Juliet Simms

Simms performing with Automatic Loveletter in 2008

Simms was the frontwoman and songwriter for the band Automatic Loveletter from 2007–2011, releasing four EPs and two full-length albums before their disbandment in late 2011. Automatic Loveletter released its debut album, Truth or Dare, on June 22, 2010,[1] followed by the album The Kids Will Take Their Monsters On through an independent record label, Paper & Plastick, in 2011.[1]

Automatic Loveletter was formed with Simms on guitar and lead vocals, Daniel Currier on drums, and brother Tommy Simms playing bass and producing, with bassist Sean Noll sitting in on occasion in Tommy's home studio in the Tampa Bay area. The band was first called Stars and Scars and recorded its first song together in December 2005, naming the song after the band but written by Simms. They also recorded "Tin Lizzy", written by Tommy.

Simms acoustically laid down all of the songs she had been writing over the last three years for consideration for her first major label album. Signed by Allison Hagendorf, host of Fuse TV's The Pop TV Show, then working at Epic Records, Simms went on to form Automatic Loveletter while Epic struggled with the Sony BMG 2005 Payola Scandal and internal problems finally dropping over 70 bands in 2007. Automatic Loveletter was not dropped but was also not supported for the next year and a half touring in the drummer's Ford Excursion and burning their own copies of their Epic-produced CD with hand painted slip covers to help fund their tours.

Automatic Loveletter recorded their never-released debut EP in 2007 with producer Matt Squire (Panic! at the Disco, Boys Like Girls, All Time Low, Cute is What We Aim For, The Cab, and The Maine). "He challenged me and I challenged him," Simms said. "I felt very comfortable and that's when the best of me comes out. The entire time was playful and fun and that's what music is about to me — having a good time." Simms took her songbook to Squire and narrowed down the tunes and crafted them to fit together, sometimes taking songs in entirely new directions. "The Answer", for instance, was originally a ballad, but became one of the more upbeat numbers on the album. Daniel Currier and lead guitarist Joe Nelson played on the album, Sean Noll officially joining just before some of their first tours together and Tommy occasionally touring with the band to play lead or rhythm guitar in larger venues and outdoor concerts. The band played both the main Bamboozle and Bamboozle Left in 2008.[2]

The tracks "The Answer", "Parker", "August 28Th 3:30 A.M.", "Hush" and "Make-up Smeared Eyes (Acoustic)" were released on their first official release Recover.

But after the tour, when Epic was scheduled to release the album Automatic Loveletter, they were told to continue touring and asked by then President Charlie Walk to write more upbeat music. Instead, Simms submitted a fan favorite "Black Ink Revenge" which was rejected several times for re-write until it became "My Goodbye" one of the tracks off the upcoming Sony release. "I had been signed to Epic for going on three years, toured in cars with my completely broke band and was feeling like I disappointed my fans who had been promised music for over a year so I sat in my room for four days re-writing and re-submitting that song like 5xs. I like "My Goodbye" a LOT but it was the result of a lot of pressure and the desire to get an album released." "My Goodbye", "The Day that Saved Us", and "Hush (New Version)" were quickly released as another self-titled EP just before the final chapter with Epic Records when they fired all the members except Currier before the first headlining tour. Epic held auditions for new members, hired Jacob Fatoroochi, James Bowen, and Wayne Miller then halfway through the tour, called Simms and told her that all of the pay for the band she was on tour with was being withdrawn and the band was dropped. Despite this devastating setback, the new hired guys pulled together and stayed on to complete the tour, and A.LL. went on to sell out venues like the Knitting Factory in LA and San Francisco. "It was very liberating. After crying my eyes out for a couple hours, I had some of my best shows ever on that tour." Almost immediately, the band was picked up by Sony and Simms asked to write for a new album produced by Josh Abraham.

Simms performing during her solo summer tour with Warped Tour 2011

In 2011, Simms released an entirely acoustic album through Paper + Plastick Records called "The Kids Will Take Their Monsters On". After the summer of 2011 and working the circuit entirely solo for the first time, Simms transitioned her branding after The Voice, and has since produced her content as a solo artist releasing 2 EPs titled 'All Or Nothing' in 2015 and 'From The Grave' in 2016, as well as several singles. As of 2019, she is working on her 1st studio album as a solo artist.

Simms was a contestant on the 2012 season of television show The Voice. She sang the Beatles' "Oh! Darling" for her blind audition, and chose to be a member of Team Cee Lo.[3] Simms advanced to the live rounds after defeating Sarah Golden in a duet. In her first live show, she performed "Roxanne" by The Police. During the quarter-finals, Simms covered "Cryin'" by Aerosmith. She was the only female contestant to advance onto the finals, edging out Jamar Rogers, after covering "It's A Man's Man's Man's World". Simms' cover of "It's A Man's Man's Man's World" reached #70 and also attained positions in three other charts on Billboard.[4]

For the finale, Simms sang Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird" and placed second behind Jermaine Paul.[5]

Juliet Simms' "The Voice Performances" singles released by Universal Republic Records. Made available on iTunes and CD

Shortly after finishing The Voice, Simms was signed by CeeLo Green, her coach on the show. Her debut single "Wild Child" was released on December 11, 2012,[6] followed by a music video in April 2013, for which Green is an executive producer. An album was scheduled for release in 2013,[7] but ultimately was not released after she left. Simms completed a US tour with Secondhand Serenade and Veronica Ballestrini during March and April 2013.[8]

On January 27, 2015, Simms released her "All or Nothing" EP. The recording and development of the album was primarily funded by PledgeMusic,[9] A music video for the EP's fourth track, "End of the World", was released that May.[10] Simms heavily promoted the EP during Warped Tour of that year.[11]

Her second EP, From the Grave, was released July 15, 2016.[12]

Most recently Simms was featured on the seventh installment in the Fearless Records compilation series Punk Goes Pop. She and her husband, Andy Biersack, performed a duet cover of Adele's hit song When We Were Young on July 14, 2017. A music video was also released for the cover upon release of Punk Goes Pop Vol. 7. On April 27, 2018, she released her new single Take Me, which was written about the emotional hardships of two touring musicians in a committed relationship. The music video was released on May 9, 2018.

On June 21, 2019, Simms released her first single, ‘Bad Love’, through her new label Sumerian Records.

Controversies

On October 31, 2016, Simms was detained by the FBI off of an airplane for hitting her husband, Andy Biersack while under the influence.