Annette Zilinskas

About Annette Zilinskas

Annette Zilinskas is an American musician and singer. She is best known as the original bass guitarist and a founding member of the all-female pop-rock band The Bangles, as well as the lead vocalist for the cowpunk band Blood on the Saddle.

In 1981, Zilinskas joined sisters Vicki Peterson and Debbi Peterson and Susanna Hoffs to form the band initially known as The Bangs. She played bass guitar and harmonica. The group later changed their name to The Bangles due to a legal dispute with another band. Zilinskas performed on the band's self-titled debut EP, The Bangles, released in 1982 on Faulty Products. She also contributed to their early single "Getting Out of Hand." In 1983, just as the band was signing with IRS Records to record their first full-length studio album (All Over the Place), Zilinskas left the group and was replaced by Michael Steele.

Upon leaving The Bangles, Zilinskas pivoted to a heavier, roots-oriented punk sound by joining Blood on the Saddle as their lead vocalist. The band became pioneers of the L.A. "cowpunk" genre, blending alternative country, punk rock, and rockabilly. She performed on their self-titled debut album in 1984, as well as subsequent releases before leaving the group in the late 1980s.

In 1990, Zilinskas joined The Ringling Sisters, an all-female roots-rock and spoken-word performance art collective. The group released the album 60 Watt Reality (1990), produced by Lou Adler. Around the same time, she became the original singer and co-composer for the experimental shoegaze and noise-pop band Medicine, led by guitarist Brad Laner. She performed on their early 1991 demo recordings before parting ways prior to their official studio debut.

In 2018, following a 35-year absence, Zilinskas officially reunited with The Bangles as their permanent bass player for live performances. She also returned to the studio with the band, contributing bass and vocals to three cover songs on the compilation album Sweetheart of the Sun era leftovers and garage rock covers project 3 x 4 (2018), which united various Paisley Underground bands.

Zilinskas is of a mixed Baltic and Scandinavian descent.