Biography
Luscious Jackson emerged as a signature act of the 1990s, a quartet that straddled the line between alternative rock and hip-hop. Pulling inspiration from the eclectic sounds of New York’s downtown artistic circles, the group assembled an original blend that mixed Spanish guitars, jazzy keyboards, funky rhythms, and airy singing. Sharing the same boundary-free outlook as longtime associates the Beastie Boys, Luscious Jackson drew material from any musical source without hesitation. Following the 1992 release of their EP In Search of Manny on the Beastie Boys’ Grand Royal imprint, the band signed with a major label and spent the remainder of the decade shifting their stylish, multicultural pop-funk toward a more commercial sound, which produced a Top 40 hit in 1996 with the energetic “Naked Eye.” Although the group disbanded after issuing Electric Honey in 1999, they reconvened in the early 2010s and issued two projects in 2013: Magic Hour and the children’s album Baby DJ.
The central lineup—Kate Schellenbach on drums, Jill Cunniff handling vocals and bass, and Gabby Glaser on vocals and guitar—first crossed paths as teenagers amid New York’s post-punk community in the early 1980s. Schellenbach had already served as drummer for the Beastie Boys during their initial hardcore phase; she connected with Cunniff after Cunniff profiled the Beasties in her fanzine The Decline of Art. The three soon began attending shows together that spanned hardcore, arty post-punk, reggae, and hip-hop. After high-school graduation the members pursued separate paths: Schellenbach remained in New York, drumming for Hippies with Guns while attending college, whereas Cunniff and Glaser enrolled at art school in San Francisco and performed in the punk outfit Jaws, with Cunniff still maintaining her fanzine.
Cunniff and Glaser returned to New York in 1991 and started composing original material. They soon enlisted Schellenbach along with Cunniff’s acquaintance Vivian Trimble, forming Luscious Jackson and taking the name from a 1960s forward for the Philadelphia 76ers. The following year the quartet issued their debut EP, In Search of Manny, on Grand Royal; Capitol/Grand Royal reissued it in 1993. The EP earned strong critical notices and quickly elevated the band’s profile within alternative-rock circles.
The first full-length album, Natural Ingredients, appeared in late summer 1994 and drew generally positive notices. “Citysong” reached modern-rock playlists that autumn. Prior to the album’s release, Luscious Jackson performed on the second stage of Lollapalooza throughout summer 1994 at the invitation of the Beastie Boys. After the record’s arrival the group toured extensively through 1995, including dates supporting R.E.M. on the Monster trek, and Natural Ingredients ultimately moved close to 200,000 copies.
In early 1996 Trimble and Cunniff issued a side project as Kostars while Luscious Jackson continued recording their follow-up with producer Daniel Lanois. The resulting Fever In Fever Out arrived late that year. Bolstered by the single “Naked Eye,” the album steadily broadened the band’s audience, even though it never achieved blockbuster status. Trimble departed in April 1998 to explore other ventures; she later released a solo album, collaborated with Jon Spencer Blues Explosion drummer Russell Simins, and formed Dusty Trails with Josephine Wiggs. Operating as a trio, Luscious Jackson delivered Electric Honey in 1999 and then dissolved the following spring.
Capitol assembled Greatest Hits in 2007, the same year Cunniff and Glaser each issued solo albums. The band announced a reunion in 2011, noting that founding member Trimble would not participate owing to health concerns. A previously unreleased track titled “Girlscout” was offered as a free download. The lead single “So Rock On” from the forthcoming fourth album Magic Hour surfaced in September 2013, with the full album following in November. Baby DJ, a collection of kid-oriented songs originally tracked in 2006 and later retrieved from a hard drive for light revision, appeared the same month. Over the ensuing decade the trio performed occasional New York shows while members pursued individual projects, among them Cunniff’s 2018 exhibition Lyric and Word Paintings.
The central lineup—Kate Schellenbach on drums, Jill Cunniff handling vocals and bass, and Gabby Glaser on vocals and guitar—first crossed paths as teenagers amid New York’s post-punk community in the early 1980s. Schellenbach had already served as drummer for the Beastie Boys during their initial hardcore phase; she connected with Cunniff after Cunniff profiled the Beasties in her fanzine The Decline of Art. The three soon began attending shows together that spanned hardcore, arty post-punk, reggae, and hip-hop. After high-school graduation the members pursued separate paths: Schellenbach remained in New York, drumming for Hippies with Guns while attending college, whereas Cunniff and Glaser enrolled at art school in San Francisco and performed in the punk outfit Jaws, with Cunniff still maintaining her fanzine.
Cunniff and Glaser returned to New York in 1991 and started composing original material. They soon enlisted Schellenbach along with Cunniff’s acquaintance Vivian Trimble, forming Luscious Jackson and taking the name from a 1960s forward for the Philadelphia 76ers. The following year the quartet issued their debut EP, In Search of Manny, on Grand Royal; Capitol/Grand Royal reissued it in 1993. The EP earned strong critical notices and quickly elevated the band’s profile within alternative-rock circles.
The first full-length album, Natural Ingredients, appeared in late summer 1994 and drew generally positive notices. “Citysong” reached modern-rock playlists that autumn. Prior to the album’s release, Luscious Jackson performed on the second stage of Lollapalooza throughout summer 1994 at the invitation of the Beastie Boys. After the record’s arrival the group toured extensively through 1995, including dates supporting R.E.M. on the Monster trek, and Natural Ingredients ultimately moved close to 200,000 copies.
In early 1996 Trimble and Cunniff issued a side project as Kostars while Luscious Jackson continued recording their follow-up with producer Daniel Lanois. The resulting Fever In Fever Out arrived late that year. Bolstered by the single “Naked Eye,” the album steadily broadened the band’s audience, even though it never achieved blockbuster status. Trimble departed in April 1998 to explore other ventures; she later released a solo album, collaborated with Jon Spencer Blues Explosion drummer Russell Simins, and formed Dusty Trails with Josephine Wiggs. Operating as a trio, Luscious Jackson delivered Electric Honey in 1999 and then dissolved the following spring.
Capitol assembled Greatest Hits in 2007, the same year Cunniff and Glaser each issued solo albums. The band announced a reunion in 2011, noting that founding member Trimble would not participate owing to health concerns. A previously unreleased track titled “Girlscout” was offered as a free download. The lead single “So Rock On” from the forthcoming fourth album Magic Hour surfaced in September 2013, with the full album following in November. Baby DJ, a collection of kid-oriented songs originally tracked in 2006 and later retrieved from a hard drive for light revision, appeared the same month. Over the ensuing decade the trio performed occasional New York shows while members pursued individual projects, among them Cunniff’s 2018 exhibition Lyric and Word Paintings.
Albums
Singles
