April March is actually one Elinore Blake (b. April 20,
1965), and, contrary to all appearances, she is not a French pixie but a
Californian one. The first album she bought was England's Newest Hitmakers by
the Rolling Stones, but you wouldn't know that from listening to the music of
April March, which hearkens back to the pre-rock days of European pop and French
ye-ye music, and has little to do with aggressive textures or rhythms. Through
the '90s, Blake has recorded often under the April March guise, usually gaining
release abroad or on small indie labels in America. Blake's interest in France
goes back to nursery school, where she began learning French from a puppet named
Monsieur Hibou, an interest she was able to fulfill in 1979 when she was chosen
in a city exchange program for French students to go to Junior High in France
for six weeks. She graduated from Phillip Academy Andover in 1983, after which
she moved back to New York City to become a cartoon animator, where she interned
and was then hired by Archie Comics. She moved on to the animation department on
Pee Wee's Playhouse in 1984, and even animated Madonna for the "Who's That Girl"
video and movie titles in 1986. In early 1987, Blake formed her first band, a
female trio, the Pussywillows. Blake went to Cal Arts for the one-year Disney
Character Animation program in September of that year, and when she returned,
the Pussywillows recorded and released their only album, Spring Fever, in
October 1988. The album unabashedly hearkened back to the pop and surf music of
the early '60s. They eventually even got the opportunity to perform with Ronnie
Spector at Madison Square Garden toward the end of 1990 (Blake has subsequently
recorded with Jonathon Richman and Brian Wilson, as well). In early 1991, the
Pussywillows split, with Blake quickly assembling a new band, the Shitbirds. At
the end of 1991, Blake was hired as an animator and writer for The Ren & Stimpy
Show, for which she moved to Los Angeles and began recording under the name
April March. The first April March release, the CD/7" "Voo Doo Doll," came out
on Kokopop in 1992. The first Shitbird 7" followed on Popllama in 1993. In
January 1994, April March's Gainsbourgsion! CD was released in France on
Eurovision. Blake began her association with the record label Sympathy for the
Record Industry in 1995. In August of that year, the label released April
March's CD/7" "Chick Habit" as well as the first Shitbird album, Famous
Recording Artists, after which the band dissolved. Paris in April followed in
1996, as did the formation of a new band, the Haves. Superbanyair was released
on Nippon Columbia in Japan in February 1997, and April March Sings Along With
the Makers came out on Sympathy in March of that year. May 1998 saw the release
of April March and Los Cincos on Sympathy. Chrominance Decoder was released in
1999 on the Dust Brothers' Ideal Records with additional remixes by the brothers
themselves, giving Blake her first significant record label push in America. She
lives in California where, in addition to recording as April March, Blake writes
songs for film and television, and paints. ~ Stanton Swihart, All Music Guide
Contact Grabow for more information or to book April March
for your next corporate or private event.
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