Biography
Uffie stands apart as one of the few figures from the mid-2000s music-blog era whose output continued to resonate broadly in later years. Her vocals—delivered in a youthful, anti-flow style—paired with explicit lyrics and minimal production on tracks such as the 2006 breakout “Pop the Glock,” summoned the spirit of classic electro and early-2000s rap while foreshadowing the pop-rap fusion that would dominate mainstream airwaves. Through her early singles and the 2010 album Sex Dreams and Denim Jeans she helped shape the sonic identity of the trailblazing French dance imprint Ed Banger and the broader bloghouse scene, yet the relentless tempo of her schedule prompted an extended break that spanned most of the 2010s. In her absence, performers ranging from Kesha and Charli XCX to SOPHIE and Doja Cat developed strands of her approach. Upon resurfacing with concise releases such as the introspective, bedroom-pop-leaning Tokyo Love Hotel in 2019 and the 2022 full-length Sunshine Factory, which incorporated punk, ska, and indie textures, she retained her currency.
Anna-Catherine Hartley was born in Miami, Florida, to a Japanese mother and an English father; as a child she relocated often, spending time in Hong Kong and Fort Lauderdale among other locales. At fifteen she settled in Paris with her father and enrolled in fashion studies at the International School. Her entry into the local dance-music community followed a relationship with DJ Feadz, whom she had hired for a party. He encouraged her to lend vocals to his EP Forward 4, and beginning in 2005 the two began circulating their joint material online.
Her debut single, “Pop the Glock/Ready to Uff,” received a limited pressing on Arcade Mode the next year before Ed Banger issued it more widely; Feadz handled the A-side while Mr. Oizo produced the B-side, and Uffie later appeared on his “Half an Edit.” The tracks “Hot Chick” and “In Charge” circulated on blogs ahead of their official 2006 release, amplifying interest in both her sound and persona. The year 2007 proved active: alongside the 12-inch “F1rst Love/Brand New Car,” she contributed “Dismissed” to Ed Banger’s Ed Rec, Vol. 2 compilation and guested on Justice’s “Tthhee Ppaarrttyy” from the album Cross. In 2008 Crystal Castles used her characteristically flat delivery on the unofficial cut “Make It Hott,” while she issued further material including “Robot Oeuf” for Ed Rec, Vol. 3 and the Mr. Oizo collaboration “Steroids.” She wed graffiti artist André Saraiva in August 2008, separated from him twelve months later, and gave birth to their daughter Henrietta in October 2009. Around the same period “Pop the Glock” was reissued to build anticipation for her first album.
After pausing to care for her infant and refine the recordings, Uffie delivered Sex Dreams and Denim Jeans in June 2010. Boasting input from Mr. Oizo, Mirwais, Pharrell Williams, and the Rapture’s Mattie Safer, the set reached charts in France, Belgium, and the United States, while the singles “F1rst Love,” “Pop the Glock,” “MCs Can Kiss,” and “ADD SUV” registered on rankings in Belgium, France, Japan, and the United Kingdom. The Difficult EP followed that October. In 2011 she covered Tom Tom Club’s “Wordy Rappinghood,” appeared on J-pop artist Jin Akanishi’s 2012 single “That’s What She Said,” and subsequently withdrew from activity. Following her mother’s passing and the arrival of her second child, she formally retired the Uffie moniker in 2013. Hartley spent ensuing years in Joshua Tree, California, raising her children and pursuing biochemistry studies at a local college. By early 2016 her second marriage had concluded, prompting a return to the studio alongside Mat Bastard of Skip the Use, Walking Shapes guitarist Nathaniel Hoho, Kevin Snevely, and Ammar Malik. She played a few live shows in 2017 and featured on “Babygirl” from Charli XCX’s mixtape Number 1 Angel, her first official release in six years. The single “Drugs” appeared in May 2018; that same month the Galantis collaboration “Spaceship” reached number 36 on Billboard’s Dance/Electronic chart. Additional singles “Your Hood” and “Papercuts” surfaced later that year. In 2019 she remained active, releasing tracks such as “Sadmoney” and “No Take Me Backs” plus the EP Tokyo Love Hotel, which revealed a more reflective, subdued dimension. She also co-wrote P!nk’s Khalid-assisted “Hurts 2B Human,” the title track of the album of the same name. The documentary Fuck Fame, documenting her hiatus years, premiered at the FIPA film festival.
After the May 2020 single “FroYo for Your Tears,” Uffie commenced work on her sophomore album. Teaming with Norwegian producer Lokoy and Toro Y Moi’s Chaz Bear across sites including Lisbon and Oakland, California, she drew on her experience writing for other artists and a recent breakup to create May 2022’s Sunshine Factory—an escapist collection colored by indie pop, ska, and punk and issued on Bear’s Company Records.
Anna-Catherine Hartley was born in Miami, Florida, to a Japanese mother and an English father; as a child she relocated often, spending time in Hong Kong and Fort Lauderdale among other locales. At fifteen she settled in Paris with her father and enrolled in fashion studies at the International School. Her entry into the local dance-music community followed a relationship with DJ Feadz, whom she had hired for a party. He encouraged her to lend vocals to his EP Forward 4, and beginning in 2005 the two began circulating their joint material online.
Her debut single, “Pop the Glock/Ready to Uff,” received a limited pressing on Arcade Mode the next year before Ed Banger issued it more widely; Feadz handled the A-side while Mr. Oizo produced the B-side, and Uffie later appeared on his “Half an Edit.” The tracks “Hot Chick” and “In Charge” circulated on blogs ahead of their official 2006 release, amplifying interest in both her sound and persona. The year 2007 proved active: alongside the 12-inch “F1rst Love/Brand New Car,” she contributed “Dismissed” to Ed Banger’s Ed Rec, Vol. 2 compilation and guested on Justice’s “Tthhee Ppaarrttyy” from the album Cross. In 2008 Crystal Castles used her characteristically flat delivery on the unofficial cut “Make It Hott,” while she issued further material including “Robot Oeuf” for Ed Rec, Vol. 3 and the Mr. Oizo collaboration “Steroids.” She wed graffiti artist André Saraiva in August 2008, separated from him twelve months later, and gave birth to their daughter Henrietta in October 2009. Around the same period “Pop the Glock” was reissued to build anticipation for her first album.
After pausing to care for her infant and refine the recordings, Uffie delivered Sex Dreams and Denim Jeans in June 2010. Boasting input from Mr. Oizo, Mirwais, Pharrell Williams, and the Rapture’s Mattie Safer, the set reached charts in France, Belgium, and the United States, while the singles “F1rst Love,” “Pop the Glock,” “MCs Can Kiss,” and “ADD SUV” registered on rankings in Belgium, France, Japan, and the United Kingdom. The Difficult EP followed that October. In 2011 she covered Tom Tom Club’s “Wordy Rappinghood,” appeared on J-pop artist Jin Akanishi’s 2012 single “That’s What She Said,” and subsequently withdrew from activity. Following her mother’s passing and the arrival of her second child, she formally retired the Uffie moniker in 2013. Hartley spent ensuing years in Joshua Tree, California, raising her children and pursuing biochemistry studies at a local college. By early 2016 her second marriage had concluded, prompting a return to the studio alongside Mat Bastard of Skip the Use, Walking Shapes guitarist Nathaniel Hoho, Kevin Snevely, and Ammar Malik. She played a few live shows in 2017 and featured on “Babygirl” from Charli XCX’s mixtape Number 1 Angel, her first official release in six years. The single “Drugs” appeared in May 2018; that same month the Galantis collaboration “Spaceship” reached number 36 on Billboard’s Dance/Electronic chart. Additional singles “Your Hood” and “Papercuts” surfaced later that year. In 2019 she remained active, releasing tracks such as “Sadmoney” and “No Take Me Backs” plus the EP Tokyo Love Hotel, which revealed a more reflective, subdued dimension. She also co-wrote P!nk’s Khalid-assisted “Hurts 2B Human,” the title track of the album of the same name. The documentary Fuck Fame, documenting her hiatus years, premiered at the FIPA film festival.
After the May 2020 single “FroYo for Your Tears,” Uffie commenced work on her sophomore album. Teaming with Norwegian producer Lokoy and Toro Y Moi’s Chaz Bear across sites including Lisbon and Oakland, California, she drew on her experience writing for other artists and a recent breakup to create May 2022’s Sunshine Factory—an escapist collection colored by indie pop, ska, and punk and issued on Bear’s Company Records.
Albums
Singles
