Juliet Simms

Juliet Simms
Juliet Simms performing for Kuncocshun 2010 at UC San Diego
Background information
Birth name	Juliet Nicole Simms
Born	(1986-02-26) February 26, 1986
Origin	San Francisco, California, United States
Genres	Rock, acoustic rock, alternative rock
Instruments	Keyboard, Guitar, Vocals
Years active	2003—present
Labels	Universal Republic (2012-13)

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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. Since being on The Voice she is now making music under her own name instead of Automatic Loveletter.

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

Post-The Voice (2012-2014)

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]

All or Nothing (2015-present)

On January 27th, 2015, Simms released an EP entitled "All or Nothing", published by Ju Ju Productions Inc. and funded by PledgeMusic.^[11] She released a music video for the EP's fourth track, End of the World. Her boyfriend, Andy Biersack, was featured on the following track, Not Broken Yet.^[12] To promote the EP, Simms was on every date of the 2015 Warped Tour, playing the Journeys Right Foot stage. She was upgraded to the Main Stage on multiple dates of the tour. While on Warped Tour, Simms was a part of TEI Workshops, offering guidance to fans on many things, such as self-esteem issues and tips on how to work the music industry. ^[13]

Discography

Singles

Extended Plays

• All or Nothing (2015)^[14]

Songs as a Featured Artist

• LoveHateHero – Just Breathe (2005, vocals on "Theatre of Robots")
• Cartel – Cartel (2007, vocals on "Lose It")
• All Time Low – So Wrong, It's Right (2007, vocals on "Remembering Sunday")
• 3OH!3 – Careless Whisper (2008, vocals, with Alex Gaskarth of All Time Low)
• Secondhand Serenade – A Twist in My Story (2009, vocals on "Fix You")
• Secondhand Serenade – Hear Me Now (2010, vocals on "Hear Me Now")
• Every Avenue – Punk Goes Classic Rock (2010, vocals on "Take Me Home Tonight", Eddie Money cover)
• Tommy Simms – Then The Archers Bowed And Broke Their Bows (2011, vocals on "Here In The Horse's Heart")
• Black Veil Brides – Wretched and Divine: The Story of the Wild Ones (2013, vocals on "Lost It All")
• Simple Plan - "Taking One for the Team" (2016, vocals on "I Dream about You")

Other charted songs

With Automatic Loveletter

• Recover (EP) (2007)
• Truth or Dare (2010 Limited-Run U.S Release) (2011 Worldwide) (Debut Album)
• The Kids Will Take Their Monsters On (2011) (Sophomore Album)

• Automatic Loveletter EP^[17] - Previously unavailable due to licensing issues with then-record label Sony.
• The Ghost We Carry Home - Unreleased due to contractual problems with Epic, however it was eventually released in 2014/15 through PledgeMusic to help fund the recording of Juliet Simms' solo EP.

Filmography

• The Voice - 2012
• Legion of the Black - 2013
• Warped Roadies - 2013

References

Further reading

• Cridlin, Jay (September 5, 2008). "Sensational Simms Siblings". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved January 2, 2012. 
• Cridlin, Jay (July 22, 2010). "Warped Minds Want to Know...". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved January 2, 2012. 
• "Automatic Loveletter". MTV. Retrieved January 2, 2012.  External link in |publisher= (help) Includes a biography about Simms.
• "Automatic Loveletter". VH1. Retrieved January 2, 2012.  External link in |publisher= (help) Includes a biography about Simms.
• Giambalvo, Carole (February 19, 2009). "Automatic Loveletter". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved January 2, 2012. 
• Beal, Jr., Jim; Goodspeed, John (February 27, 2009). "Night After Night". San Antonio Express. Retrieved January 2, 2012. 
• Abbott, Jim (July 22, 2010). "Warped: Still a good time for bands, fans". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved January 2, 2012.  External link in |publisher= (help)
• "NBC's The Voice, Season 2 Premiere". NBC. February 5, 2012. Retrieved February 6, 2012. 

External links

• Official website
• Automatic Loveletter's profile at PureVolume