The Judybats (sometimes stylized as merely Judybats or JudyBats) were an American alternative rock band from Knoxville, Tennessee, United States, active primarily in the late 1980s and early to mid 1990s.[1] The band released three successful singles that charted on the BillboardModern Rock Tracks chart: "Native Son", "Saturday" and "Being Simple", the latter of which peaked at No. 7.[2]
The band was formed in 1988 in Knoxville, Tennessee.[1] Frontman Jeff Heiskell and guitarist Ed Winters were neighbors and had been composing folk songs together.[3] The duo later met bassist Tim Stutz at a local bar called Hawkeye's Corner. Stutz, guitarist Johnny Sughrue and drummer Terry Casper had known each other since high school and had been playing music together as a trio. Peggy Hambright, who was Stutz's and Sughrue's roommate at the time, joined the band, contributing keyboards, violin and vocals.[4] The Judybats played locally to large audiences before signing to Sire Records in 1990.[1] The band took their name from a song written by a friend of theirs, which contained the line, "punch me with a judybat", a punning allusion to Punch and Judy shows.[1] The official form of the band's name was never entirely clear; although the band was credited as "The Judybats" on the cover of their 1991 debut album, Native Son, all of their subsequent albums listed the band's name as just "Judybats" or sometimes "JudyBats", although several CD singles from the later albums retained the word "The".[1]
Casper subsequently left the band and was temporarily replaced by session drummer Kevin Jarvis on their second album, Down in the Shacks Where the Satellite Dishes Grow, in 1992.[1] This album spawned the hit "Saturday", which reached No. 21 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.[2]
Following that album, Hambright and Stutz both left the band and were replaced by Paul Noe on bass and David Jenkins on drums.[1] The revised lineup released the band's most commercially successful album, Pain Makes You Beautiful, in 1993, and had successful singles on college radio and adult album alternative stations, including "Being Simple", "All Day Afternoon" and "Incredible Bittersweet".[1] "Being Simple" was the band's most successful single, rising to No. 7 on Modern Rock Tracks.[2]
The lineup remained stable for the band's fourth album, 1994's Full-Empty. Heiskell had intended for the album to be produced by Mitchell Froom and even sent him a demo tape of new songs, but was told by the Judybats' manager that attempts to reach Froom had been fruitless. Instead, the band opted to work with producer Paul Mahern, both because "he was cheap" and "was also supposed to have some kind of indie cachet at that time."[6] While recording Full-Empty, Heiskell eventually received a phone call from Froom, who said he liked the songs and expressed interest in working with the band, only to be told they were already working with Mahern.[6]
The band promoted the album by appearing on Late Night With Conan O'Brien on October 4, 1994, performing "Sorry Counts".[7][8] In an interview with The Advocate the following month, Heiskell acknowledged that he was gay,[9] but otherwise rarely discussed his sexuality with the press, choosing to write about it only indirectly in his songs until his solo career.[10] Looking back in 2023, Heiskell said, "It wasn't talked about in the open all that much back then, but more nuanced. Even so, some people expected me to come out and shout 'I'm A Gay Man!' to sell records. ... I wasn't willing to do that."[3]Full-Empty fared poorly on the charts and the band broke up soon afterward.[1]
In a 2008 interview with Popdose, Heiskell claimed that his dissolution of the band was attributable to several factors, with the last tour being "a nightmare of panic attacks and depression." Heiskell had been writing a screenplay about his experiences as a teenager that rendered him "an emotional wreck for nearly two years." Moreover, Heiskell alleged that band members Paul Noe and David Jenkins had attempted to convince him to break up the Judybats and form a new band with them. Heiskell explained, "By the time the tour ended I weighed 157 pounds – I'm nearly six feet tall – and could scarcely go out during the day for fear of having a bout of serious anxiety." Additionally, Warner Bros. decided to cull their roster of artists, which saw the Judybats losing their contract. "The idea of running about playing shows for schmucks in an attempt to get signed again made me break out in a sweat just thinking about it. And I was convinced that my life had become nothing more than trying to write the next college radio jingle of the week."[6]
Post-Sire era
Heiskell, Noe and Jenkins, along with guitarist Reed Pendleton, pursued a new musical direction under the name Doubters Club, an informal reconfiguration of the Judybats.[11] They released the album Fleur de Lisa independently in 1996, after being dropped from a development deal with Sire.[12] Heiskell later claimed that, following the release of the album, "Dave and Paul moved off to Nashville, hiding from me the fact that they had started another band on the side, taking all of the equipment with them."[10]
After the Doubters Club dissolved, Heiskell seriously considered quitting the music industry, while Pendleton encouraged him to stay the course, with the pair eventually creating a string of new songs, including "Break My Heart", "Shine", "You're Too Much", "Full Forward Angel", "Always", "Love Will Out" and "California". Moving forward, Heiskell and Pendleton formed the band Shoho, Jeff's nickname for local "scenesters" that often attended the band's shows. The lineup consisted of Heiskell on vocals and Pendleton on guitar, joined by local bassist Rob Bell and a set of twin brothers: guitarist/fiddle player Doug Hairrell and drummer Mike Hairrell. Early band sessions were held in a remote log cabin south of Knoxville, where the new lineup developed a guitar-heavy sound with Britpop influences. Upon the insistence of new manager SuperFrank, the band settled on resurrecting the name Judybats for the project. This incarnation of the band issued one album, Judybats '00, in 2000,[13] and released a cover of Paul McCartney's "Love in Song" for the 2001 McCartney tribute album Listen to What the Man Said.[14] "Break My Heart" was also included in Oxford American's annual Southern Music issue.[15]
In 2011, the Judybats '00 track "California" appeared on the compilation album Kat Vox: Celebrating 20 Years of Timmi-Kat Records.[21]
Post-Judybats
In 1992, former keyboardist Peggy Hambright founded Magpies Bakery in Knoxville, Tennessee, and was the owner until 2018, when she passed the business on to her niece, Elizabeth.[22][23]
Jeff Heiskell has since released five solo albums, under the name Heiskell: Soundtrack for an Aneurism (2007), Clip-On Nose Ring (2008), Arriving (2015), Emotional Terrorism (2017) and Songs in the Key of H (2019).[24][25]Emotional Terrorism was accompanied by two videos, for the songs "Still Life With Broken Heart" and "I Want More Life". Conceived by Heiskell himself, both were guided by videographer Douglas Stuart McDaniel,[10] with intern Tyler Juárez Dippel shooting the footage for "Still Life With Broken Heart". "I did not feel comfortable carrying on the Judybats name with my being the only member", Heiskell explained in 2008. "I didn't really feel that comfortable with it when the '00 record was released, either. A millionaire control freak backed that project financially, so I felt that I had to follow his lead. I follow no one's lead now."[10]
In the fall of 2015, former bassist Tim Stutz released music via Bandcamp, under the name Because of Robots (stylized as "because of robots").[26]
In 2016, Heiskell performed several Judybats songs at Waynestock, a benefit concert for Girls Rock Camp Knoxville.[27][28][29]
In 2019, Heiskell became a full-time real estate agent for Coldwell Banker Wallace & Wallace Realtors in Knoxville, Tennessee, while continuing to release original music under the name Heiskell.[30]
In 2023, former guitarist Reed Pendleton's new band the Velvet Air released the single "Save Us", via Bandcamp.[31]
Out Loud: For the Human Rights of Lesbians and Gays (1995) – "My Dead Friend"
Listen to What the Man Said: Popular Artists Pay Tribute to the Music of Paul McCartney (2001) – "Love in Song"
Kat Vox: Celebrating 20 Years of Timmi-Kat Records (2011) – "California"
Related Research Articles
Suzanne Nadine Vega is an American singer-songwriter of folk-inspired music. Vega's music career spans almost 40 years. In the mid-1980s and 1990s she released four singles that entered the Top 40 charts in the UK, "Marlene on the Wall", "Left of Center", "Luka" and "No Cheap Thrill".
"With a Little Help from My Friends" is a song recorded by English rock band the Beatles for their 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. It was written primarily by Paul McCartney with contributions from John Lennon, and is sung by drummer Ringo Starr, his lead vocal for the album. As the second track on the album, it segues from the applause on the title track.
"The Long and Winding Road" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1970 album Let It Be. It was written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. When issued as a single in May 1970, a month after the Beatles' break-up, it became the group's 20th and final number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States.
Phantom Planet is an American rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 1994. The band consists of Alex Greenwald, Darren Robinson, Sam Farrar and Jeff Conrad (drums). The band is best known for its track "California", which became the theme song for the TV series The O.C.. The band featured actor Jason Schwartzman on drums until 2003.
East 17 are an English pop boy band started by Tony Mortimer, Brian Harvey, John Hendy, and Terry Coldwell in 1991. As of 2020, the group consists of Coldwell, Robbie Craig and Joe Livermore. East 17 have undergone multiple lineup changes, with Coldwell remaining the only constant member.
"Come Together" is a song by the British rock band the Beatles, written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The song is the opening track on the band's 1969 album Abbey Road. It was also a double A-side single in the United Kingdom with "Something", reaching No. 4 in the UK charts.
The Avett Brothers are an American folk rock band from Concord, North Carolina. The band is made up of two brothers, Scott Avett and Seth Avett along with Bob Crawford and Joe Kwon. Mike Marsh (drums), Tania Elizabeth (fiddle) and Bonnie Avett-Rini (piano) are touring members of the band.
McCartney II is the second solo studio album by the English musician Paul McCartney, released on 16 May 1980. It was recorded by McCartney at his home studio in the summer of 1979, shortly before the dissolution of his band Wings in 1981. Like his debut solo studio album, McCartney (1970), he performed all the instruments himself. It yielded three singles: "Coming Up", "Waterfalls", and "Temporary Secretary".
Brian Frederick Hines, known professionally as Denny Laine, was an English musician who co-founded two major rock bands: the Moody Blues and Wings. Laine played guitar in the Moody Blues from 1964 to 1966 and sang their hit cover version of "Go Now". Laine befriended Paul McCartney of the Beatles, who later asked him to join his band Wings.
Crowded House is the debut album by New Zealand-Australian band Crowded House. Produced by Mitchell Froom, it was released in August 1986 and was certified platinum in four countries. The album includes the hit singles "Don't Dream It's Over", "Something So Strong", "Mean to Me", "World Where You Live" and "Now We're Getting Somewhere".
Native Son is the first studio album by the American band the Judybats, released in 1991 by Sire Records. The title track peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. The band supported the album by touring with John Wesley Harding.
Down in the Shacks Where the Satellite Dishes Grow is the second album by the American band the Judybats, released in 1992 by Sire Records. The single "Saturday" peaked at No. 21 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.
Pain Makes You Beautiful is the third album by the American band the Judybats, released in 1993 by Sire Records. The album contains the band's most successful single, "Being Simple", which peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. The band supported the album with a North American tour.
Full-Empty is the fourth album by American alternative rock band Judybats, released in 1994 by Sire Records. It was the band's final album for Sire and the last to feature all three original core members Jeff Heiskell, Johnny Sughrue and Ed Winters.
Sir James Paul McCartney is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and the piano, and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One of the most successful composers and performers of all time, McCartney is known for his melodic approach to bass-playing, versatile and wide tenor vocal range, and musical eclecticism, exploring genres ranging from pre-rock and roll pop to classical, ballads, and electronica. His songwriting partnership with Lennon is the most successful in modern music history.
Jason Lytle is an American musician best known for his work in the indie rock group Grandaddy. The group split in 2005, and Lytle continued to release music as a solo artist and in collaboration with other musicians. Grandaddy reformed in 2012 and stopped recording and touring again in 2017 following the death of long term member Kevin Garcia.
Glass Heart is Mel Parsons' fourth album, released on 30 November 2018 on Cape Road Recordings. The concept of the album name came from comparing ones heart to a fragile object that smashes if it is dropped.
Shakey Graves is an American musician and actor from Austin, Texas.
Give More Love is the nineteenth studio album by English musician Ringo Starr. It was recorded primarily in Starr's home studio in Los Angeles and was released on 15 September 2017 by UMe. The album features Starr's frequent collaborators such as Joe Walsh, Dave Stewart, Gary Nicholson and Bob Malone, members of his All-Starr Band, and guest appearances by Starr's former Beatles bandmate Paul McCartney.
"No Cheap Thrill" is a song by American singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega, which was released in 1996 as the second single from her fifth studio album, Nine Objects of Desire (1996). It was written by Vega and produced by Mitchell Froom. "No Cheap Thrill" reached number 40 in the UK Singles Chart in February 1997, giving Vega her fourth and final UK Top 40 hit.
↑ The Judybats (2000). Judybats '00 (Media notes). Self-released.
↑ Various artists (2001). Listen to What the Man Said (Popular Artists Pay Tribute to the Music of Paul McCartney) (Media notes). Oglio Records. OGL89125-2.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
