Semisonic
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Semisonic
A basement concert on July 26, 2006
Background information
Origin	Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Genre(s)	Alternative rock Pop rock
Years active	1995–2001 (Currently On Hiatus)
Label(s)	MCA
Website	http://www.semisonic.com/
Members
Dan Wilson John Munson Jacob Slichter

Semisonic is an alternative rock band formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1995 (see 1995 in music). The band consists of three members: Dan Wilson (lead vocals, guitar), John Munson (bass guitar, backing vocals, keyboard), and Jacob Slichter (drums, percussion, keyboard). They wrote their hit Closing Time in the 1990s.

History

After the breakup of Trip Shakespeare, Dan Wilson and John Munson joined up with drummer Jacob Slichter to form Semisonic in 1995. An EP, Pleasure, was released that year on Boston indie label CherryDisc, and the studio full-length Great Divide in 1996 on MCA.

Semisonic's breakthrough came two years later in 1998 when their second album, Feeling Strangely Fine, reached the Top 50 chart on the strength of the hit single "Closing Time", their biggest hit in the United States.

Their international career also blossomed when another song from the album, "Secret Smile", quickly became a UK radio favorite in the summer of 1999, eventually peaking at #13 on the official UK Singles Chart.

In early 2001, the band released its third album, All About Chemistry. The single "Chemistry" was a mainstay overseas; however, the album didn't fare as well in the United States. Another song, "Over My Head", was used in the 2001 teen flick Summer Catch, and Semisonic rode the wave of various tours in and around the UK. In the fall of 2001, Semisonic contributed their cover of the Wings classic, "Jet", for the Paul McCartney tribute CD, Listen to What the Man Said.

Later years

Although not officially broken up, Semisonic has been on a partial hiatus since 2001, as band members pursued other projects, such as Slichter's writing career and Wilson's solo recordings. Semisonic also performed at First Avenue on December 12 and 13, 2003, and for the Minneapolis Aquatennial on July 14, 2006. They performed on September 20, 2008, at the River Rocks Festival in Saint Paul, Minnesota.¹

Discography

Studio albums

• 1995: Pleasure EP (EP)
• 1996: Great Divide
• 1998: Feeling Strangely Fine
• 2001: All About Chemistry

Live albums

• 2003: One Night at First Avenue

Singles

Soundtracks & Compilations

• Semisonic performed "Sugar, Sugar" with Mary Lou Lord on the 1995 tribute album Saturday Morning.
• The song "F.N.T." was used in the 1996 movie The Long Kiss Goodnight. "F.N.T." was also used in the 1999 movie 10 Things I Hate about You.
• In 1998, Semisonic's hit song "Closing Time" was featured on the charitable album Live In The X Lounge.
• In 1998, "Closing Time" was heard right before the credits in the final episode of Melrose Place.
• "Never You Mind" appeared on the Never Been Kissed - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack in 1999.
• "Delicious" appeared on Friends Again - Original TV Soundtrack in 1999.
• "Delicious" was used in the end of the Friends' Episode "The One with Joey's Fridge"
• Dan Wilson with Bic Runga contributed "Good Morning Baby" to the American Pie soundtrack in 1999.
• They contributed a previously unreleased song, "For The Love Of The Game," to the 1999 Kevin Costner movie For Love Of The Game.
• "Over My Head" was used in the 2001 movie Summer Catch.
• "Chemistry" appeared on the 40 Days and 40 Nights soundtrack in 2002.
• "Closing Time" intro is briefly heard in the Friends episode "The One with Rachel's Date"
• "Secret Smile" appeared on Dawson's Creek episode "Full Moon Rising"
• "Secret Smile" again appeared on Charmed episode "Dead Man Dating"
• "Secret Smile" was used in a commercial for the Sony Cyber-shot range of digital cameras in 2007.
• Elements from "Secret Smile" were used as elements for High School Musical's Breaking Free .
• "Made to Last" was used in a commercial for Volkswagen.
• "Closing Time" was used in an Episode of The Simpsons entitled That 90's Show
• "Closing Time" was used in the Warren Miller film "Freeriders" in 1999.

Other projects by members

Dan Wilson took time out to do some solo projects and play tour dates around the Midwest in December. Munson joined up with Wilson's brother and former Trip Shakespeare frontman Matt Wilson to form a side project, The Flops, in 2001, though they were expected to make a final performance in early 2005.

In 2004, Jacob Slichter's book So You Wanna Be a Rock & Roll Star (ISBN 0-7679-1470-8) was published, detailing some of the experiences the group had while touring and attempting to get airplay on radio stations across the US.

In late spring of 2005, John Munson began playing in a new trio, "The New Standards" featuring Chan Poling (of The Suburbs) and Steve Roehm.

On October 16, 2007 Rick Rubin's label American Recordings released Dan Wilson's solo album, Free Life, featuring collaborations with numerous artists including John Munson and Jacob Slichter. The song "Cry" was the album's single.

Notes and references

External links

• Official website
• NPR: Drummer's Book Takes Shine off Rock-Star Life – interview with Jacob Slichter about his book on the music industry
• City Pages: Radio Killed the Rock & Roll Stars – book excerpt
• Semisonic's Dan Wilson on creativity and the creative process, an interview with about-creativity.com November 1, 2007