Sweet Soubrette

Songs about books, bad women, and the mysteries of existence, by singer/songwriter Ellia Bisker "Elegant existentialist chamber pop...lush, poignant, unselfconsciously brilliant songs." - NY Music Daily

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I made a little music video for “Typhoid Mary,” hope you enjoy! Thanks so much to artist Lee Harper for allowing me to incorporate her "Typhoid Mary" stop-motion animation (check out her original diorama here). Thanks to all of you who have downloaded "Typhoid Mary" from Bandcamp, and extra thanks to my Patreon patrons!

I just published a patrons-only post about how this thing got made, which you can read here if you're already a patron (or you can sign up if you'd like to become one): patreon.com/elliabisker

Download "Typhoid Mary" on Bandcamp

Add her to all your quarantine dance party playlists on Spotify

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Announcing the release of a new social distancing-inspired ballad recorded in Brooklyn during NYC's coronavirus pandemic lockdown: “Together Someday.” 

Get it on bandcamp: https://sweetsoubrette.bandcamp.com/track/together-someday

If you’re one of my Patreon patrons, you’ll get this one on me. Sign up here (for as little as $1/month): patreon.com/elliabisker

Thanks to Phil Andrews for playing on this track.

Cover art: hand stitching on Japanese indigo sakura print

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Announcing a new single to dance to while you're in lockdown: "Typhoid Mary," a rock song inspired by the coronavirus pandemic, the black plague, and the history of Mary Mallon (1869–1938) aka Typhoid Mary, an asymptomatic carrier of typhoid fever who infected dozens of people with the lethal disease until her eventual quarantine.

Get it on bandcamp: https://sweetsoubrette.bandcamp.com/track/typhoid-mary

If you're one of my Patreon patrons, you'll get this one on me. Sign up here (for as little as $1/month): patreon.com/elliabisker

Thanks to Phil Andrews for playing on and recording this track, Logan Riley for the cover artwork, and Jeff Morris for the fancy lettering.

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I just released a new song I'd love for you all to hear: "When You Get to Camp," a tribute to summer camp, inspired by a 1920 handbook written for Girl Scout Camp directors. "A poignant ode to putting up tents & other camp joys featuring uke, violin and audience singalongs." - Ayun Halliday, Theater of the Apes

The song is available on Bandcamp as a pay-what-you-wish download, or you can get it by subscribing to my Patreon crowdfunding page for as little as $1 a month (I release one thing a month there, supported by patron pledges). Check out all the patron perks here: http://patreon.com/elliabisker

Vocals/ukulele: Ellia Bisker Violin/backing vocals: Heather Cole Written & composed by Ellia Bisker Recorded live (mostly) and mixed by Ellia Bisker in Brooklyn, NY photo by Jenny Rebecca Nelson

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Presenting a David Lynchian track from Sweet Soubrette, inspired by the famous director's book Catching the Big Fish, in which the Twin Peaks creator muses on transcendental meditation, intuition, filmmaking, and the creative process.

“You develop these little codes with certain actors or actresses. For me, for example, ‘more wind’ means ‘more mystery.’” – David Lynch

[sweetsoubrette]

Presenting a David Lynchian track from Sweet Soubrette, inspired by the famous director's book Catching the Big Fish, in which the Twin Peaks creator muses on transcendental meditation, intuition, filmmaking, and the creative process.

“You develop these little codes with certain actors or actresses. For me, for example, ‘more wind’ means ‘more mystery.’” – David Lynch

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The NEW SINGLE is out today! Presenting a David Lynchian track from Sweet Soubrette, inspired by the famous director's book Catching the Big Fish, in which the Twin Peaks creator muses on transcendental meditation, intuition, filmmaking, and the creative process.

“You develop these little codes with certain actors or actresses. For me, for example, ‘more wind’ means ‘more mystery.’” – David Lynch

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“Devil’s Moon” was inspired by Margaret Atwood's novel The Blind Assassin. This track appears on Sweet Soubrette's album Big Celebrity.  Lyrics:

light the candle, fill the cup, look out at the moon time is running out and there is nothing left to lose but just for now I know this much is true a smoke-filled room, a devil's moon and you love sneaks up before you know, there's nothing you can do you're swept away regardless once it gets its hands on you and once upon a time it was still new but time stands still for no one even you if I knew I’d tell you where it hurts every day it’s the end of the world thicker than clear water, can you feel its steady rise you’ll drown in it once it reaches the level of your eyes and if we knew the future we’d be doomed but there’s no future left for me and you if I knew I’d tell you where it hurts every day it’s the end of the world and when the world ends tell me where do we go carnivorous angels above or the oven below now that you’ve mastered the art of killing me slow love me forever or go on and cut my throat burn the candle, drain the cup, howl at the moon time is running out and there is nothing left to lose but just for now I know this much is true a smoke-filled room, a devil's moon and you a smoke-filled room, a devil's moon and you a smoke-filled room, a devil's moon and you a smoke-filled room, a devil's moon and you Credits: Ellia Bisker: vocals/ukulele/piano Written and composed by Ellia Bisker Engineered & mixed by Don Godwin at Airshow (Takoma Park, MD) and Phantom Center (Brooklyn, NY) Produced by Ellia Bisker Mastered by Stefan Heger at FisheyeMusicMastering (Columbia, SC)

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“Swan Song” was awarded third prize in the 2017 song contest created for the 10th anniversary of SWAN (Support Women Artists Now) Day! Swan Day, an annual event celebrating women’s creativity, was created by the organization WomenArts, which works for empowerment, opportunity, and visibility for women artists.

Download this track (free/pay what you wish): http://sweetsoubrette.bandcamp.com/track/swan-song

Support my music on Patreon: http://patreon.com/elliabisker

Learn more about Swan Day and WomenArts: http://womenarts.org/swan

Lyrics:

Make a chain across the land Reach out and we join our hands Many hands make easy work Together we can change the world Together we can change the world Together we can change the world

The world is wide but we are strong United as we sing this song A song we sing to celebrate The art of women who create The art of women who create The art of women who create

See a vision, dream an image Stretch our wings to fly When we join our voices We are swans up in the sky

With open eyes and open hearts We honor women and our art Art and strength and self-respect Celebrate create connect Celebrate create connect Celebrate create connect

See a vision, dream an image Stretch our wings to fly When we join our voices We are swans up in the sky

Celebrate create connect Celebrate create connect Celebrate create connect Celebrate create connect

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Announcing a new 2-track release, pay what you wish! Thanks to my Patreon patrons for making this possible. RIYL: songs about other people's wives.

Listen/download

Read the back story

Support my music on Patreon (for as little as $1 per release)

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BIG CELEBRITY, track #5: “Oahu” This song was inspired by @npr​ contributor Sarah Vowell's book Unfamiliar Fishes, which explores the history of Hawai'i, its colonization by the United States, and the story of its last monarch, Queen Lili’uokalani, whose reign was overthrown by the U.S. government. For over a year Lili’uokalani was held under house arrest in her own palace, where she composed music including the song "The Queen's Prayer." (She was also the composer of the iconic Hawai'ian anthem "Aloha Oe.”) 

Official music video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jKTdw5Ex70

Get the album: http://sweetsoubrette.bandcamp.com/album/big-celebrity

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Announcing the OFFICIAL RELEASE of Sweet Soubrette’s fourth album, BIG CELEBRITY!

BIG CELEBRITY includes songs about: lost youth, the meaning of fame, bad communication, existential mysteries, our impending mortality, irrevocable decisions you may regret, the way we never seem to learn from our life experiences, the question of whether to have children, the colonization of Hawaii by the United States, and other lighthearted pop fare, served up in a lush bed of strings, horns, bass and drums, harmonies, and ukulele.

Check it out and get your copy on bandcamp, iTunes, Amazon, or anywhere music is sold.

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Announcing the release of "Night Owls," a dreamy love letter to staying up late, shot in New Orleans on a long hot night. This track appears on the new album BIG CELEBRITY, releasing Nov 22.

PREORDER the new album on bandcamp and get this track plus four more right away:>> http://sweetsoubrette.com/bigcelebrity

[alittlemorevodka]

If you are a Vodka frequenter, you will recognize the face and voice of Ellia Bisker, as the female portion of the Charming Disaster duo. Here, with her original band, Sweet Soubrette, Ellia’s mournful vocals define Wake Up When from the group’s new long-player, Big Celebrity, due out at the end of November.

Check out the group’s original release post for this video from their web site:

“Sweet Soubrette’s “Wake Up When” is a song about looking for wisdom, learning lessons, forgetting everything, and starting over. Find it on Sweet Soubrette’s new album BIG CELEBRITY (releasing Nov 22, 2016!).

The video features footage from the Flying Machine Factory, a theatrical circus & music show produced by Una Mimnagh of Circus Una in March 2016 at The Muse (Brooklyn, NY).

Featured performers: Ellia Bisker, Mike Brown, Heather Cole, Rica de Ocampo, Benjamin Ickies, Adam Kuchler, Una Mimnagh, Elizabeth Munn, Darrell Smith

Track credits: Ellia Bisker: vox + ukulele Heather Cole: violin Lyndol Descant: backing vox + piano Bob Smith: bass written + composed by Ellia Bisker recorded, mixed, and mastered by Casey Holford at Golden Rule Studio

Video directed by Ray Foley”

 You can find more information on the band from their own web site here. You can pick up a wealth other long-players, EP’s and singles from the groups bandcamp.com page.  Check out Sweet Soubrette now!

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Thank you @alittlemorevodka for sharing this post!

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Sweet Soubrette's "Wake Up When" is a song about looking for wisdom, learning lessons, forgetting everything, and starting over. Find it on Sweet Soubrette's new album BIG CELEBRITY (releasing Nov 22, 2016!).

The video features footage from the Flying Machine Factory, a theatrical circus & music show produced by Una Mimnagh of Circus Una in March 2016 at The Muse (Brooklyn, NY).

Featured performers: Ellia Bisker, Mike Brown, Heather Cole, Rica de Ocampo, Benjamin Ickies, Adam Kuchler, Una Mimnagh, Elizabeth Munn, Darrell Smith

Track credits: Ellia Bisker: vox + ukulele Heather Cole: violin Lyndol Descant: backing vox + piano Bob Smith: bass written + composed by Ellia Bisker recorded, mixed, and mastered by Casey Holford at Golden Rule Studio

Video directed by Ray Foley

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The CDs have arrived. The official album release isn’t till Nov 22, but you can get an early copy at our big release show on Nov 20. Stay tuned for singles & videos from BIG CELEBRITY and pre-order info, coming soon...

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THIS is MAGIC. Check out the incredible drag performance piece that SF drag queen Chenille Stems created to Sweet Soubrette’s song "Live Wire" -- what an honor to have inspired such creativity and passion! The stunning performance and costume design are amazing (watch all the way to the end, it will give you goosebumps).