Fiji Mermaid
Bio
Click here to see Fiji Mermaid doings in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007.
Fiji Mermaid is a singer-songwriter
residing in the East Bay Area, CA who started
songwriting while living in San Francisco.
She is receiving positive feedback for
her performances at various venues.
Justine sang in choir and church choir
in high school and college, studied voice,
after college lost the vibrato and played keyboards
in a Nineties punk/psychedelic/noise band that gigged in SF.
(Nineties, Vale, not Eighties.... oh well...)
She discovered the benefits of singing and playing
at low volume when she moved into a quiet living space in SF,
left the band, and became a singer-songwriter person.
She taught herself to play guitar, and performed her songs
first at open mics. In 2005 she met guitarist Scott Jones.
They play Fiji's songs at various venues.
Instruments:
classical guitar and keyboards
Releases:
One 5 song EP, 2000-2001, "Fiji Mermaid";
One lp, released 2005, "Green Pond"
"Fiji Mermaid" songs have been put
on rotation at WNYU 89.1, KFJC 89.7, KUSF 90.3, and KCSB 91.9.
"Green Pond" was featured on WNYU for a week
The lp charted in top new releases at KALX, was played on KCRW.
Fiji was featured on "Finger on the Pulse" new music show in SF.
Influences: Lots of music(s).
Press Reviews:
"Hits just the right quiet note of a
chlorophyll-enriched, cricket-happy daydream" ("Green Pond")
- SF Bay Guardian
"This is pure balm for the soul.
Minimalistic and stripped down with a naked,
honest voice and some simple instrumentation;
just listen to the lovely instrumental, "I Had a Little
Piggie." Eleven dreamy escapes. That Justine has
grown and matured as an artist is quite obvious;
this is beautiful. The sadness that she had on
her "Fiji Mermaid" Ep some time back is still present,
but a kind of joyfulness is also present. The record has some
noisy parts that fit the rest of the material
very well, listen to "Forest Walk" and you will understand
what I mean... If you want something unique, honest
and very beautiful..." ("Green Pond") - Nephilius
"Justine Herbert, AKA Fiji Mermaid, has a soothing, angelic
voice, and when it's combined with her medieval-style
instrumentation, the result is truly lovely. Though some of
the lyrics are a bit twee, they stop short of seeming pretentiously
so, and actually fit well with the music that backs them. Herbert has
managed to create quite a pretty album."
("Green Pond") - Punk Planet
"Wow, is this ever different. I don't know what you'd call it genrewise.
maybe soundtrack music. Soundtrack to a dream, surely. To me it's
accompaniment. it is music that goes along with something, whether that is an activity,
a dream or just a session of deep thinking.
The songs are simple yet complex. Simple, because the melodies are semi-repetitious,
yet there are several layers. There are synthesizer/organ parts layered with echoey swooping
vocals. The production is high-class and quite lush. It sounds especially nice with headphones.
If you're looking for some good atmospheric dreamy background music this is a great bet."
("Green Pond") - Collected Sounds
Links
SF Bay Guardian blurb
SF Bay Guardian mention as part of "Future of Folk"
East Bay Express mention in a review of Vetiver
Some reviews of a song on garageband.com
Interview on KUSF 90.3
Scott Jones, Fiji Mermaid guitarist's music on MySpace
Fiji Mermaid is a singer-songwriter
residing in the East Bay Area, CA who started
songwriting while living in San Francisco.
She is receiving positive feedback for
her performances at various venues.
Justine sang in choir and church choir
in high school and college, studied voice,
after college lost the vibrato and played keyboards
in a Nineties punk/psychedelic/noise band that gigged in SF.
(Nineties, Vale, not Eighties.... oh well...)
She discovered the benefits of singing and playing
at low volume when she moved into a quiet living space in SF,
left the band, and became a singer-songwriter person.
She taught herself to play guitar, and performed her songs
first at open mics. In 2005 she met guitarist Scott Jones.
They play Fiji's songs at various venues.
Instruments:
classical guitar and keyboards
Releases:
One 5 song EP, 2000-2001, "Fiji Mermaid";
One lp, released 2005, "Green Pond"
"Fiji Mermaid" songs have been put
on rotation at WNYU 89.1, KFJC 89.7, KUSF 90.3, and KCSB 91.9.
"Green Pond" was featured on WNYU for a week
The lp charted in top new releases at KALX, was played on KCRW.
Fiji was featured on "Finger on the Pulse" new music show in SF.
Influences: Lots of music(s).
Press Reviews:
"Hits just the right quiet note of a
chlorophyll-enriched, cricket-happy daydream" ("Green Pond")
- SF Bay Guardian
"This is pure balm for the soul.
Minimalistic and stripped down with a naked,
honest voice and some simple instrumentation;
just listen to the lovely instrumental, "I Had a Little
Piggie." Eleven dreamy escapes. That Justine has
grown and matured as an artist is quite obvious;
this is beautiful. The sadness that she had on
her "Fiji Mermaid" Ep some time back is still present,
but a kind of joyfulness is also present. The record has some
noisy parts that fit the rest of the material
very well, listen to "Forest Walk" and you will understand
what I mean... If you want something unique, honest
and very beautiful..." ("Green Pond") - Nephilius
"Justine Herbert, AKA Fiji Mermaid, has a soothing, angelic
voice, and when it's combined with her medieval-style
instrumentation, the result is truly lovely. Though some of
the lyrics are a bit twee, they stop short of seeming pretentiously
so, and actually fit well with the music that backs them. Herbert has
managed to create quite a pretty album."
("Green Pond") - Punk Planet
"Wow, is this ever different. I don't know what you'd call it genrewise.
maybe soundtrack music. Soundtrack to a dream, surely. To me it's
accompaniment. it is music that goes along with something, whether that is an activity,
a dream or just a session of deep thinking.
The songs are simple yet complex. Simple, because the melodies are semi-repetitious,
yet there are several layers. There are synthesizer/organ parts layered with echoey swooping
vocals. The production is high-class and quite lush. It sounds especially nice with headphones.
If you're looking for some good atmospheric dreamy background music this is a great bet."
("Green Pond") - Collected Sounds
Links
SF Bay Guardian blurb
SF Bay Guardian mention as part of "Future of Folk"
East Bay Express mention in a review of Vetiver
Some reviews of a song on garageband.com
Interview on KUSF 90.3
Scott Jones, Fiji Mermaid guitarist's music on MySpace