March 26, 2005

The Interviews
Jill Sobule: Undergod Victorious
After she "Kissed a Girl," wrote some great songs

By Greg Matusak
Queen City Forum Magazine music columnist

Jill Sobule is a name you probably know for one reason, but there are about six albums full of other reasons you should know her – a ridiculously talented singer/songwriter who has a true gift of storytelling in her songs. In 1995 her song “I Kissed a Girl” propelled her to fame and notoriety. The song broke down many barriers of “mainstream” sexuality on radio and television. But there was a drawback, as she would always be linked to what some would consider a “novelty song.”

Since then Jill has released several critically acclaimed albums, including 1997’s HappyTown and 2000’s Pink Pearl. In addition to her own recording, Jill briefly joined Lloyd Cole’s backing band, The Negatives, and composed songs for a Nickelodeon series entitled “Unfabulous.” Most recently, we have seen Jill stretch her acting chops; she played herself in an episode of “The West Wing.” (She was flawless.) Even more recently, she had a role in the film “Mind the Gap,” which starred Alan King.

QCF: That’s right…you’re living on the West Coast, right?

JS: I hate to admit it, but I’ve been more in New York, but I don’t know. This is going to be my red state tour.

QCF: Really – we’re just barely red state.

JS: You’re barely – you’re just on the edge, aren’t you?

QCF: We're red, though some of us don’t like to admit it. But the West Coast is treating you okay?

JS: I just got here. I’ve been in New York and Europe for the last month and a half. So it’s all new to me.

.QCF: I do read your journals. (www.jillsobule.com) They are fascinating.

JS: There will be a new one today. Hopefully.

QCF: Your writing is really great. It is better than a lot of the blogs that are out there.

JS: I do need to be more active. That is my thing though.

QCF: You went to the Grammy’s last month?

JS: Yes. (laughs) They’re so boring. It’s really boring to sit there, you know, because they have the ads, and it’s just boring. Award shows are long and boring,

QCF: I can’t agree with you more.

JS: How boring they are to watch on TV , they are more boring in real life,

QCF: About your new album, Underdog Victorious. Many of your songs seem so personal. How much of that is autobiographical?

JS: You know, I would say most of it is. Even the story songs about someone else, somehow I put myself into it. But you know as a writer, you can embellish to make things more interesting or change things around. What makes you sit down and write? For me, it’s either something going on in my life or something I’m thinking about nostalgically . That’s about three-fourths of what I write; the other fourth is something that I read or saw on TV, something that influences me with one of my story songs, but even though I put myself in it. I think we’re too self-centered as writers.

QCF: The new album deals with very painful subjects – depression (Thank Misery), failed dreams (Freshman) and bad break-ups (Angel?). Is it difficult being so honest sometimes?

JS: I think it is masked for me. In song and melody are a way that is much easier to put it out in a song and somehow it depersonalizes a little bit rather than sitting down with someone and telling them my story.

QCF: Do you write your lyrics first or do you have a melody or chords mapped out?

JS: I would say the lyrics. And I think that’s different from a lot of “pop” writers.

QCF: Do you consider yourself a “pop” writer?

JS: I don’t know what I am. Storyteller. Singer/songwriter. I don’t know.

QCF: Have you thought about writing short stories?

JS: Yeah I thought about. I think that I have to – you know what’s great about writing a two minute opus/ two minute story seems to be so concise. Having a self-diagnosed ADD (laughs) - I think everyone has it nowadays – it is something I want to do this year as a challenge – to sit down long enough.

QCF: You have been acting this past year (TV’s “The West Wing” and “Mind the Gap”). Is this something you would like to pursue more?

JS: It’s great because it’s not my career, it’s not my forte. So it’s more fun than nerve-wracking.

QCF: So are you “shopping” for a script? Or taking lessons?

JS: No, but you know what - I should. In “Mind The Gap,” the movie that I did (which should be on Showtime next couple of months,) I got to play a semi-suffering singer/songwriter and I knew how to act that one.

QCF: You have performed and toured with some truly great songwriters (Billy Bragg, Lloyd Cole, Joe Jackson, Glen Tilbrook). What have you learned from them in particular or in general?

JS: I will take a for instance. Billy (Bragg) who also plays solo guitar and watching how he engages his audience and when you at the level that Billy is at, he does the songs, but he really is an entertainer. It’s part politics, it’s part song, part writing, part performing and part vaudeville in a strange way. It’s not just ‘Here I am, here’s my songs. Listen to me.’ It’s more ‘Here’s my songs, I’m here to engage you somehow in the hour and a half.’ You can forget about your bad times because it is at least entertaining. That’s the difference between a entertainer who is a shoe gazer and wanting people to hear you give to me rather that.

QCF: And what do you think they learned from you?

JS: Lloyd (Cole) perhaps learned to engage the audience a little more. I feel when I work with John Doe (of the band X) there are times when there are double-bill shows, and we decide ‘Let’s just go on stage together and swap songs,’ and I notice the difference between the performance and as opposed to regular, and it is definitely because of what I do. They talk a lot more.

QCF: How do you feel about your song “I Kissed a Girl” today?

JS: There was a few years back where I was like, (groan) “If I play that song, I’ll die” ‘cause I think it represented something like cross to Bear. It was a song that got me notoriety, but at the same time, it was the only thing that people knew of me, so I kinda did a little backlash with it. But in the last couple of years, I am proud. It is a clever little song. It was the first song with any homoerotic content in any pop song on the radio. That was before “Queer as Folk.” To this day, I get people coming to me and saying ‘When I was a kid that song’ – it pisses me off that they say ‘when I was kid’(laughs) – meant a lot to me.’ That’s great. That’s the ubiquitous fantasy of songwriters to affect someone. I’ve totally re-embraced it.

QCF: Do you see yourself as a political singer/songwriter like Billy Bragg? Especially after “I Kissed a Girl” and your new album contains song entitled “Under the Disco Ball,” which pokes fun at the right?

JS: I think it is a part of me, I don’t think it is as blatant as Billy, but it depends also on the time period. Before the election, I was really political and now I am just semi-depressed about the whole thing so now I am just going back to singing love songs (laughs). That changes from time to time from what’s going on.

QCF: Is there any secret to happiness, and what is it?

JS: Glass half-full, and have a sense of humor.

Contact Information
· gregm@queencityforum.com