Juliette and the Licks is an American
rock band
A rock band or pop band is a small musical ensemble that performs rock music, pop music, or a related genre. A four-piece band is the most common configuration in rock and pop music. In the early years, the configuration was typically two guita ...
led by actress and singer
Juliette Lewis
Juliette Lake Lewis (born June 21, 1973) is an American actress and alternative rock singer. She is known for her portrayals of offbeat characters, often in films with dark themes. Lewis became an "it girl" of American cinema in the early 1990s, ...
. Other band members have included guitarist Craig Fairbaugh and guitarist
Emilio Cueto, bassist Jason Womack and drummer Ed Davis. Their popular songs include "You're Speaking My Language" and "Hot Kiss". The band broke up in 2009. They reunited for a Los Angeles show in 2015, followed by extensive touring in 2016. In June of 2016, Juliette Lewis announced a solo tour leaving the future of The Licks undetermined.
In May 2018 members of the band tweeted that they were in the studio working on new music as Juliette And The Licks.
History
Lewis accompanied
Patty Schemel
Patricia Theresa Schemel (born April 24, 1967) is an American drummer and musician who rose to prominence as the drummer of alternative rock band Hole from 1992 until 1998. Born in Los Angeles, Schemel was raised in rural Marysville, Washington, ...
, drummer for
Hole
A hole is an opening in or through a particular medium, usually a solid body. Holes occur through natural and artificial processes, and may be useful for various purposes, or may represent a problem needing to be addressed in many fields of en ...
, to a
Blondie concert and decided to find musicians to accompany herself and Patty. The Licks became Juliette (vocals), Patty Schemel (drums), Todd Morse (guitar) and Paul Ill (bass). The band released their first
EP ''
…Like a Bolt of Lightning'' in 2004, which was shortly followed by the debut album ''
You're Speaking My Language
''You're Speaking My Language'' is the first full-length album by Juliette and the Licks, released on May 17, 2005.
Track listing
# "Intro" - 0:23
# "You're Speaking My Language" - 2:14
# "Money in My Pocket" - 3:08
# "American Boy, Vol. 2" - 3: ...
'', whose title track became their most successful single, followed by the less successful, disco-influenced "Got Love to Kill". The released version of the second single was a remix of the original song, which had a more rock influence.
![Juliette Lewis](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1d/Juliette_Lewis.jpg)
Schemel left the band before sessions for the second album had begun, so
Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters are an American rock band formed in Seattle in 1994. Foo Fighters was initially formed as a one-man project by former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl. Following the success of the eponymous debut album, Grohl (lead vocals, guitar) re ...
frontman
Dave Grohl
David Eric Grohl (born January 14, 1969) is an American musician. He is the founder of the rock band Foo Fighters, in which he is the lead singer, guitarist, and principal songwriter. Prior to forming Foo Fighters, he was the drummer of gru ...
filled the gap. The album was recorded by Lewis, Grohl, Morse, Kemble Walters and Jason Womack. Grohl then asked the Licks to be a guest act at the Foo Fighters' sell-out
Hyde Park
Hyde Park may refer to:
Places
England
* Hyde Park, London, a Royal Park in Central London
* Hyde Park, Leeds, an inner-city area of north-west Leeds
* Hyde Park, Sheffield, district of Sheffield
* Hyde Park, in Hyde, Greater Manchester
Austra ...
performance in June 2006, to around 85,000 people (other acts were
Angels & Airwaves
Angels & Airwaves (also written as Angels and Airwaves; stylized and abbreviated as ΛVΛ) is an American rock band, comprising Tom DeLonge (lead vocals, guitars, keyboards), David Kennedy (guitars, keyboards), Ilan Rubin (drums, keyboards, b ...
,
Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age (commonly abbreviated QOTSA) is an American rock band formed in 1996 in Palm Desert, California. The band was founded by vocalist and guitarist Josh Homme, who has been the only constant member throughout multiple line- ...
and
Motörhead
Motörhead () were an English rock band formed in London in 1975 by Lemmy (lead vocals, bass), Larry Wallis (guitar) and Lucas Fox (drums). Lemmy was also the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band are often considered a precu ...
). At the same event, Lewis and Moa Holmsten from
Meldrum
Meldrum was a multinational heavy metal band formed by ex- Phantom Blue guitarist Michelle Meldrum.
History
American guitarist Michelle Meldrum started her first band Wargod with Strapping Young Lad drummer Gene Hoglan, later going on to f ...
sang backing vocals on one of Motörhead's songs.
Their second album ''
Four on the Floor
''Four on the Floor'' is a 1999 compilation album consisting of songs by bands on Panic Button Records. It features four tracks by four of the labels bands, Screeching Weasel, Moral Crux
A moral (from Latin ''morālis'') is a message that is c ...
'', was released in late 2006. "Hot Kiss", which was one of the Licks' most successful singles, was the first release from the album, though the following single, "Sticky Honey", proved less commercially successful. The band then toured America and Europe, including opening for
Muse
In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Muses ( grc, Μοῦσαι, Moûsai, el, Μούσες, Múses) are the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the ...
and
Chris Cornell
Christopher John Cornell (né Boyle; July 20, 1964 – May 18, 2017) was an American singer and musician best known as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and primary lyricist and songwriter for the rock bands Soundgarden and Audioslave. H ...
.
Kemble Walters left in 2007 to rejoin his original band,
The Rise. The band recruited a temporary player before guitarist
Emilio Cueto was recruited to fill the spot permanently. The band performed and presented awards at
MTV Brasil
MTV Brasil was a Brazilian over-the-air television network owned by Grupo Abril focused on the youth. The network was launched on 20 October 1990, as the first specialty television network to broadcast over-the-air, becoming the local version ...
's music awards that year, and did the same at the 2008
MTVAA
The MTV Australia Awards (previously known as the MTV Australia Video Music Awards or AVMA's) started in 2005 and were Australia's first awards show to celebrate both local and international acts. The last edition happened in 2009.
History
The M ...
s in Sydney, Australia, after which Todd Morse left the band. Craig Fairbaugh replaced Morse on tour, before the band ceased operations in 2009.
The band's track "Inside the Cage" was featured on the ''
Grand Theft Auto IV
''Grand Theft Auto IV'' is a 2008 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the sixth main entry in the ''Grand Theft Auto'' series, following 2004's '' Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas'', and the ...
'' soundtrack on fictional in-game radio station Radio Broker.
Break-Up
In a 2009 MySpace blog, Lewis announced the band was at the "end of its run". Explaining that she needed a change to grow as an artist, the singer formed a new band and released a studio album called ''
Terra Incognita
''Terra incognita'' or ''terra ignota'' (Latin "unknown land"; ''incognita'' is stressed on its second syllable in Latin, but with variation in pronunciation in English) is a term used in cartography for regions that have not been mapped or do ...
'' in 2009. Of the Licks, she said, "There were only two of them left. They split. Nobody wants to tour all the time. I mean, ''I'' do, but not them… It looks like the famous singer fired the whole band, but that's not how it happened."
2015 to Present: Reunion and new music
Since disbanding Juliette and the Licks in 2009, Juliette Lewis has focused mostly on her Hollywood career. Juliette and the Licks announced they would reunite for a special show at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles on July 23rd, 2015. What's more, the indie rockers are currently working on a new album — their first since 2006's Four on the Floor — that was due to arrive in 2016. In a press release, Lewis explained how the idea for a reunion came to fruition. “While recording music with Brad Shultz of Cage the Elephant
he appeared in the band’s recent video for “Take It or Leave It” I knew I eventually had to put together a killer band. And I thought … Why don’t I get the best band I ever had back together again – The Licks.”
“At our peak we were known for our insane chemistry and energy onstage,” she continued. “The last venue I played as a solo act with my other band was El Ray
ic I have always loved that venue. I figured let's start with an amazing hometown reunion show with guest musicians. And take it from there.”
The reunion show occurred on July 23rd, followed by an extensive European tour through 2016.
In May 2018 the band members tweeted that they were in the studio working on new music as a band.
Band members
Current members
*
Juliette Lewis
Juliette Lake Lewis (born June 21, 1973) is an American actress and alternative rock singer. She is known for her portrayals of offbeat characters, often in films with dark themes. Lewis became an "it girl" of American cinema in the early 1990s, ...
– lead vocals, production
(2003–2009, 2015–present)
*
Todd Morse
H2O is an American hardcore punk band formed in New York City in 1994.
History
Formation and the Epitaph years (1994–2000)
While touring as a roadie for Sick of It All, Toby Morse would sometimes sing with the band during encores. In late ...
– lead guitar, backing vocals,
(2003–2008, 2015–present)
*
Jason Womack
Juliette and the Licks is an American rock band led by actress and singer Juliette Lewis. Other band members have included guitarist Craig Fairbaugh and guitarist Emilio Cueto, bassist Jason Womack and drummer Ed Davis. Their popular songs inclu ...
– bass
(2006–2009, 2015–present)
* Kemble Walters- rhythm guitar
(2006-2007, 2015–present)
*
Ed Davis – drums
(2006–2009, 2015–present)
Former members
* Craig Fairbaugh– lead guitar
(2008–2009)
*
Paul Ill – bass
(2003–2006) – keyboards, synthesizer, rhodes piano, backing vocals,
(2006–2007)
*
Patty Schemel
Patricia Theresa Schemel (born April 24, 1967) is an American drummer and musician who rose to prominence as the drummer of alternative rock band Hole from 1992 until 1998. Born in Los Angeles, Schemel was raised in rural Marysville, Washington, ...
– drums
(2003–2004)
*
Jason Morris – drums
(2004–2006)
*
Emilio Cueto – rhythm guitar
(2007–2009)
Session musicians
*
Dave Grohl
David Eric Grohl (born January 14, 1969) is an American musician. He is the founder of the rock band Foo Fighters, in which he is the lead singer, guitarist, and principal songwriter. Prior to forming Foo Fighters, he was the drummer of gru ...
– drums on ''Four on the Floor''
(2006)
Touring members
*
Brad Wilk
Brad Wilk (born September 5, 1968) is an American drummer. He is best known as a member of the rock bands Rage Against the Machine (1991–2000, 2007–2011, 2019–present), Audioslave (2001–2007, 2017), and Prophets of Rage (2016–2019).
...
– drums
(2016)
*
Juan Alderete
Juan Alderete de la Peña (born September 5, 1963) is an American musician, best known as the longtime bassist of Racer X, the Mars Volta and Marilyn Manson.
Biography
Alderete was born in Los Angeles, California the fourth of five children. ...
- bass
(2016)
Discography
Studio albums
* ''
You're Speaking My Language
''You're Speaking My Language'' is the first full-length album by Juliette and the Licks, released on May 17, 2005.
Track listing
# "Intro" - 0:23
# "You're Speaking My Language" - 2:14
# "Money in My Pocket" - 3:08
# "American Boy, Vol. 2" - 3: ...
'' (2005)
* ''
Four on the Floor
''Four on the Floor'' is a 1999 compilation album consisting of songs by bands on Panic Button Records. It features four tracks by four of the labels bands, Screeching Weasel, Moral Crux
A moral (from Latin ''morālis'') is a message that is c ...
'' (2006)
Extended plays
* ''
...Like a Bolt of Lightning'' (2004)
Singles
References
Bibliography
* Janne Hietanen: Juliette and the Licks. Pop-magazin
Pop-lehti ''Records Collectors Magazine'', ISSN 1456-1964, n:o 29 pages 36–37.
External links
Official MySpaceHassle RecordsAll the LyricsLollapalooza 2007 Live Performance Video
Images - Frequency 2007Juliette interview with ''LeftLion'' Magazine
{{Authority control
Musical groups established in 2003
Musical groups disestablished in 2009
Indie rock musical groups from California
Female-fronted musical groups