Jill Sobule "Kissed a Girl" First

More than a decade before Katy Perry "Kissed a Girl," Jill Sobule made waves with her song of the same name. Now she's back with a new studio album paid for by her fans.

By Bryan Buss

Jill Sobule was the original proclaimer of sapphic love with her hit "I Kissed a Girl" in 1995 -- and, of course, when Katy Perry made it an anthem for lip-locking ladies last year, the media created a pseudo rivalry.

For her latest CD, Sobule created a website, JillsNextRecord.com , and fans donated money to finance what became The California Years . Sobule was so grateful for the help, she thanked some of her fans with prizes -- one woman who donated $5,000 even got to sing on "Mexican Pharmacy," a tune on the album, a romantic, silly, pointed, earnest collection of pop tunes.

Here Sobule talks to Advocate.com about being bicoastal, the highlight of her life, and how Perry's "I Kissed a Girl" affected her life.

Advocate.com:So you've made the transition to the West Coast. How are you liking California?
Jill Sobule: I'm a hobo. And I just, you know, like to say I'm bicoastal just because I mooch off my friends and stay with them in New York. I love that I have both. I was going to say it's horrible, I need New York to bring out the stimulation and write and I need to chill out in L.A., but I have to say the last record really was stimulated by the landscape and the people in California. Thus, The California Years . I was joking with my friend, saying the next record is gonna be Back to Brooklyn .

Your fans donated $75,000 to help you produce your CD. You must have some pretty great fans!
Yeah, you know, they are. And I appreciate them and I connect with them and I make sure that they're appreciated and that there's communication because now I feel like, without a reliable middleman -- as in a music label -- you've got to really rely on the people who want to hear your stuff. And hopefully, it grows, your fan base, but it's that base core. I love how the Republicans talk about how you gotta appeal to your "base core." I'm obsessed with the new faces of the Republican Party, like Glenn Beck and Miss California. But that's a whole other story! I think I've got really smart, nerdy fans, that they have a wide variety of lifestyles.

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