Janet Beveridge Bean was born in Florida, but grew up in Louisville, KY. By the early '80s, she was playing percussion in a local punk band, but 1983 saw the beginning of her two main musical pursuits. That year she was recruited by Catherine Ann Irwin (whom she'd known since they were children) to play country covers, for the most part, in what would eventually become Freakwater. Also that year, Bean formed Eleventh Dream Day, as drummer, with guitarist Rick Rizzo, who was going to college in Kentucky. In 1986, Eleventh Dream Day released its debut EP, followed by Prairie School Freakout in 1988. Also in 1988, Amoeba Records approached Irwin and Bean about recording their group, which was then dubbed Freakwater;

Janet Beveridge Bean was born in Florida, but grew up in Louisville, KY. By the early '80s, she was playing percussion in a local punk band, but 1983 saw the beginning of her two main musical pursuits. That year she was recruited by Catherine Ann Irwin (whom she'd known since they were children) to play country covers, for the most part, in what would eventually become Freakwater. Also that year, Bean formed Eleventh Dream Day, as drummer, with guitarist Rick Rizzo, who was going to college in Kentucky. In 1986, Eleventh Dream Day released its debut EP, followed by Prairie School Freakout in 1988. Also in 1988, Amoeba Records approached Irwin and Bean about recording their group, which was then dubbed Freakwater; the band's self-titled debut was released in 1989. Eleventh Dream Day spent the next five years with Atlantic, releasing three albums that were critically acclaimed but did not sell well. During this time period, Freakwater also released three albums that showed the band growing steadily. After being dropped by Atlantic, EDD released Ursa Major for Chicago-based indie Atavistic, then went on something of a hiatus, allowing Bean to concentrate on Freakwater and raising her son. The late '90s had Freakwater releasing another three albums for Thrill Jockey, and receiving more and more critical praise, while Eleventh Dream Day continued releasing albums sporadically, also now on Thrill Jockey. In 2002, Bean formed Janet Bean & the Concertina Wire, who released their debut album, Dragging Wonder Lake, in April of 2003. ~ Sean Westergaard, All Music Guide