Stretch Princess

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Stretch Princess
Origin London, England
Genres Alternative rock, pop rock
Years active1996–2006
Labels Wind Up Records
Past membersJo Lloyd
James Wright
Dave Magee

Stretch Princess (sometimes referred to as simply Stretch) was a British alternative rock band that formed in London, England in 1996. The band consisted of Jo Lloyd (vocals, bass, and piano), James Wright (guitar), and Dave Magee (drums). [1]

Contents

They released two albums: Stretch Princess (1998) and Fun with Humans (2002).

History

Background and formation

Jo Lloyd, born in Northern Ireland, had been attempting to make original compositions ever since her high school days, when she used to take piano classes. After graduating from it, she would start performing at piano bars, performing casually alongside other musicians. [2] At one point, a trio she was performing in would disband due to the other two members moving on to playing professionally with different bands, leaving her without a group. [1] [3]

Some time after going separate ways from the band, Lloyd would meet english drummer Dave Magee. In 1996, the two would place an advertisement in an English music paper, which called the attention of James Wright. The guitarist was born in Shoreham-by-Sea, Sussex, but lived in Australia since the age of four and performed in a few concerts in Perth before deciding to move to London. [2] Lloyd reported that Wright had been in England for only a few weeks when he contacted her and Magee and had answered thes advertisement "just for a laugh". The guitarrist was accepted into the group, leading to Stretch Princess being properly formed. [1]

Early years and Stretch Princess (1996 - 1998)

During the time Stretch Princess was active in England, the local music scene was dominated by the britpop genre. Not only did the trio dislike this musical style and the popularity it had reached, but also had trouble finding success thanks to its dominance. [4] This motivated them to move to the United States, where they would stay for the remainder of their years of activity. [1]

On August 25th of 1998, the band would release their debut album, the homonimous Stretch Princess, [5] with the song "Sorry" being released as a lead single and being featured on the British compilation album Discovered '97 a year prior. [6] Stretch Princess would garner positive reception from the public, including critics such as Ira Robbins, editor of british rock and roll magazine Trouser Press, who placed it on his "Top 10 Albums for 1998" and described the trio as "energetic and confident". [7] In 1999, "Sorry" peaked at #27 on Billboard's Adult Top 40 chart. [8]

Fun with Humans (1999 - 2002)

In 2002, the band released their second album, Fun with Humans. Its opening track "Freakshow" reached #30 on the Billboard Adult Top 40 chart in 2002. [8]

The song "Universe", from their self-titled debut, was featured in the first episode of the fourth season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer , and their song "Time and Time Again" was featured in the first episode of the second season of Smallville . "Sugar" was featured in the Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen's 1999 film Passport to Paris , as well as She's All That (1999) during the beach volleyball scene.

"Sorry" was featured in the 1999 film Teaching Mrs. Tingle during the final graduation scene and the closing credits. The song is included as the opening track on the film's official soundtrack album, released by Capitol Records. [9] It was also featured in the 17th episode of the first season of The West Wing during a scene at a diner between Charlie and Zoey. "Oooh!" was the title song of the German TV show Mein Leben & Ich, broadcast from 2001 to 2009. "Sorry" and "Oooh!" were also featured in the Courteney Cox and David Arquette film The Shrink Is In (2001).

Discography

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "The new rock royalty". The Harvard Independent. Archived from the original on 16 June 2004. Retrieved 13 November 2025.
  2. 1 2 "Stretch Princess Biography". Stretch Princess Official Website. Archived from the original on 24 October 2001. Retrieved 29 January 2026.
  3. ↑ "Stretch Princess". London Calling (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 7 February 2005. Retrieved 29 January 2026.
  4. ↑ "Jan Douwe Kroeske - Stretch Princess (translated)". Vara (TV-guide). Archived from the original on 20 March 2003. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
  5. ↑ "Release "Stretch Princess" by Stretch Princess". MusicBrainz. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
  6. ↑ "Discovered '97 - CD (Album)". Discogs. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
  7. ↑ "Surface Noise - Ira Robbins' Top 10 albums for 1998". Trouser Press. Archived from the original on 20 February 1999. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
  8. 1 2 "Stretch Princess | Biography, Music & News". Billboard. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
  9. ↑ "Teaching Mrs. Tingle [Soundtrack] - Original Soundtrack". AllMusic.


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