Jill Bryson

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Jill Bryson
Jill Bryson 1st May 2012.jpg
Jill Bryson in 2012
Background information
Born (1961-02-11) February 11, 1961 (age 64)
Glasgow, Scotland
Genres
  • New wave
  • Pop
  • Post-punk
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • Guitar
Years active1982–1986, 2013–present

Jill Bryson (born February 11, 1961) [1] is a Scottish musician and artist, best known as a member of the new wave band Strawberry Switchblade, which achieved success with the 1984 single "Since Yesterday". [2] She has also pursued a career in mixed media art, exhibiting at venues such as Dunoon Burgh Hall. [3]

Contents

Early life

Bryson was born in 1961 in Glasgow, Scotland, and grew up in the Shawlands area. [4] During the late 1970s, she was involved in Glasgow’s punk scene, influenced by bands such as the New York Dolls. [5] She studied at the Glasgow School of Art from 1979 to 1983, where she explored performance art and fashion, drawing on punk and vintage influences. [5]

Strawberry Switchblade

Bryson co-founded Strawberry Switchblade with Rose McDowall in Glasgow in 1981. [6] Their debut single, "Trees and Flowers" (1983), written by Bryson about her agoraphobia, was produced by Bill Drummond and featured Roddy Frame of Aztec Camera on guitar. [6] Released through 92 Happy Customers, it sold over 10,000 copies and ranked number 47 in John Peel's 1983 Festive 50. [5] The band’s 1985 single "Since Yesterday" peaked at number 5 on the UK Singles Chart, and their self-titled album reached number 25. [2] Their polka-dot aesthetic influenced gothic and lolita fashion in Japan. [6] Strawberry Switchblade disbanded in 1986 due to internal disputes. [6] In 2005, Warner Bros. Platinum Records released a retrospective compilation of the band’s work. [7]

Art career

After Strawberry Switchblade’s dissolution, Bryson returned to visual arts, working with Super 8 film and performance art. [5] She collaborated with Atelier E.B, a project by Lucy McKenzie and Beca Lipscombe, contributing to exhibitions such as The Inventors of Tradition II in 2016. [5] In 2023, she exhibited mixed media work at Dunoon Burgh Hall. [3]

The Shapists

In 2013, Bryson formed The Shapists with her daughter, Jesse Frost, and musician Craig Hood. [7]

Discography


Strawberry Switchblade

Studio albums

Compilation albums

  • The 12″ Album (1985, Japan LP / 1997 Canada CD) [8]
  • The Platinum Collection (2005, Warner Bros.) [9]

Singles and EPs

  • "Trees and Flowers" (1983, single) [10]
  • "Since Yesterday" (1984, single, UK #5) [2]
  • "Let Her Go" (1985, single, UK #59) [11]
  • "Who Knows What Love Is?" (1985, single, UK #84) [12]
  • "Jolene" (1985, single, UK #53) [13]
  • "Ecstasy (Apple of My Eye)" (1985, single, Japan only) [14]
  • "I Can Feel" (1986, single, Japan only) [15]
  • "1982 4-Piece Demo" (2017, 7" single) [16]


The Shapists

Singles / Digital tracks

  • "Change Your Mind" (July 5, 2013) [17]
  • "In My Head" (August 1, 2013) [18]
  • "King of the World" (July 2013) [19]
  • "Dust Index" (December 13, 2013) [20]
  • "Daddy I’ll Drown" (June 6, 2014) [21]
  • "White Horses" (February 3, 2014) [22]
  • "Trees and Flowers" (March 28, 2014) [23]
  • "The Warning" (July 8, 2015) [24]

Vinyl Single

  • "The Warning" / "Dust Index" (July 2015, Mystic Moon Records, 7″) [25]

References

  1. ↑ "Jill Bryson - MusicBrainz".
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Strawberry Switchblade Chart History". Official Charts. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
  3. 1 2 Patience, Jan (2023-02-19). "Jill Bryson's Identity, It's a Crisis Can't You See?". Sunday Post. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
  4. ↑ "Jill Bryson on Prince, pop art and her days in Strawberry Switchblade". The Herald. 2016-11-14. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 McKenzie, Lucy (2016). "Jill Bryson in conversation with Lucy McKenzie". In Duffy, Catriona; McEachan, Lucy (eds.). The Inventors of Tradition II. Atelier E.B. ISBN   978-3-96098-002-5 . Retrieved 2025-06-18.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Simpson, Dave (2015-04-15). "Cult heroes: Strawberry Switchblade". The Guardian. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
  7. 1 2 "Jill Bryson Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
  8. ↑ "Strawberry Switchblade – The 12" Album". Discogs. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
  9. ↑ "Strawberry Switchblade – The Platinum Collection". Discogs. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
  10. ↑ "Strawberry Switchblade – Trees and Flowers". Discogs. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
  11. ↑ "Strawberry Switchblade – Let Her Go". Discogs. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
  12. ↑ "Strawberry Switchblade – Who Knows What Love Is?". Discogs. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
  13. ↑ "Strawberry Switchblade – Jolene". Discogs. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
  14. ↑ "Strawberry Switchblade – Ecstasy (Apple of My Eye)". Discogs. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
  15. ↑ "Strawberry Switchblade – I Can Feel". Discogs. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
  16. ↑ "Strawberry Switchblade: 1982 4-Piece Demo". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
  17. ↑ "Change your mind". The Shapists Bandcamp. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
  18. ↑ "In my head". The Shapists Bandcamp. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
  19. ↑ "The Shapists discography". The Shapists Bandcamp. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
  20. ↑ "Dust index". The Shapists Bandcamp. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
  21. ↑ "Daddy I'll drown". The Shapists blog. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
  22. ↑ "White horses". The Shapists Bandcamp. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
  23. ↑ "Trees and flowers". The Shapists Bandcamp. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
  24. ↑ "The warning". The Shapists Bandcamp. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
  25. ↑ "The Shapists – The Warning / Dust Index". Discogs. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
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