jale are an all-female quartet from Halifax, Nova Scotia.
jale met at the local art college, discovered they could all sing in key and harmonize, divvied up who would play what, and in April '92 jale (an acronym of their first names) was born. No one had any previous musical experience except Jennifer, who sang on Smeared, theDGC debut by fellow Halifaxers Sloan. jale were not one, however, to simply revel in their charming lack of proficiency like so many other bands who float by on their good looks. Theyquickly became known as The Hardest Working Band In Halifax, practicing sometimes seven nights a week and working days to pay off their equipment. The results are simply stunning, weaving strong vocal harmonies through a melodic wall o' guitar like no one's business.
After gaining recognition as part of the wildly hyped Halifax scene, jale released the 3-song Aunt Betty 7" on the local Cinnamon Toast label before signing to Seattle's Sub Pop. In early '93, jale appeared on Sub Pop's Never Mind The Molluscs EP, a compilation of bandsfrom Canada's Maritime provinces, including Sloan and Sub Pop signees Eric's Trip (from Moncton, New Brunswick). In between extensive touring all over Canada and the Eastern United States, they managed to squeeze out the "Promise"/"3 Days" single on Sub Pop last March.
jale's debut LP dream cake was recorded in Halifax and produced by the luminous Brad Wood, of Liz Phair, Red Red Meat, and Sunny Day Real Estate fame, among others.
jale are casual but not flip, warm but not soft. Their deep, droning, yet somehow invigorating harmony-pop rules our world.
