Jill Sobule: Hitting Her Stride

Singer/songwriter Jill Sobule has a weakness for underdogs.

On her latest CD, "Underdog Victorious," which was released last year, Sobule offers a tribute to Joey Heatherton, a discarded Hollywood starlet, with the heartfelt "Joey." On her previous disc, "Pink Pearl," Sobule wrote and sang about Mary Kay Latourneau ("Mary Kay"), the real-life school teacher who was imprisioned for having sex with an under-aged student that she married upon release.

"Underdog Victorious" is jam packed with 13 clever and emotionally resonant stories which range in subject from prostitutes in Tel Aviv, to fat little boys imagined as superheroes who rock out to the New York Dolls.

Sobule is something of an underdog herself. A decade ago, Sobule hit it big with "I Kissed a Girl," a ode to girl on girl love that was an MTV smash and "Supermodel," which was featured on the soundtrack to "Clueless." Though she's remained steady and popular, her brand of smart, funny folk-inflected music doesn't really aspire to mainstream radio anymore.

""I Kissed a Girl" was a blessing as well as a curse," says Sobule. "On one hand, I had an MTV hit. I'd rather be a one-hit wonder, than a not hit wonder. Also, it brought me many fans who have followed and supported the rest of my career. Plus, it was the first sorta lesbian or bi song to hit the mass media. I still get folks who write and say that the song helped them to not feel so bad about having a those feelings. I am proud of it for that. However, it did put me in a novelty niche, and yes, it still bugs me that it is still what I am mainly known for. I want people to see the rest of my work."

Her dedicated fans, though, have followed her all along. Sobule is directly connected to them via her website www.jillsobule.com. Unlike so many of her peers, she does not prosecute or demonize fans who bootleg her concerts. "I actually encourage bootlegs," she says. "I put them on my page if they are of exceptional quality. I only get pissed if they record when I am terribly out of tune." The unexpected dividend? Sobule has received more underground airplay resulting in a larger and more dedidcated fan base.

Besides "Underdog Victorious," Sobule has scored and written songs fro the upcoming Nickelodeon series "Unfabulous," made a guest appearance on NBC's hit series, "The West Wing," and wrote music for the off-Broadway play "Prozac and Platypus," currently in development. Additionally, Sobule has a starring role in the film "Mind The Gap,." Sobule plays a character she can very much relate to: a musician buskin' on the streets of queens. Many of the tunes she plays throughout the film appear on "Underdog Victorious."

"I feel like right now I am just hitting my stride. And I feel like a total late-bloomer, because I just skirted success. On one hand I feel like I'm still struggling, but on the other more positive side, maybe that's why I'm still writing the songs I write. I haven't gotten comfortable yet. That's for sure."

Jill Sobule performs with Sandra Bernhard and Cyndi Lauper, at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium, Saturday, Dec 17, 2005, 7:30 pm. Tickets are priced from $24 - $64.