Bill Mallonee


Bill Mallonee is an American singer-songwriter, most notably the songwriter and leader of Vigilantes of Love, an Americana, alt-country, rock band from Athens, Georgia.

Early life

Mallonee was born in Martinsville, Virginia, and grew up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He was raised Roman Catholic. He graduated with a degree in history from the University of Georgia in 1977.

Family

Mallonee and his first wife, Brenda, have two sons: Joshua and Joseph.

Health

Mallonee has been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in his abdomen.

Musical career

Early career

Mallonee played drums in high school and college before turning to songwriting and lead vocals when he formed Vigilantes of Love with keyboard player Mark Hall. He later played drums for a band that consisted of Buddy Miller, Julie Miller, Lucinda Williams, and Victoria Williams.

Vigilantes of Love

With Mallonee serving as Vigilantes of Love's frontman, the band's "Double Cure" was nominated for a 1997 Dove Award in the Alternative/Modern Rock Recorded Song of the Year category. The band experienced controversy in the Contemporary Christian music market for the song "Love Cocoon." The song, which described marital sex, led to the band's album Slow Dark Train being dropped by some Christian bookstores. Mallonee has remarked that he never felt comfortable with the CCM label.

Solo

Though the Vigilantes disbanded in 2001, Mallonee has continued to write and sing. On his mid-2007 tour, he was joined onstage by his second wife, Muriah Rose, who plays keyboards and sings. The two have continued to tour together ever since. Throughout his career many of his songs have focused on his Christian faith and his family. Critically speaking, he is held in high regard as a songwriter, being named one of the 100 greatest living songwriters by Paste Magazine.

Songwriting influences and process

Mallonee has cited Woody Guthrie and Jack Kerouac as influences on his songwriting.
Mallonee describes his songwriting process as starting with playing sounds on the guitar, then crafting a melody, then building around a lyric.

Discography

  • Fetal Position
  • Go and Ask Her
  • Locket Full of Moonlight
  • My Year in Review
  • Locket Full of Moonlight
  • Perfumed Letter
  • Dear Life
  • Friendly Fire
  • Hit and Run
  • Yonder Shines The Infant Light
  • Permafrost
  • Stolen Kisses & Other Thefts
  • Circa
  • lower case
  • Recent Demos
  • Works Progress Administration Vol. 1
  • Works Progress Administration Vol. 2
  • Works Progress Administration Vol. 3: Farthest Edge of Town
  • Works Progress Administration Vol. 4: Break in the Clouds
  • Works Progress Administration Vol. 5: Cabin Songs
  • Works Progress Administration Vol. 6: Rural Route
  • Works Progress Administration Vol. 7: Eternal Dawn & Gloaming
  • Works Progress Administration Vol. 8: Coal Dust Soul
  • Works Progress Administration Vol. 9: Drifter Songs
  • Works Progress Administration Vol. 10: High Desert Hope
  • Songs of Heartland & Grieving
  • Works Progress Administration Vol. 11: Kid Heart
  • Ti Jean : Songs Inspired by the writings of Jack Kerouac
  • Last Days/Early Mars
  • The Power and the Glory
  • Wonderland
  • Works Progress Administration Vol. 13: Hard-Scrabble Dreams
  • Works Progress Administration Vol. 14: Pale Lights Off Starboard
  • Amber Waves
  • Crier
  • Renderings
  • Works Progress Administration Vol. 15: Ghost Waltz
  • Works Progress Administration Vol. 16: Wanderlust
  • Works Progress Administration Vol. 17: This Is the Part Where We Kiss Good-Bye
  • Beatitude
  • The Nashville NPR Sessions
  • Town Hall
  • Dolorosa
  • "Little Births"/The Dolorosa Demos
  • Works Progress Administration Vol. 18: Heaven In Your Heart
  • Pauper Dreams
  • Starlight O'er High Desert
  • Demonstrative
  • Winnowing
  • Lands & Peoples
  • Where the Love Light Gleams
  • In the New Dark Age '
  • Songs for the Journey & Beyond
  • Future Hymns for the New Idolatry
  • Works Progress Administration Vol. 19: Footnotes For Departure
  • New York State of Mind '
  • Slow Trauma
  • Mule
  • The Rags of Absence
  • Audible Sigh/Solo Acoustic Renderings 1998
  • Forest Full of Wolves
  • Orphan Songs
  • Lead On, Kindly Light
  • This World & One More
  • A Clamoring of Ghosts
  • Here It Opens With A Prayer, But It Closes With A Song
  • Glimmer Vol I
  • Glimmer Vol II''