In 1994, Jen Trynin was poised to become the Next Big Thing. She had it all--catchy songs, cool image, a kick-ass band. And after a Destroy All Monsters-style bidding war, she had a major label and manager behind her with all their star-making machinery cranked into high gear.
But something happened on the way to the top of the charts. As Trynin sums it up: "How do you go from having everything to having nothing?"
Nearly ten years after her exit from the music business, this Boston-based artist has returned to tell her tale in all its gory detail. Everything I'm Cracked Up To Be: A Rock & Roll Fairy Tale [Harcourt] is a must-read that perfectly captures the conundrums and clichés of the music business.
The story, though a familiar one, is told with keen insight and humor. After the usual dive bar apprenticeship and self-released record, Trynin suddenly finds herself the alt-rock It Girl. Everybody wants her. The book's sharp prose tosses you right in the shark tank of the label bidding war. It makes you squirm in the face of weirdo fans and clueless radio DJ's. It illuminates how fame warps your identity ("The extra-strength, super-deluxe me," Trynin calls it). It breaks your heart as her career starts to dissolve into disappointment and disillusion. And ultimately, it gives you hope that there is life beyond the biz.
We caught up with Jen Trynin for a chat upon her return from a national book tour.
