[citation needed] She became known performing with the French new wave covers band Nouvelle Vague.

[1] Following her work with Nouvelle Vague, Killdeer went on to pursue a solo career, forming the band The Short Straws, and releasing her first album, Weather's Coming, in 2008.

[2] Killdeer's musical style is influenced by Tom Waits and by 1960s rock and blues; her voice has been compared to that of Peggy Lee and of PJ Harvey.

[2] A song from the second album, "The Fade Out Line", was subsequently reworked by the French deep house producer The Avener (Tristan Casara).

[6] Their first album, The Piano's Playing the Devil's Tune (2016), is an experimental collaboration with the Portuguese actress and singer Maria de Medeiros (best known for playing the girlfriend of Bruce Willis's character in the 1994 film Pulp Fiction).