Jillette Johnson

Jillette Johnson
Born1989 or 1990 (age 34–35)
California, U.S.
OriginPound Ridge, New York, U.S.
GenresPop, piano rock, indie, folk
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter, musician
InstrumentPiano
Years active2012–present
LabelsWind-Up, Rounder[1]
Websitejillettejohnson.com

Jillette Johnson (born 1989/1990[2]) is an American singer-songwriter and musician from New York.

Biography

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Jillette got an early start in music, learning to play piano by the age of five, and beginning to write her own music by age eight.[3] By the age of 12, she had begun playing three hour sets of original music at a restaurant near her home, and soon after, clubs in the New York City area like The Bitter End and Tin Angel.[4]

Her debut album, Water in a Whale, was released on June 25, 2013, by Wind-Up Records[5] and earned her comparisons to the likes of artists such as Fiona Apple and Adele.[6] Johnson then released her Dave Cobb-produced sophomore record, All I Ever See In You Is Me, via Rounder Records in 2017.[7] Johnson currently resides in Nashville, Tennessee, and released her first album in three years, It's a Beautiful Day and I Love You, on February 12, 2021.[8]

Whiskey & Frosting and Water in a Whale

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Jillette moved to Manhattan full time at the age of 18 to continue to pursue a career in music and attend New York University.[9] She released her debut EP, Whiskey & Frosting, on August 14, 2012, on Wind-up Records.[10] The EP contains five tracks that were written by Jillette in her apartment over the previous year, and she claims that the track "When The Ship Goes Down" is the best track she has ever written.[11]

Her debut album with Wind-up, Water in a Whale, was released June 25, 2013.[12] It led to her television debuts on The Rachael Ray Show[13] and VH1 Big Morning Buzz.[14] The album consists of the five tracks from the preview EP plus eight new tracks and a new version of "Cameron".[15] It was produced by Peter Zizzo and Michael Mangini.[16] In support of the record, she toured the US extensively, appearing at major festivals such as Bonnaroo and Firefly,[17] as well as a support act for artists such as Mary Lambert, Delta Rae, OAR, and Marc Broussard.[7][18][19]

The song "Cameron," about a young transgender boy, became one of Jillette's most beloved songs, which was inspired by a real life Cameron she knew and loved.[20] Chicago's Go Pride called it "one of the most powerful statements by a straight performer to the LGBT community since Patty Griffin's 'Tony.'"[21]

Track listing

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  1. "Torpedo"*[22]
  2. "Cameron"*
  3. "Flood The Ocean"
  4. "When The Ship Goes Down"*
  5. "Last Bus Out"
  6. "Pauvre Coeur"*
  7. "Peter Pan"
  8. "Basset Hound"
  9. "Butterfly Catcher"
  10. "Heathen"*
  11. "True North"
  12. "Cameron" (stripped)
  13. "17" (B-side)
  14. "Box of Crayons" (B-side)

*Previewed on Whiskey & Frosting (EP)

All I Ever See in You Is Me

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After many years in New York City, Johnson moved to Los Angeles briefly before permanently making her way to Nashville.[23] She released her sophomore album All I Ever See in You Is Me on July 28, 2017, through Rounder Records.[1] The album marked a sonic departure from her first album, eschewing grand production in favor of sparse, live band instrumentation that highlighted her classic songwriting roots and vocal command.[7] Produced by Dave Cobb at RCA Studio A in Nashville,[7] it was met with widespread critical acclaim from Billboard,[24] Paste,[25] Marie Claire, ELLE[26] and AllMusic who rated it 9/10 stars and touted its "emotionally rich feast of countrypolitan-tinged confessionals that find the sweet spot between balmy '70s FM pop and agile and arty 21st century indie Americana."[27] Johnson embarked on a headline tour and also supported artists such as Penny & Sparrow[28] and Parker Millsap.[29]

Track listing

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  1. Bunny
  2. Love Is Blind
  3. Throw Out Your Mirror
  4. Holiday
  5. Flip a Coin
  6. In Repair
  7. Not Tonight
  8. Like You Raised Me
  9. I'm Sorry
  10. All I Ever See in You Is Me
  11. Thumbelina

It's a Beautiful Day and I Love You

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In the four years since relocating to Nashville after making All I Ever See In You Is Me, Johnson said she made friends easily in the new city and also met and married her husband.[30] The new relationships, both personal and professional, brought with them a renewed creative confidence, which resulted in Johnson's third studio album, It's a Beautiful Day and I Love You.[8] Released on February 12, 2021, it was recorded in East Nashville and was produced by Joe Pisapia, engineered by Dan Knobler, and features bassist Owen Biddle and drummer Jamie Dick.[31] It has already garnered praise from Rolling Stone,[32] American Songwriter,[33] CMT, and Refinery29.[34] American Songwriter called Johnson a rare gem in Nashville, having written the entirety of the album alone, running contrary to the common Music City practice of co-writing.[35] British music monthly UNCUT also commented, "Following the ostentatious piano pop of 2013's Water In A Whale and the austere Nashville twang of 2017's All I Ever See In You Is Me, her latest uses country as a springboard into '60s pop, '70s rock, and Noughties indie. It's an adventurous palette that suits her well."[36]

Track listing

[edit]
  1. Many Moons
  2. Angelo
  3. Annie
  4. It's a Beautiful Day and I Love You
  5. I Shouldn't Go Anywhere
  6. Jealous
  7. Forgive Her
  8. Graveyard Boyfriend
  9. What Would Jesus Do
  10. Letting Go

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Jillette Johnson". Rounder Records. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  2. ^ "Jillette Johnson sings in Boston". Patriotledger.com. January 4, 2013. Archived from the original on January 12, 2013. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  3. ^ "Jillette Johnson gets fearless and honest on debut". cbsnews.com. November 8, 2013. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  4. ^ "Jillette Johnson @ Tin Angel | Philadelphia, PA (August 14, 2013) – Rockin' The 'Burbs". Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  5. ^ "Wind-up Records | Jillette Johnson". March 12, 2013. Archived from the original on March 12, 2013. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  6. ^ Goode, Sarah (September 9, 2012). "Jillette Johnson Talks "Whiskey & Frosting" & Being Fearless [Interview]". Sarah's Musical Kitchen. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  7. ^ a b c d "Jillette Johnson: All I Ever See in You Is Me". PopMatters. August 1, 2017. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  8. ^ a b "PREMIERE: Jillette Johnson Encourages Understanding with "Forgive Her"". Audiofemme. January 13, 2021. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  9. ^ "Jillette Johnson of Pound Ridge Finds Her Voice". Beat. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
  10. ^ Water in a Whale – Jillette Johnson | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic, retrieved January 29, 2021
  11. ^ Sellers, Sarah J. (September 9, 2012). "Jillette Johnson Talks "Whiskey & Frosting" & Being Fearless [Interview]". Sarahsmusicalkitchen.com. Retrieved September 14, 2012.
  12. ^ Jillette Johnson. "My new album – Water in a Whale!". Pledgemusic.com. OCLC 837181462. Retrieved April 14, 2013.
  13. ^ Jillette Johnson Performs, December 4, 2013, retrieved February 10, 2021
  14. ^ "Big Morning Buzz Live" Artie Lange/Rocco DiSpirito/Jillette Johnson (TV Episode 2013) – IMDb, retrieved February 10, 2021
  15. ^ Korina Lopez (June 18, 2013). "Full album stream: Jillette Johnson's Water in a Whale". USA Today. Retrieved June 18, 2013.
  16. ^ Lopez, Korina. "Album stream: Jillette Johnson's 'Water In A Whale'". USA TODAY. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  17. ^ Zemler, Emily (June 25, 2013). "Listen Up: Jillette Johnson". ELLE. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
  18. ^ "O.A.R. (...of a revolution.) with Jillette Johnson at House of Blues – Anaheim". FLOOD Magazine Los Angeles Event Calendar. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
  19. ^ "Marc Broussard | Fairfield Theatre Company". fairfieldtheatre.org. October 29, 2013. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
  20. ^ "25 Songs About Gender Identity". Billboard. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
  21. ^ Shapiro, Gregg. "A Whale of a talent: an interview with Jillette Johnson". ChicagoPride.com. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
  22. ^ "YouTube". Youtube.com. February 13, 2013. Retrieved September 3, 2017.
  23. ^ "Jillette Johnson: The Best of What's Next". pastemagazine.com. June 28, 2017. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
  24. ^ "Jillette Johnson Opens Up About 'Heartbreaking, Confusing' Sexual Abuse After Kesha's Court Ruling". Billboard. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  25. ^ "Jillette Johnson: The Best of What's Next". pastemagazine.com. June 28, 2017. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  26. ^ Zemler, Emily (June 25, 2013). "Listen Up: Jillette Johnson". ELLE. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  27. ^ All I Ever See in You Is Me – Jillette Johnson | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic, retrieved February 10, 2021
  28. ^ "Penny and Sparrow: Wendigo Tour plus Jillette Johnson". houseofblues.com. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
  29. ^ "Parker Millsap with Jillette Johnson". The Parish. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
  30. ^ Ellwood-Hughes, Pip (October 17, 2020). "Interview: Jillette Johnson opens up about 'What Would Jesus Do' and her forthcoming album". Retrieved February 10, 2021.
  31. ^ Lee, Ana (September 25, 2020). "Jillette Johnson Releases "Annie" and "I Shouldn't Go Anywhere" Ahead of New Full-Length Album". wmot.org. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
  32. ^ Hudak, Jonathan Bernstein,Jon Freeman,Joseph; Bernstein, Jonathan; Freeman, Jon; Hudak, Joseph (October 12, 2020). "RS Country Music Picks: Week of October 12th". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 13, 2021.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  33. ^ "Jillette Johnson Gives Songwriters Advice On How To Get In The Flow". American Songwriter. September 7, 2020. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  34. ^ Komonibo, Ineye. "New Music To Know: It's Getting Spooky Out Here". refinery29.com. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  35. ^ "Jillette Johnson Latest "I Shouldn't Go Anywhere" Shows Personal, Musical Transformation". American Songwriter. August 6, 2020. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  36. ^ Uncut – March 2021.
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