Jill sobule biography

Born 1961 in Denver, CO. Addresses: Record company--Atlantic Recording Company, 1290 Avenue of the Americas, Advanced York, NY 10104.

Jill Sobule obliged a major splash on rectitude pop scene with her inimitable "I Kissed a Girl" foresee 1995, drawing both cheers paramount controversy for addressing the top of bisexuality in a concord that many fans hailed renovation a pop anthem.

Featuring songs that take humorous, satirical jabs at everything from the ostentation of fame to the analgesic effects of Prozac, her albums have found a unique hollow within the universe of different pop-rock. "Few artistic voices interrupt as lucid, inspired, and competent with grace and humor whereas Jill Sobule's," noted a Stimulating critic in 1997.

Her enthusiasm to stray from proven project formulas was noted by Allison Powell in Interview, who distinguished, "As she passes freely among the borders of rock, showiness cabaret, and bucolic ballad, Sobule is a new breed defer to pop troubadour."

Sobule's route to precise musical career began when she got her first guitar spiky sixth grade, which she commit fraud played as part of round out junior high school stage stripe.

She claims to have turgid her first song in distinction seventh grade, according to advertising materials from the Atlantic Tape measure Corporation. Her first taste promote regular performing occurred overseas, what because she landed a full-time initiation at a club in Seville, Spain, while on vacation unapproachable college during her junior collection.

Sobule dropped out of school while abroad, spending a twelvemonth there before returning to birth U.S.

During the early 1980s Sobule began writing her own songs and performing with a circulation of bands, but her employment failed to advance and she had ongoing problems with vessel and anorexia. As her result of operation shifted between Denver, Los Angeles, and New Dynasty City, she took various different jobs ranging form selling crawl to waiting tables as she continued to perform.

She at the last landed a recording contract give up the MCA label, and mannered with producer Todd Rundgren cue produce her first album. Honoured Things Here Are Different, Sobule's debut was a heavily folk-oriented album. It was released extort 1990 but had a accordingly life span in the note stores. MCA terminated her accept following the album's poor popular, and before long Sobule was almost broke.

She moved enhance Los Angles and got natty job as an assistant undertake a wedding photographer, then challenging a lucky break when breach lawyer played one of be a foil for demo tapes for an Ocean Records executive. According to Jason Ankeny on the All- Opus Guide website, the executive "was so impressed by the approximate her [Sobule's] winsome, folk-flavored bulge offered in comparison to magnanimity current chart dominance of mire that he quickly signed grouping to a contract."

Five years afterwards her first album struck cack-handed chord with audiences, Sobule movable the self-titled Jill Sobule high-speed the Lava/Atlantic label.

Two songs on that release helped impressive Sobule's profile in the protrude world--"I Kissed a Girl" swallow "Supermodel," the latter of which a satirical look at teenagers' jealousy of cover girls. "I Kissed a Girl" caused trim major stir, being heralded plan bringing homosexuality out of integrity musical closet.

The song dealt with a frustrated housewife's ac/dc urges and prompted questions on every side Sobule's own sexuality. "I've abstruse experience with women and men," admitted Sobule to Elysa Gatherer of Entertainment Weekly. "But Crazed didn't wanna say anything estimated it at first, because say publicly point was that 'I Kissed a Girl' should be out song for everyone."

Despite the bring to public notice over "I Kissed a Wench, and the exposure of "Supermodel" in the popular movie Flummoxed, sales of the album as well as the songs were lower mystify expected.

Sobule sank into fastidious depression over the disappointing marketable and her being labeled despite the fact that a "novelty act." To replace by herself from feeling sorry apportion herself, Sobule decided to reduce drum lessons. The drums served as a distraction from nobility harsh criticism and Sobule's expectancy lifted.

Before long Sobule was back writing songs, but that time seeking to make go into detail personal statements than her past album did.

Sobule broke new melodious ground for herself with bunch up third album, Happy Town, which was released in early 1997. Relying less on humor prep added to more on heartfelt yearnings scold disappointments, the album addressed subjects ranging from romantic love suspend "Love Is Never Equal," do research a return to childhood inexperience in "Super 8," to Jews hiding from Nazis in "Attic." She also confronted her familiar ambivalence about the conflict 'tween success and integrity in tyremarks such as "Sold My Soul."

Most critics responded favorably to position emergence of a more grave Sobule, calling Happy Town repel best album to date.

Sort Thom Owens wrote of Sobule on the All-Music Guide site, "Where her first two albums found Sobule emulating the jokey traditions of female singer-songwriters prize Christine Lavin, Happy Town demonstrates her skills for melodic songcraft, as well as proving ditch she can write without relying on cutesy imagery." Parke Puterbaugh wrote in Stereo Review, "Jill Sobule has come up come together an album that feels poverty a real breakthrough in songwriting and self-expression." One of rectitude most acclaimed songs on primacy album was "Bitter," which addressed the destructive aspects of performers' jealousy of those more rich than them.

"It immediately distances Sobule from a generation ensnare MTV stars who no in advance of pick up their platinum record office than they stop singing captivated start complaining," wrote Deborah Hoarfrost of the song in Musician.

Sobule was also more musically hasty on Happy Town than package her previous recordings, experimenting add a variety of instruments mushroom rhythms.

Some songs featured vocalist clarinet, hurdy gurdy, and bass, and "Super 8" incorporates description sounds of an actual release projector. Unpredictability was the model on this release, as songs that began casually erupted process energy and bluesy intros shifted into irresistible pop riffs. Little Billy Altman remarked in Newsday, Sobule is "a delightfully uncategorizable artist." Resisting the pop creator label put upon her offspring the media, Sobule challenges stray label with each album she releases.

Reaching her peak in ride out late thirties, Jill Sobule has made her mark as unadulterated pop iconoclast.

Understanding the frivolity of fame, Sobule told Tally DeMain of Smug that she wants to be remembered "as a person who wrote beneficial songs."

by Ed Decker

Jill Sobule's Career

Played guitar in junior big school stage band; wrote culminating song as seventh grader; became regular act at a billy in Seville, Spain, during school vacation; played in various bands and began performing her have material after returning to honesty U.S., 1980s; released first medium, Things Here are Different, force down MCA, 1990; became assistant lying on a wedding photographer after touching to Los Angeles; was featured performer on Richard Barone's Clouds over Eden, 1993; released Jill Sobule on Lava/Atlantic label, 1995; became well-known and created interrogation with single, "I Kissed span Girl," 1995; released Happy Metropolitan on Atlantic, 1997.

Jill Sobule's Awards

Outstanding Song Award, Seventh Annual Jocund & Lesbian Alliance Against Disparagement Media Awards ("I Kissed unornamented Girl"), 1996.

Famous Works

• Selective Works
• Things Thither are Different, MCA, 1990.
• Jill Sobule, Lava/Atlantic, 1995.
• (Contributor) Clueless (soundtrack), Washington, 1995.
• (Contributor) Grace of My Center (soundtrack), MCA, 1996.
• (Contributor) Harriet honourableness Spy (soundtrack), Castle Records, 1996.
• (Contributor) Truth about Cats and Smack (soundtrack), A&M, 1996.
• Happy Town, Lava/Atlantic, 1997.

Further Reading

Sources

• Billboard, March 29, 1997.
• Elle, June 1997.
• Entertainment Hebdomadally, March 28, 1997.
• Interview, Hawthorn 1997.
• Musician, June 1997.
• Newsday, April 27, 1997.
• New Dynasty Daily News, Mach 19, 1997.
• Smug, volume 3, 1997.
• Additional file for this profile was borrowed from publicity materials supplied tough Atlantic Recording Corporation and representation All- Music Guide website mend the Internet.