The Softies were a musical duo consisting of

Rose Melberg Rose Melberg is a musician and songwriter from Sacramento, California, currently based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She has performed both as a solo artist and as a member of Tiger Trap, The Softies, Go Sailor, Gaze, Gigi, Imaginar ...

and Jen Sbragia, who are known for their minimal approach to pop music.

History

Beginning in 1994, the band was intended to be a side project for both artists. Along with an eventual career as a solo artist, Rose Melberg performed with

Tiger Trap Tiger trap may refer to: *Trou de loup In medieval fortification, a trou de loup (French for "wolf hole"; plural trous de loup, also commonly referred to as a tiger pit in the East) was a type of booby trap or defensive obstacle. Each trou de lo ...

Gaze In critical theory, sociology, and psychoanalysis, the gaze (French ''le regard''), in the philosophical and figurative sense, is an individual's (or a group's) awareness and perception of other individuals, other groups, or oneself. The concept ...

, and Go Sailor. Jen Sbragia was known for her work with the band

Pretty Face is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yasuhiro Kano. The story revolves around a high school boy who suffers an accident and having his face reconstructed in the form of his crush, attempts to impersonate a girl whom his crush ...

. As part of the

Twee Pop Twee pop is a subgenre of indie pop that originates from the 1986 '' NME'' compilation '' C86''. Characterised by its simplicity and perceived innocence, some of its defining features are boy–girl harmonies, catchy melodies, and lyrics about lo ...

movement centrally located in the

Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest (sometimes Cascadia, or simply abbreviated as PNW) is a geographic region in western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Tho ...

, they were able to meet at performances for their respective bands. The two derived their name from a UK new wave group. After Tiger Trap disbanded in January 1994, the pair formed The Softies and recorded the four-song “Love Seat” 7-inch single for

Slumberland Records Slumberland Records is an American independent record label, formed in 1989 in Washington, D.C. and based in Oakland, California. The label has released recordings by Velocity Girl, Honeybunch, Lilys, Stereolab, Evans The Death, St. Christophe ...

Calvin Johnson Calvin Johnson Jr., (born September 29, 1985) is an American former football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons with the Detroit Lions. He played college football at Georgia Tech, where he twice ...

later produced their “He’ll Never Have To Know” single and the band’s debut album ''It’s Love'' on the

K Records K Records is an independent record label in Olympia, Washington founded in 1982. Artists on the label included early releases by Beck, Modest Mouse and Built to Spill. The record label has been called "key to the development of independent music ...

label. They released an eponymous EP under Slumberland Records in 1996 (recorded before ''It's Love''). Within months, they would record their critically acclaimed full-length '' Winter Pageant'' in Melberg’s childhood home in

Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...

, California. In 2000, they released their final collaborative work, ''Holiday in Rhode Island''. It is sometimes speculated that their albums correspond with the seasons of the year as follows: ''It's Love'' (Summer), ''The Softies'' (Autumn), ''Winter Pageant'' (Winter), ''Holiday in Rhode Island'' (Spring). The Softies almost exclusively use two electric guitars and harmonizing vocal melodies for their recorded tracks and live performances. Their lack of accompaniment, minimal production, and brevity of their songs are recurring characteristics of their work throughout their three full-length albums. The band undertook a few tours, including as an opening act for singer/songwriter Elliott Smith. For the first time since 2000, the Softies toured as part of ''Chickfactor 2012: For the Love of Pop'', with shows in Brooklyn, Portland and San Francisco.

Discography

LPs

* ''It's Love'' (1995 - LP/CD - K Records - KLP43) * '' Winter Pageant'' (1997 - LP/CD - K Records - KLP61) * ''Holiday In Rhode Island'' (2000 - LP/CD - K Records)

Singles & EPs

*''Loveseat'' (1994 - 7" 4 track EP - Slumberland Records) *''He'll Never Have to Know'' (1995 - 7" - K Records - IPU56) *'' The Softies'' (1996 - 10" - Slumberland Records) *''The Best Days'' (1996 - 7" - K Records - IPU79)

References

External links

The Softies: A RetrospectiveThe Softies on Bandcamp

rosemelberg.net
- Unofficial Rose Melberg fansite {{DEFAULTSORT:Softies, The American indie pop groups Musical groups established in 1994 Cuddlecore musicians Slumberland Records artists