Jenny Lewis

For the Primeval character, see Jenny Lewis (Primeval).

Jenny Lewis
Lewis performing in 2008
Background information
Birth name	Jennifer Diane Lewis
Born	January 8, 1976 (1976-01-08) Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
Origin	San Fernando Valley, California, U.S.
Genres	Indie rock, alternative country, indie folk
Instruments	Vocals, Keyboards, Guitar, Bass, Harmonica
Years active	1985–present (acting) 1998–present (music)
Labels	Team Love, Warner Bros., Brute/Beaute, Saddle Creek, Barsuk
Associated acts	Rilo Kiley The Postal Service The Watson Twins Jenny and Johnny

Jennifer Diane Lewis (born January 8, 1976), is an American singer-songwriter musician and actress. She was the primary vocalist of the indie rock band Rilo Kiley, and has released two solo albums. She currently performs as part of the duo Jenny & Johnny with boyfriend Johnathan Rice. She was born in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Acting career

Lewis made her professional debut in a Jell-O commercial. She was featured in the short-lived 1986 Lucille Ball sitcom Life With Lucy, where she was cast as one of Lucy's grandchildren. She also had small roles on TV shows, such as The New Twilight Zone, Baywatch, Golden Girls, Growing Pains, Just the Ten of Us, Roseanne, Mr. Belvedere, and Brooklyn Bridge.

Lewis appeared in over a dozen teen-themed movies, such as Troop Beverly Hills, and in 1989 starred in The Wizard. She was featured in the 1996 made-for-TV movie Talk to Me with Yasmine Bleeth, as well as the films Foxfire, Big Girls Don't Cry... They Get Even, and Pleasantville. She played the part of Evangeline "Eva" Saint Claire in the 1987 film version of Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel Uncle Tom's Cabin. She played Beverly D'Angelo's daughter in the 1996 made-for-tv film, Sweet Temptation. She continued acting until 1998, although the last released film - Don's Plum, filmed 1995-6 - was not released until 2001.

Music

Rilo Kiley

In 1998, Lewis and friends Pierre De Reeder, Dave Rock and then-boyfriend Blake Sennett formed the band Rilo Kiley. (Rock was eventually replaced by Jason Boesel.) In an interview with NPR's All Songs Considered, Lewis remarked that she wanted to name the group Love's Way (after her parents' lounge act in Las Vegas), but Sennett "didn't go for it."

Beginning with a country sound, Rilo Kiley gravitated toward a downbeat indie rock sound, gaining the attention of Warner Bros., who signed the band for the release (via its own imprint, Brute/Beaute Records) of their 2004 album More Adventurous, which gained the band widespread success. Critics such as Pitchfork attributed this to the "wise" decision to emphasize Lewis's voice and presence more so than in previous albums. The song "Portions for Foxes" was a hit. The band opened for Coldplay on its U.S. tour in 2005. Rilo Kiley's 2007 album Under the Blacklight was released directly by Warner Bros.

It was announced on July 14, 2011 that Rilo Kiley had officially split up, with guitarist Blake Sennett attributing "deception, greed and betrayal" as the factors behind the end of the band, while others speculate the loss of Jason Boesel to Bright Eyes and Jenny Lewis' other projects meant the band just fell apart.

Solo career

Lewis in 2006

In 2004, Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes invited Lewis to record a solo record for record label Team Love. Described by Lewis as "a kind of soul record"^{[citation needed]}, Rabbit Fur Coat (released January 24, 2006) features contributions from Oberst, M. Ward, and Maroon 5 guitarist James Valentine. Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie guests on a cover of The Traveling Wilburys' "Handle With Care." The Watson Twins provide accompaniment on the album, billed as Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins. Lewis toured with the Watson Twins in support of the album three times in 2006 and appeared with her band on The Late Show With David Letterman, The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson, Late Night With Conan O'Brien and Later with Jools Holland. They also appeared on a Washington, D.C.-based children's music program called Pancake Mountain, performing the song "Fernando". The album received positive reviews, with Entertainment Weekly writing, "Consider Lewis the Emmylou Harris of the Silverlake set"^{[citation needed]} and Rolling Stone commenting that "her girlishly seductive vocals are more versatile than ever"^{[citation needed]}. The Onion AV Club, Spin^{[citation needed]}, and NPR music critic Meredith Ochs named it among the best albums of the year.

In 2008, Lewis released a second solo album, this time without the Watson Twins, titled Acid Tongue.

Jenny and Johnny

In 2010, Jenny Lewis released the song "Scissor Runner" with her boyfriend Johnathan Rice under the moniker Jenny and Johnny. The song was made available for free download from the duo's official website, and is taken from their first studio album I'm Having Fun Now.

Other musical projects

Lewis performing in 2007

In 2002, Lewis was asked to contribute vocals for The Postal Service. Lewis performed in the video for the hit "We Will Become Silhouettes", and toured with the band in 2003. Lewis contributed vocals to several tracks on the 2004 Cursive album The Ugly Organ.

In 2005, Lewis contributed to the UNICEF benefit song "Do They Know It's Hallowe'en?", along with Sennett and Jimmy Tamborello.

In 2006, Lewis made a cameo in Episode 25, Season 1 of Bob Dylan's Theme Time Radio Hour, and six of her songs (three with the Watson Twins and three with Rilo Kiley) were featured in various episodes of the show.

In 2007, Lewis contributed vocals to various songs on Johnathan Rice's album Further North, and she appeared in the music video for "We're All Stuck Out In The Desert (And We're Gonna Die)". She provided vocals for a track on Dntel's Dumb Luck LP.

In 2008, Lewis contributed backing vocals to several songs on the Elvis Costello and the Imposters album Momofuku.

In 2008, Lewis voiced the role of the Assistant Director for Walt Disney Pictures Bolt and provided the song "Barking at the Moon."

In March and April 2009, Lewis traveled to Australia for the first time, as an act for the V Festival, as well as a supporting act for Snow Patrol and performing one solo Sydney show.

On April 18, 2009, Lewis performed at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California.

On May 5, 2009, Lewis performed on The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson.

Lewis makes an appearance on the track "Hard Enough", taken from the 2010 album Flamingo by fellow Las Vegas resident Brandon Flowers.

Filmography

Year	Film	Role	Notes
1985	The Twilight Zone Segment "If She Dies" (1 Episode)	Sarah (ghost child)	TV
1986	Convicted	Shelley Forbes	TV
1986	Life with Lucy	Becky McGibbon	TV series
1987	Trading Hearts	Yvonne Rhonda Nottingham
1987	The Golden Girls	Daisy (A Girl Scout)	TV Series
1987	Uncle Tom's Cabin	Evangeline 'Little Eva' St. Claire	TV
1988	A Friendship in Vienna	Inge Dournenvald	TV
1988	Baby M	Tuesday	TV
1988	My Father, My Son	Maya	TV
1988	Who Gets the Friends?		TV
1989	Shannon's Deal	Neala Shannon	TV
1989	The Wizard	Haley	Film
1989	Troop Beverly Hills	Hannah Nefler	Film
1990	Perry Mason: The Case of the Defiant Daughter	Melanie Benson	TV
1991	Brooklyn Bridge	Katie Monahan	TV series
1991	Daddy	Melissa Watson	TV
1991	Line of Fire: The Morris Dees Story	Ellie	TV
1991	Runaway Father	Marcia	TV
1992	Big Girls Don't Cry... They Get Even	Corinne
1994	Runaway Daughters	Laura Cahn	TV
1996	Foxfire	Rita Faldes
1996	Sweet Temptation	Jade Larson	TV
1996	Talk to Me	Kelly Reilly	TV
1997	Little Boy Blue	Traci Connor
1998	Pleasantville	Christin
2001	Don's Plum	Sara	Filmed 1995–96
2008	Bolt	Assistant Director	Voice

Discography

Rilo Kiley

Main article: Rilo Kiley discography

• The Initial Friend (1999)
• Take-Offs and Landings (2001)
• The Execution of All Things (2002)
• More Adventurous (2004)
• Under the Blacklight (2007)

Solo

Main article: Jenny Lewis discography

• Rabbit Fur Coat (2006) (with The Watson Twins)
• Acid Tongue (2008)

Jenny & Johnny

• I'm Having Fun Now (2010)

Other appearances

• Bright Eyes - Lifted or The Story is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground (2002 · Saddle Creek)
• Cursive - The Ugly Organ (2003, Saddle Creek)
• The Postal Service - Give Up (2003, Sub Pop)
• The Good Life - Album of the Year (2004, Saddle Creek)
• The Watson Twins - Southern Manners (2006)
• Dntel - Dumb Luck (2007, Sub Pop)
• Whispertown 2000 - Livin' in a Dream (2007)
• Elvis Costello and the Imposters - Momofuku (2008, Lost Highway Records)
• Whispertown 2000 - Swim (2009)
• Brandon Flowers - Flamingo (2010, Island/Vertigo)

Videography

• Rilo Kiley - "The Frug" (1999)
• Rilo Kiley - "Wires and Waves" (2002, unreleased)
• Rilo Kiley - "Portions for Foxes" (2003)
• The Postal Service - "We Will Become Silhouettes" (2005, directed by Jared Hess)
• Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins - "Rise Up with Fists" (2006)
• Rilo Kiley - "The Moneymaker" (2007)
• Rilo Kiley - "Silver Lining" (2007)
• Jenny Lewis - "Blacksand" (2009)
• Jenny Lewis - "See Fernando" (2009)

External links

• Official website
• Jenny Lewis at the Internet Movie Database
• Jenny Lewis at TV.com
• Jenny Lewis at NPR Music
• Strangers Almanac Column on Glide Magazine
• October 2008 interview on Bob Edwards Weekend
• "The Magic of the Moment", April 2009 interview in Submerge Magazine