Days of Wine and Roses, Hell’s Kitchen, Dear Evan Hanson, Next to Normal, RENT.)