Glass Candy

Biography

Glass Candy is an American electronic music duo formed in 1996 in Portland, Oregon by vocalist Ida No (born Lori Monahan) from Vancouver, Washington, and producer/multi-instrumentalist Johnny Jewel (born John Padgett) from Austin, Texas.[1][2] The two met in 1995 at a Fred Meyer grocery store in Portland where Jewel worked, and soon began producing music under the name Glass Candy and the Shattered Theatre.[2] Their early work, which they described as "droney and weird," drew heavily from no wave, post-punk, art rock, and glam rock, with self-released singles including "Brittle Women" (1999), "Metal Gods" (2001), and a cover of Josie Cotton's "Johnny Are You Queer" (2002).[1][2] Originally written off as no-talent art punks with glamorous aspirations, the band underwent a significant artistic transformation over the following decade.[4]

Glass Candy's breakthrough came with their debut studio album Love Love Love (2003) on Troubleman Unlimited Records, followed by their critically acclaimed second album B/E/A/T/B/O/X (2007) released on Italians Do It Better, a label founded by Jewel in 2006.[1][2] Their musical style evolved from early noise rock and electropop to incorporate synth-pop and Italo disco, creating what critics described as "chilled out italo disco that sounds like it is from New York in the 1980s."[4] The band's work gained significant recognition in the fashion world, with their songs featured in Chloé runway shows and Karl Lagerfeld's Spring/Summer 2008 Chanel Haute Couture and Fall/Winter 2008/2009 shows.[2] Following the compilation album Deep Gems (2008) and the EP Feeling Without Touching (2010), the band went on hiatus while working on their third studio album Body Work, with no subsequent full-length releases documented.[2] In 2013, Glass Candy performed at various international music festivals including Pitchfork in Paris and Primavera Sound in Spain.[2]

Fun Facts

• Johnny Jewel and Ida No met at a Fred Meyer grocery store in Portland in 1995, where Jewel was working, before forming Glass Candy the following year.[2]
• The band's early performances featured screechy, bewigged, performance art aspects that gradually transformed into something more casually elegant, with live drums and guitars eventually removed from their stage shows.[4]
• Glass Candy's music was featured in high-fashion runway shows by Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel's Spring/Summer 2008 Haute Couture and Fall/Winter 2008/2009 collections, as well as Chloé runway shows.[2]
• In 2014, the duo released a cover version of Herb Alpert's 1979 instrumental track "Rise" via SoundCloud on December 4, demonstrating their continued creative activity during their hiatus from studio albums.[2]

Musical Connections

Key Collaborators

• Mike Simonetti - Co-founder of Italians Do It Better record label with Johnny Jewel (Italians Do It Better label (subsidiary of Troubleman Unlimited)) [2006-present]
• Avalon Kalin - Drummer and core touring member (Multiple Glass Candy albums and live performances) [Early-to-mid 2000s]
• The Convocation Of... - Touring partner (Live tour and live album on Vermin Scum) [2001]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia