Marissa Paternoster | |
|---|---|
 Paternoster at South by Southwest 2011 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | August 1, 1986 |
| Origin | Elizabeth, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Genres | Punk rock, indie rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, artist |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Labels | Don Giovanni Records |
| Member of | Screaming Females, Noun |
Marissa Paternoster (born August 1, 1986) is an American artist, singer and guitarist active in New Jersey's New Brunswick music scene. She is the former lead singer and guitarist[1] in the bands Screaming Females[2] and Noun.[3]
Paternoster's parents met while both teachers for the Elizabeth Public Schools. Her mother, Leslie Okun, who Paternoster has described as "culturally Jewish",[1] was an art teacher who now resides in Florida. Her father, Angelo Paternoster, gave her her first guitar lessons before she taught herself to play as a teen.[4][5] Paternoster grew up in Elizabeth, New Jersey[6] and attended Roselle Catholic High School[7] and later Rutgers University's Mason Gross School of the Arts, where she became interested in music and formed Screaming Females.[8] An only child and an introvert, she grew up with a passion for comics, drawing, and, before long, guitar.[9]
Sleater-Kinney influenced her to start a band[9] with bassist Mike Abbate and drummer Jarrett Dougherty in 2005.[10] She was named the 77th greatest guitarist of all time by Spin magazine in 2012,[11] and the 150th greatest guitarist of all time by Rolling Stone in 2023.[12]
Paternoster is an out lesbian[13] and has spoken about how bands like Sleater-Kinney gave her the confidence to be a queer woman in music.[1] Her go-to karaoke song is Meat Loaf's "Paradise by the Dashboard Light".[9]
