Carrie Brownstein

About Carrie Brownstein

Carrie Rachel Brownstein is an American musician, actress, writer, director, and comedian. She first came to prominence as a member of the band Excuse 17 before forming the rock trio Sleater-Kinney with Corin Tucker and Janet Weiss. Sleater-Kinney released seven critically acclaimed albums between 1995 and 2005. Critics Greil Marcus and Robert Christgau deemed the band one of the essential rock groups of the early 2000s. In 2015, Stereogum Chief Editor Tom Breihan called them the greatest rock band of the past two decades. In 2006, the members of Sleater-Kinney announced they were going on an indefinite hiatus, with no future plans for the band.

During the long hiatus from Sleater-Kinney, Brownstein formed the group Wild Flag with guitarist Mary Timony. During this period, Brownstein wrote and appeared in a series of comedy sketches alongside Fred Armisen that were developed into the satirical comedy TV series Portlandia (2011–2018). The series was a cult sensation and went on to win Emmy and Peabody Awards.

Sleater-Kinney eventually reunited. As of 2026, she was still touring with the band.