Sharin Foo
As the cool, harmonizing half of The Raveonettes, her minimalist bass lines and detached vocals defined the sleek, noirish sound of 2000s indie rock.
Born 1973 (age 53)·Danish musician and singer·Birthday: November 22·Generation X
Biography
With a look borrowed from 1960s cinema and a sound distilled from the Velvet Underground and Jesus and Mary Chain, Sharin Foo became an archetype of Scandinavian cool. Born in Copenhagen, she was studying at the university when she connected with fellow Dane Sune Rose Wagner. Together they formed The Raveonettes, with Foo on bass and sharing vocal duties. Her contribution was foundational yet understated; her steady, melodic bass provided the anchor for Wagner's distorted squall, and her deadpan harmonies created the band's signature haunting, call-and-response texture. Foo's stage presence—aloof, stylish, and effortlessly composed—became as much a part of the band's identity as their songs about dirty rain and doomed love. While the band never aimed for mainstream pop dominance, they carved out a durable niche, releasing a consistent stream of albums and EPs that refined their formula of noise-pop simplicity. Foo's artistic life extends beyond music into photography and visual arts, reflecting the same curated aesthetic she brings to her musicianship.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Sharin was born in 1973, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Sharin Was Born
The biggest hits of 1973
#1 Movie
The Exorcist
Best Picture
The Sting
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Sharin's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1973Born
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1978Started school
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1986Became a teenager
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1989Could drive
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1991Could vote
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1994Turned 21
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2003Turned 30
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 40
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 50
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 53 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-founded the influential Danish indie rock duo The Raveonettes with Sune Rose Wagner.
- Released the critically acclaimed album 'Chain Gang of Love' in 2003, which was recorded entirely in the key of B-flat major.
- The Raveonettes' music has been featured in numerous films, TV shows, and video games, broadening their cultural impact.
- Maintained a consistent and distinct musical output with the band across eight studio albums over two decades.
Did You Know?
She is of Chinese and Danish descent.
Before joining The Raveonettes, she was in a Danish pop band called 'Sharin & The Scenics'.
Foo is also a practicing visual artist and photographer.
She and bandmate Sune Rose Wagner have a policy of never explaining their song lyrics.
“We wanted the sound to be a beautiful, distorted wall.”
