The Bangles’ Susanna Hoffs preps new covers LP & debut novel, going on book tour
The Bangles' Susanna Hoffs has announced The Deep End, a covers LP coming on April 7 via Baroque Folk. The album was made in collaboration with producer Peter Asher. This follows her 2021 covers album, Bright Lights. The first taste of The Deep End comes from album opener "Under My Thumb," a disco and '80s-pop-infused rendition of the Rolling Stones classic. Susanna shares:
I love the Rolling Stones! I’ve listened to that song on repeat since it came out in the mid-’60s. I had an epiphany when I really thought about what the song is about, and it ignited this idea to do my own spin on it—to change the gender and see how it felt. What if the roles are/were reversed and the boy is under her thumb? It was exhilarating to give it a new spin, to flip it on its head, or on its ass. It’s a sassy, irreverent song, so it was extremely pleasurable to turn the tables.
"Under My Thumb" features Waddy Wachtel on guitar, Ledisi on backing vocals, Leland Sklar on bass, Russ Kunkel on drums, Jeff Alan Ross on vibes, and a string arrangement by Steve Aho. The song also comes with a remix by producer Oak Felder. Listen to both versions below.
The Deep End also features her take on songs by Joy Oladokun, Ed Sheehan, Squeeze, Dodie, Billie Eilish, Leslie Gore, Yazoo, and more. It's named after Holly Humberstone's "Deep End," which she also covers. "When Peter shared this song with me, I was utterly entranced," Susanna says. "It was so moving, so beautiful, so rich and deep with emotion and so vivid in the imagery as well. It’s such a special song that we ended up naming the album after it." Check out the artwork and tracklist for The Deep End below.
Susanna Hoffs will also release her debut novel This Bird Has Flown on April 4, the same week as The Deep End drops, via Little, Brown (pre-order). It has already been acquired by Universal Pictures for a feature adaptation. She describes the book as “the redemption of a one-hit-wonder. It’s a story of sex, love, and rock and roll.” Check out the cover below.
Supporting This Bird Has Flown, Susanna will be on a book tour throughout April. It kicks off in NYC on April 3 at The Strand. All dates below.
The Deep End Tracklisting
Under My Thumb (The Rolling Stones)
Deep End (Holly Humberstone)
If You’ve Got a Problem (Joy Oladokun)
Afterglow (Ed Sheeran)
Time Moves On (Phantom Planet)
Say You Don’t Mind (Denny Laine)
Black Coffee in Bed (Squeeze)
West Coast (Jason Schwartzman)
Would You Be So Kind (Dodie)
When the Party’s Over (written by Finneas O’Connell for Billie Eilish)
Pawn Shop (Brandy Clark)
You Don’t Own Me (Lesley Gore)
Only You (Yazoo)
Susanna Hoffs -- 2023 Book Tour
April 3 New York, NY Strand Book Store
April 6 San Francisco, CA Book Passage
April 7 San Diego, CA Warwick’s
April 10 Los Angeles, CA Live Talks LA
April 13 Chicago, IL Chicago Humanities Festival
April 22-23 Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles Times Book Festival