Jill Sobule rose to widespread popularity in 1995 with her song “I Kissed a Girl,” supplemented by her contribution to the “Clueless” soundtrack, “Supermodel.”

Unfortunately, the mainstream media hasn’t heard much from her since then. However, now she is back in the spotlight because of her most recent album, “California Years.”

Accepting donations

It’s not the music on her new album that’s receiving all of the attention, although Public Radio International says her latest release “has a full quota of her witty pop songs.”

Jill Sobule’s album has garnered international attention because of the way she paid for it. No, she didn’t use military payday loans in the U.K. She paid to record, market and distribute “California Years” with donations from her fans.

Jill Sobule explains it all

An article from Public Radio International says when Jill Sobule got fed  up with working with a record company, she came up with a way to produce an album without one. Jill Sobule explains her strategy:

“It’s not a huge, huge fan base, but it’s a mighty fan base.  They are very loyal, and I think part of it is because I always write back.”

She sent an email to her fans and asked, “What do you guys think about becoming my record company?”

There was some strategy involved from the start.  “First, I had to think about how I would do it because I didn’t want to say, ‘Just give me money,’ it had to be in return for something, sort of gifts and services.”

Telethon not included

Jill Sobule describes her strategy as “very public radio.” In exchange for donations, she offered her fans items including mentioning them in the CD liner notes, showing up at their houses to play them songs and writing theme songs for individuals who donated $1,000.

“The best one was — this was a total joke; I didn’t think it would happen — ‘weapons-grade plutonium, where you get to sing on my record.  A woman came in from the U.K.  She did a bang-up job, I must say.”

Bringing in the big bucks

In all, Jill Sobule raised $75,000 in fan donations. She says she spent about half on recording the album and hiring a producer and half on marketing, publicity and distribution — things a record company usually funds.

Getting out from under a record label means Jill Sobule won’t have to split her profits, follow restrictions or demands set by the label or go through a label when planning her tour. Jill Sobule was happy with her newfound freedom, but says getting away from a record company didn’t fully eliminate stress:

Even though she wasn’t “working for the man” in recording this album, Sobule says that there was a different kind of pressure.  “For the most part, it was better.  The scary part was you better make sure that the people who donated, liked it.  It was way more intimidating than ‘working for the man.’”