Where Are They Now?

This week I'm taking a break from reviewing albums and presenting to you a special feature entitled Where Are They Now?

Have you ever wondered what happened to your favorite artists from way back when? You know, the artist that had that one big hit you remember hearing on the radio over and over, then you never heard from them again? Well I'm going to give you the scoop of what happened to your favorite musical artists of yesterday and what they are up to right now! I've picked four artists from the 1990's who have dropped off the musical radar completely, some are still involved in music while others have gone off to do other projects! And now, here we go!

Who: Semisonic
Best known for: Closing Time

Semisonic formed in Minneapolis, MN in 1995. They released their full length debut Great Divide in 1996 to very little fanfare. Their mainstream breakthrough didn't come until 2 years later in 1998 when they released their sophomore effort, Feeling Strangely Fine. The album produced the monster hit, "Closing Time", which had a 5 week reign at #1 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart in the summer of 1998. They released their next album All About Chemistry in 2001 which produced the hit single, "Chemistry", but was only successful overseas. The album was met with very little enthusiasm upon its release in the U.S.

Where Are They Now?

After their last album, the band went on an indefinite hiatus. Lead singer Dan Wilson has said in interviews of making more music with Semisonic in the future, but he said that his busy day to day life keeps putting that on the back burner for now.

Who: Gin Blossoms
Best Known For: Hey Jealousy

Gin Blossoms formed in Tempe, AZ in 1987. Their name was taken from a photo of W.C. Fields which bore the caption, "W.C. Fields with gin blossoms" referring to what appeared to be the actor's nose that was affected by gin, but was actually a skin condition known as rosacea, where the name Gin Blossoms originated from. Gin Blossoms released their debut album, New Miserable Experience in 1992. The album produced the hit, "Hey Jealousy" which peaked at #25 on the Billboard Hot 100. Tragedy struck the band a year later when lead guitarist/songwriter Doug Hopkins committed suicide. A song that was written by him, "Found Out About You" also peaked at #25 on the Billboard Hot 100 and went to #1 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. They released their next album, Congratulations, I'm Sorry in 1996 which produced the Top 10 hit, "Follow You Down". In the spring of 1997, the band decided to part ways.

Where Are They Now?

After their breakup, each band member decided to do other musical side projects to keep themselves occupied for the time being. The band reformed in 2002, performing a couple of one-off shows around the U.S. The band released their next album, Major Lodge Victory in 2006, their first album in 10 years. The album debuted at #159 on the Billboard 200 album chart and the band continues to tour various locations across the country today.

Who: Fiona Apple
Best Known For: Criminal

Fiona Apple burst onto the music scene in 1996 with her debut album, Tidal. The album produced the hit single, "Criminal" which peaked at #21 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #4 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. The album eventually went triple platinum subsequently after that. The video for the song featured a scantily clad Fiona cavorting with strangers, which generated a great deal of controversy with its provocative sexually charged imagery. Fiona again attracted controversy at the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards when Fiona went on a tangent after accepting the Best New Artist trophy, telling the audience about "how you shouldn't model your life on what we think is cool, what we're wearing, and what we're saying." The irony here is that her video for "Criminal" reinforced the same celebrity fixation with both weight and appearance that Fiona herself had publicly condemned.

Fiona released her next album, When The Pawn... in 1999 which produced the minor hit, "Fast As You Can" and pushed the album to platinum sales status. Her next album, Extraordinary Machine commenced production in 2002 and continued on for about a year. Tracks from that album were later leaked onto the Internet, and the album was repeatedly delayed due to the record label feeling dissatisfied with the finished product. A fan led campaign called Free Fiona was started in support of the album's release. The album was eventually released in October 2005, debuting at #7 on the Billboard 200 album charts and eventually went gold. However, none of the singles managed to appear on any of the Billboard charts.

Where Is She Now?

After her tour in support of Extraordinary Machine wrapped in 2006, Fiona has made a collaboration with comedian Zach Galifanakis on a comedy track entitled "Come Over and Get It" and has made occasional concert appearances. No word yet as to whether she plans to record another album.

Who: Eve 6
Best Known For: Inside Out

Eve 6 formed in 1995 in La Crescenta, California. The band's name is inspired by the TV show The X-Files from a character named Eve #6. The band released their self titled debut in 1998, producing the monster smash, "Inside Out" which spent 4 weeks at #1 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. The album was propelled to platinum sales status shortly after that. The band released their follow up Horrorscope

Where Are They Now?

The members of the band moved on to other, short-lived side projects. Two-thirds of the band reunited in 2008 with a brand new guitarist, playing at a college show in Virginia. The band is planning to release a new album sometime in the near future, but a release date has not been confirmed as of yet.

So, there you have it folks! An update of some artists whose time in the spotlight has long since faded and have moved on to greener pastures. I'll be back next week with my regular album review and if you have any suggestions on what that album should be, leave a comment here on the blog or reach me on Facebook or Twitter and drop me a line!