Featured Friday Speaker
Susanna Hoffs
Boasting one of pop's most beloved voices, Susanna Hoffs grew up in L.A. with an ever-present soundtrack of '60s music. She loved to sing and play guitar, going on to study the arts in college. Stirred by punk and new wave, Susanna started her first band with David Roback while at UC, Berkeley. Upon returning to L.A., she placed a want ad which led her to Vicki and Debbi Peterson. In December 1980, they met in the garage of Susanna's parents' home and a band was born. Blending ’60s garage rock, lush harmonies, and jangly guitars, the Bangles became a seminal band of the ’80s with a string of hits from three platinum-selling albums. Over the decades since, the Bangles continued to tour and release LPs.
In 1991, Susanna issued a pop-heavy solo album,
When You're a Boy. Five years later, her eponymous LP brought her closer to her musical roots than she'd been in a long time, which was met with critical praise. After working together in the Austin Powers films, Susanna and Matthew Sweet formed Sid 'n Susie, releasing three volumes of their acclaimed Under the Covers series. In 2011, she stole away to the studio for
Someday, a retro modern solo set that served as a stylish homage to the '60s pop that she grew up on. She followed that up in short order with two EPs.
More recently, Susanna has collaborated with the Zombies, Tom Petty, Chris Martin, Mike Campbell, Jack Antonoff, Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein, Aimee Mann, Andrew Bird, Jon Brion, Maya Rudolph, and others. Susanna is the author of the sexy new romance novel
This Bird Has Flown.