Los Angeles, CA · pop-rock · jangle pop

Susanna Hoffs

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The Bangles' voice on her own — 'Eternal Flame' and jangle-pop grace, with a songbook that spans eras.

Born in Los Angeles in 1959, Susanna Hoffs formed the Bangles with Debbi and Vicki Peterson in 1981. Their debut, All Over the Place, was well reviewed but sold poorly in 1984; their second, Different Light, went triple platinum and carried 'Manic Monday', written for them by Prince, and the number-one 'Walk Like an Egyptian'.

Hoffs sang lead on five of the band's seven singles, making her the group's public face even as all four members shared vocal duties. Their third album, Everything, included 'In Your Room' and 'Eternal Flame', both co-written by Hoffs and both major hits, before internal tensions over her prominence helped drive the band apart in 1989. They reformed in 1999 and released two further albums, Doll Revolution and Sweetheart of the Sun.

Her solo career began with When You're a Boy in 1991 and continued with a self-titled album in 1996, neither matching the Bangles' commercial reach despite charting singles. She also formed the tongue-in-cheek 1960s pastiche band Ming Tea with Mike Myers and Matthew Sweet, a partnership that fed into her ongoing Under the Covers series with Sweet, which has run through Someday, Bright Lights and The Deep End.

In 2023 Hoffs published her first novel, This Bird Has Flown, a romantic comedy about a struggling musician; it was well received and Universal Pictures bought the film rights.

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pop-rockjangle pop