The Virgins are an American band formed in 2006 in New York, consisting of Donald Cumming (vocals, guitar), Wade Oates (guitar), and Nick Ackerman (bass).
Their first outing on the road was a 7-week American tour in direct support for the Australian band Jet. Subsequently they have opened for Iggy Pop and The Stooges, Lou Reed, Sonic Youth, Patti Smith, Kenneth Anger, Abel Ferrara, and others.
They have also enjoyed several television appearances on the Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and Last Call with Carson Daly. Their first full length album titled The Virgins was met with great critical success. They have since played at the All Points West Festival, SXSW festival, Lollapalooza, Glastonbury, Leeds, Reading, and T in the Park festivals, among other major French, German, Norwegian, Swedish, Dutch, Spanish, and Italian festivals in the summer of 2009. In the fall of 2009 they were invited to perform in Moscow.
The song "Rich Girls" was number 68 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2008 (although no sequential order was intended).[1] They are currently in their hometown of Manhattan, writing and recording their second full-length LP. The song "One Week of Danger" was featured on the soundtrack "OMFGG (Official Music Featured on Gossip Girl)" for the first season of "Gossip Girl."
Frontman Donald Cumming began writing music by himself in his New York apartment. Looking for a band, he recruited friends, and fellow native New Yorkers, Wade Oates (guitar) and Nick Ackerman (bass).
Almost immediately they made a five song EP titled The Virgins '07, produced by Jason Hill (Louis XIV) and compiled of the trio's recordings, and songs Donald had already recorded himself. Upon completion, Cumming passed out the EP to friends and DJs causing the music to pervade the New York club scene. Soon after, the demo came across Atlantic Records who signed Cumming before the band was fully formed.
