UNITED KINGDOM: AMERICAN ROCK BAND SEMISONIC LAUNCH THEIR FIRST INTERNATIONAL HIT "SECRET SMILE"

Record ID: 388527

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM: AMERICAN ROCK BAND SEMISONIC LAUNCH THEIR FIRST INTERNATIONAL HIT "SECRET SMILE"
  • Date: 3rd July 1999
  • Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (JUNE 24, 1999) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) SINGER DAN WILSON SAYING: " I think the reason that 'Feeling Strangely Fine' sounds rougher and less polished than 'Great Divide' is that 'Great Divide' was extremely planned out - we made demo tapes, we knew exactly how everything was going to sound before we went into the studio, so I think
  • Embargoed: 18th July 1999 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVACM3E7F0R04UOR0KQ8PLBOSPBU
  • Story Text: American band Semisonic are hugely successful in their native country.They have a Grammy nomination under their belt and a string of supporting tours for such acts as Soul Asylum, Matchbox 20 and Sheryl Crow.But elsewhere they are experiencing their first taste of success with their hit 'Secret Smile' - a song that is likely to put them firmly in the spotlight, and launch their international careers.
    A year ago, not many people had heard of American rock band Semisonic.The three-piece from Mineapolis had been around since 1992, but had only ever achieved fame and success in the States.But what a difference twelve months can make! The band are currently riding high in charts around the world with their radio-friendly song.'Secret Smile' - an instantly catchy, lyrically rich rock ballad, with a video that highlights the hysterical and claustrophobic world of being hunted by the media.Singer Dan Wilson wanted the video to feature a couple filming themselves and then being filmed filming themselves and so on.Wilson explained that it was "...an interesting theme to pick up, so I think it became like more of a frantic chase than I expected but it's reminiscent of a lot of days that we have where there are cameras everywhere all the time and we have to pretend that they don't exist."
    Semisonic have spent a majority of their career touring - either headlining at small venues or supporting major acts.
    They are hugely complimentary about fellow American singer Sheryl Crow, who they supported this year.Bassist John Munson said that "seeing the musicianship of Sheryl and getting the opportunity to play with her on this last tour that we did in May made me want to have more chances to work with her and also with musicians of that quality - she's such a great singer."
    Named after a throwaway comment by one of their friends, who complained to them about the huge amount of "semisonic crap" on the radio, their debut single 'Closing Time' received a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Song.The band declared that the best thing about the nomination was that it proved to their families that they had been doing more than "sleeping in late and doing nothing all day for the past five years".
    The boys are now looking forward to starting work on their third album - happy in the knowledge that their music is at last reaching a wider audience.
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