Juliet Simms

Juliet Simms

Juliet Simms performing for Kuncocshun 2010 at UC San Diego
Background information
Birth name Juliet Nicole Simms
Origin San Francisco, California, United States
Genres Rock, acoustic rock, emo, alternative rock
Instruments Keyboard, Guitar, Vocals
Years active 2003—present
Labels Epic Records (2006) , Universal Republic (2012-13)

Juliet Nicole Simms is an American singer/songwriter, and was the vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter for the American rock band Automatic Loveletter. She was the runner-up on the second season of the American reality talent show The Voice.

Biography

Early life

Simms was born in San Francisco, California, United States. When she was about 11 years old she moved from California to Tampa, Florida, United States—where her father was relocated for work. In Florida she learned to play the guitar from her brother, Tommy Simms. She began writing songs at the age of 14.

Professional career

Automatic Loveletter

Automatic Loveletter was formed in 2005, with Simms on guitar and lead vocals, Simms' brother, Tommy Simms, playing bass and producing, Daniel Currier on drums, and bassist, Sean Noll, contributing occasionally. The band recorded in Tommy Simms' home studio in the Tampa Bay area of Florida, US. The band was first called "Stars and Scars" and recorded its first rock song in December 2005. The song was named after the band and was written by Juliet Simms.[1] The band then recorded "Tin Lizzy", a song written by Tommy Simms.

Epic

Simms performing with her band in 2008

Following the formation of Automatic Loveletter, Simms was signed to Epic Records by Allison Hagendorf (host of Fuse TVs The Top 20 Countdown), who was working at Epic Records at the time. She recorded a set of acoustic songs for a "demo," written during the preceding three years with brother, Tommy, for a forthcoming album on the Epic label. Simms also collaborated with many other writers, including Matthew Wilder of Tragic Kingdom; Wilder cowrote "Take My Soul". Several collaborations with Leah Haywood and Daniel James were also intended for the proposed record.

Automatic Loveletter also signed with Epic and recorded its debut album in 2007, with producer Matt Squire. Simms shared her large collection of songs with Squire and the pair created a congruent collection. Unfortunately, the Squire album was never fully released. Nonetheless, tracks such as "The Answer," "Parker," "August," "Hush," "Make-up Smeared Eyes" and "Shut Your Mouth" were all released on the EP Recover.

Automatic Loveletter was dropped from Epic following the appointment of Amanda Ghost as president. The news of the band's removal from the Epic roster was announced during the band's first headlining tour, for which numerous venues had sold out. The band's time with Epic had been a commercially mixed experience: Recover had sold over 20,000 units, the record release date was repeatedly delayed, and line-up changes were implemented at the insistence of the label. Ultimately, Simms and her brother, Tommy, Daniel Currier and Sean Noll were in the band for the longest amount of time.

RCA

Simms opening for Matt Good in 2010

Almost immediately after the Epic announcement, the band was picked up by the RCA company, and Simms was asked to write for a new album that would be produced by Josh Abraham. The band released its debut album, Truth or Dare, on June 22, 2010.[2] However, the employment of the band's A&R (Artist and Repertoire) representative was terminated prior to the album's release, and the label support that Simms had hoped for did not eventuate. Prior to the US release of the debut album, Simms signed a contract with Sony Japan and successfully released Truth or Dare in Japan.

Paper & Plastick

Simms performing on the Warped Tour, 2011

On June 28, 2011, Automatic Loveletter released the album The Kids Will Take Their Monsters On through an independent record label, Paper & Plastick.[2] The album features the songs "Never Take It Off", "Save Me", "Black Ink Revenge", "Click Your Heels (3 Times and Repeat, There's No Place Like Home)", "Carry the Fire", "Trade Places", "Cruel Cruel", "Pillows", and "The Curtain Close".[3]

Umbrella Records

In 2009, Simms was signed to Umbrella Records in West Hollywood, California, US. Her first four songs were produced by the Grammy-nominated members of the alternative metal band Spineshank; but Simms' melodic rock tunes, "The View From Below", "Changing Skies", "Old Movie", and "I Notice", were not suitable for the Spineshank production team. Simms then requested a different producer from the record label and Richie Zito, a writer and producer for Elton John, The Motels, and Heart, was employed.

With Zito, Simms rerecorded several tracks that immediately garnered attention after being featured on MySpace. Simms' music was subsequently licensed to MTV's The Real World and Road Rules. Her ballad "Old Movie" was aired as a closing song on the 2006 season finale of The Real World.[4]

The Voice (2012)

Simms was a contestant on the 2012 season of reality television show The Voice. She sang the Beatles' "Oh! Darling" for her blind audition and chose to be a member of Team Cee Lo.[5] Simms advanced to the live rounds after defeating Sarah Golden in a duet. In her first live show, she performed "Roxanne" by The Police, which the judges/coaches enjoyed.

During the quarter-finals, Simms covered "Cryin'" by Aerosmith. She was the only female contestant to advance onto the finals, edging out Jamar Rogers, after covering "It's A Man's Man's Man's World". Simms' cover of "It's A Man's Man's Man's World" reached #70 and also attained positions in three other charts on Billboard.[6]

For the finale, Simms sang Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird" and placed second behind Jermaine Paul.[7]

Performances on The Voice

Show Song Original Artist Order Result
Blind Audition "Oh! Darling" The Beatles 4 Adam Levine, Cee Lo Green, and Christina Aguilera turned
Simms chose Cee Lo Green
Battle Round "Stay With Me" (vs. Sarah Golden) Faces N/A Saved by Cee Lo Green
Live Show 2 "Roxanne" The Police 6 Saved (Public Vote)
Quarter-Finals (Second Week) "Cryin'" Aerosmith 8 Bottom 2 (Saved by Cee Lo Green)
Last Chance Performance "Torn" Ednaswap 4
Semi-Finals "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" James Brown 8 Safe (121 Points)
Finals "Crazy" Gnarls Barkley 2 Runner-Up
"Born to Be Wild" (w/ Cee Lo Green) Steppenwolf 6
"Free Bird" Lynyrd Skynyrd 12

Post-The Voice

Shortly after finishing The Voice, Simms was signed by Cee Lo Green, her coach on the show. Her debut single "Wild Child" was released on December 11, 2012,[8] followed by a music video in April 2013, for which Green is an executive producer. An album was scheduled for release in 2013,[9] but ultimately was not released after she was dropped. Simms completed a US tour with Secondhand Serenade and Veronica Ballestrini during March and April 2013.[10]

(2015-)

On January 27th, 2015, Juliet released her EP entitled "All or Nothing" published by Ju Ju Productions Inc. and funded by PledgeMusic.[11]

Discography

Singles

Year Single Peak positions Album
US
2012 "Wild Child" - N/A

Songs as duets

Other charted songs

Year Single Peak positions Sales Album
US
2012 "Roxanne" 86 Non-album releases by The Voice
"It's a Man's Man's Man's World" 70
  • US: 67,000
"Free Bird" 101

Filmography

References

  1. ↑ Haley Holmes (August 8, 2011). "Interview: Juliet Simms (Automatic Loveletter)". The Correspondence. The Correspondence Music. Retrieved September 30, 2012.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Tim Karan (May 10, 2010). "Automatic Loveletter reveal album art, release date". AltPress. Retrieved September 30, 2012.
  3. ↑ http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=2337302
  4. ↑ Rachel Dozier (February 6, 2012). "Who Is Indie Rocker Juliet Simms from The Voice Season 2?". wetpaint. Wetpaint Entertainment. Retrieved September 29, 2012.
  5. ↑ "Blind Auditions, Part 1". NBC. NBCUniversal Media, LLC. 2012. Retrieved September 29, 2012.
  6. ↑ http://www.billboard.com/artist/305393/juliet+simms/chart?f=379
  7. ↑ IdolsUSA (May 7, 2012). "The Voice - Juliet Simms -- Free Bird -- The Voice". YouTube. Google, Inc. Retrieved September 30, 2012.
  8. ↑ "Wild Child - Single". iTunes Preview. Apple Inc. 11 December 2012. Retrieved 15 December 2013.
  9. ↑ Carly Costello (23 April 2013). "Former "The Voice" Contestant Juliet Simms Releases New "Wild Child" Video". Artist Direct. Rogue Digital, LLC. Retrieved 15 December 2013.
  10. ↑ "Secondhand Serenade and Juliet Simms – Tour Dates". Marley Magazine. Marley Magazine. 5 March 2013. Retrieved 15 December 2013.
  11. ↑ http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/julietsimms
  12. ↑ "Hot Digital Tracks (28/04/2012)". Billboard.
  13. ↑ "Hot Digital Songs (26/05/2012)". Billboard.

Further reading

External links