JD Samson (born August 4, 1978), stage name of Jocelyn Samson is an American musician, producer, songwriter and DJ best known as a member of the bands

Le Tigre Le Tigre (, ; French for "The Tiger") is an American electronic rock band formed by Kathleen Hanna (of Bikini Kill), Johanna Fateman and Sadie Benning in 1998 in New York City. Benning left in 2000 and was replaced by JD Samson for the rest ...

and

MEN A man is an adult male human. Prior to adulthood, a male human is referred to as a boy (a male child or adolescent). Like most other male mammals, a man's genome usually inherits an X chromosome from the mother and a Y chro ...

Background

Samson grew up in

Pepper Pike Pepper Pike is a city in eastern Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. The population was 6,796 as of the 2020 census. It is an affluent suburb of the Cleveland metropolitan area. History In 1763, sixteen pioneers settled the area along the ea ...

, Ohio, and attended Orange High School. Samson came out as a lesbian at age 15 and is well known for her support of both

LGBT ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term ...

and

feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...

causes. In high school, Samson played field hockey and was involved in her school's gay-straight alliance. Samson graduated from

Sarah Lawrence College Sarah Lawrence College is a private liberal arts college in Yonkers, New York. The college models its approach to education after the Oxford/Cambridge system of one-on-one student-faculty tutorials. Sarah Lawrence scholarship, particularly ...

in 2000, with a degree in film. While at school, Samson held jobs as a manager of a coffee shop, a campus tour guide, and as a research assistant for her queer-theory professor. Additionally, she co-produced and directed the Sarah Lawrence College Film and Video Festival while at school.

Career

Le Tigre

Samson joined Le Tigre in 2000 when co-founder

Sadie Benning Sadie T. Benning (born April 11, 1973) is an American artist, who has worked primarily in video, painting, drawing, sculpture, photography and sound. Benning creates experimental films and explores a variety of themes including surveillance, ge ...

left the band before the album ''

Feminist Sweepstakes ''Feminist Sweepstakes'' is the second studio album by American dance-punk band Le Tigre. It was released on October 16, 2001 by record label Mr. Lady. ''Feminist Sweepstakes'' is Le Tigre's first album to feature JD Samson as a member of the ba ...

'' was recorded. Samson had previously worked as the band's projectionist and slide-show operator during live performances in support of their first record, ''

''. The self-proclaimed "underground electro-feminist performance artists" combined visuals, music and dance in their performances. Samson's contributions to Le Tigre include the song "Viz", which deals with her experiences as a member of a sexual minority, and "New Kicks," which contains excerpts of a protest that Samson recorded. ''Feminist Sweepstakes'' came out in 2001 and was released on Mr. Lady Records & Videos in North America and on Chicks On Speed Records in Europe. Le Tigre's final album, '' This Island'' (2004), was Le Tigre's first on a major label (Universal Records).

Ric Ocasek Richard Theodore Otcasek (March 23, 1944 – September 15, 2019), known as Ric Ocasek, was an American singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. He was the primary co-lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, songwriter, and frontman for the rock ...

of the Cars produced one track, "Tell You Now". Samson and her Le Tigre bandmates

Kathleen Hanna Kathleen Hanna (born November 12, 1968) is an American singer, musician, artist, feminist activist, pioneer of the feminist punk riot grrrl movement, and punk zine writer. In the early-to-mid-1990s she was the lead singer of feminist punk band B ...

and

Johanna Fateman Johanna Rachel Fateman (born May 16, 1974) is an American writer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. She is a member of the post-punk rock band Le Tigre and founded the band MEN with Le Tigre bandmate JD Samson. Early life and educati ...

also produced the

Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera (; ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. Known for her four-octave vocal range and ability to sustain high notes, she has been referred to as the " Voice of ...

song "My Girls ft. Peaches", for Aguilera's album ''

Bionic Bionics or biologically inspired engineering is the application of biological methods and systems found in nature to the study and design of engineering systems and modern technology. The word ''bionic'', coined by Jack E. Steele in August ...

''. In the second half of 2006, the band decided to take an extended break. In 2016, Le Tigre reunited to show support for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, releasing their first song in a decade entitled "I'm With Her".

JD Samson and MEN

In 2007, Samson and Fateman formed a new project,

, as a DJ, production, and remix team. After initial songwriting and outside remix work, Fateman took time off to have a child, and Samson recruited the members of her side band Hirsute, including

Ladybug Transistor The Ladybug Transistor is a Brooklyn-based indie pop group associated with The Elephant Six Collective. History Started in 1995 by Gary Olson, Edward Powers and Javier Villegas, The Ladybug Transistor released '' Marlborough Farms'' the s ...

's Michael O'Neill and Ginger Brooks Takahashi, to perform live as MEN. Samson has said that their music speaks of "issues such as wartime economies, sexual compromise, and the demand for liberties through lyrical content and an inventive, high-energy stage show". In 2009 MEN self-released an EP called MEN that sold out following US tours with

Peaches The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and cultivated in Zhejiang province of Eastern China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and others (the glossy-skinned, non-fu ...

and

Gossip Gossip is idle talk or rumour, especially about the personal or private affairs of others; the act is also known as dishing or tattling. Gossip is a topic of research in evolutionary psychology, which has found gossip to be an important means ...

. MEN also toured in the UK and Europe during this time. Their debut album '' Talk About Body'' was released on February 1, 2011 via Iamsound in the US and through Sony/Columbia in Europe. The album included singles for the songs "Who Am I To Feel So Free", "

Off Our Backs ''Off Our Backs'' (stylized in all lowercase; ''oob'') was an American radical feminist periodical that ran from 1970 to 2008. It began publishing on February 27, 1970, with a twelve-page tabloid first issue. From 2002 the editors adapted it i ...

", and "Credit Card Babies". In the spring of 2012 MEN changed their name to JD Samson & MEN and released an EP Next in April followed in September by the song "Let Me Out Or Let Me In" in support of the Russian feminist punk-rock collective

Pussy Riot Pussy Riot is a Russian feminist protest and performance art group based in Moscow that became popular for its provocative punk rock music which later turned into a more accessible style. Founded in August 2011, it has had a membership of appr ...

. JD Samson & MEN's second full-length album was titled ''

Labor Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the la ...

''.

Other bands

Samson also has performed as a member of the band The New England Roses and as keyboard player of electro-punk artist

' live band, The Herms, with Radio Sloan and Samantha Maloney. Samson collaborates with Nick van Hofwegen of Young N' Sick on their electro disco project, SHARER. In 2020 Samson released a minimal live to tape record with

Roddy Bottum Roswell Christopher Bottum (born July 1, 1963) is an American musician, best known as the keyboardist for the San Francisco alternative metal band Faith No More. He is also guitarist and co-lead vocalist for the pop group Imperial Teen, best kno ...

and Michael O'Neill under the name, CRICKETS.

Songwriting

Samson has a songwriting and publishing deal through Universal Music Publishing Group. They have written songs for

("My Girls ft. Peaches"),

Junior Senior Junior Senior were a Danish pop duo. The duo consisted of Jesper "Junior" Mortensen (vocals, guitar, keyboards, bass guitar, drums, percussion) (born 7 February 1977) and Jeppe "Senior" Laursen (vocals, programming) (born 25 December 1975). ...

("Can I Get Get Get"),

Cobra Starship Cobra Starship was an American dance-pop band founded in 2005 by Gabe Saporta (ex- Midtown), and headquartered in New York City. He recorded the first album as a solo project, '' While the City Sleeps, We Rule the Streets''. Saporta later enlist ...

("Shwick"),

French Horn Rebellion French Horn Rebellion is a Brooklyn electronic dance band formed in 2007 by Wisconsin-bred brothers Robert Perlick-Molinari and David Perlick Molinari. Robert Perlick-Molinari is a classically trained French horn player, who decided to start playin ...

("Girls ft. JD Samson and Fat Tony"), The Aikiu, Bitch and Ferron, Pelifics ("Spray Painted Knuckles"), among others.

Performance art

Samson is a co-founder of the performance art group "Dykes Can Dance". In 2003, she released 'JD's Lesbian Calendar', a collaboration with photographer

Cass Bird Cass Bird (born 1974) is an artist, photographer, and director who lives and works in New York City. Exhibitions Bird has exhibited widely within the United States and abroad, in exhibitions including ''Global Feminisms'' at The Brooklyn Museum ...

, which was followed up in 2006 with 'JD's Lesbian Utopia', a calendar documenting Samson's travels around the U.S. in an RV. Since then, JD has worked closely with choreographers Vanessa Anspaugh,

Katy Pyle Katy Pyle is an American ballet dancer and choreographer. They are the founder and artistic director of Ballez. Early life and education Pyle began studying ballet at the age of 3 and danced with the Texas Youth Ballet. When they were 13 years ...

, Julie Cunningham. Samson collaborated with filmmaker,

Sam Green Sam Green is an American documentary filmmaker. His most recent projects are “live documentaries” in which he narrates a film in-person while musicians perform a live soundtrack. His 2018 project ''A Thousand Thoughts'' features a live score ...

on a project for the 2019 Whitney Biennal and is currently working on another project with him.

Film/TV

Samson appeared in

John Cameron Mitchell John Cameron Mitchell (born April 21, 1963) is a two-time Tony Award winning American actor, playwright, screenwriter, singer, songwriter, producer and director. He is best known as the writer, director and star of the 2001 film '' Hedwig and th ...

's 2006 film ''

Shortbus ''Shortbus'' is a 2006 American erotic comedy-drama film written and directed by John Cameron Mitchell. The plot revolves around a sexually diverse ensemble of colorful characters trying desperately to connect in an early 2000s New York City. T ...

'' as "Jid", a patron of the Shortbus club. In 2010, Samson served as a judge at the 9th annual Independent Music Awards. In 2016, Samson appeared in the

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...

series

The Mr. Peabody and Sherman Show ''The Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show'' is an American animated streaming television series produced by DreamWorks Animation and Bullwinkle Studios. The series is based on "Peabody's Improbable History", the 1960s segments that aired as part of ''The ...

as a musical guest. Samson hosted several

Broadly Vice Media Group LLC is an American-Canadian digital media and broadcasting company. , the Vice Media Group included five main business areas: VICE.com (digital content); VICE STUDIOS (film and TV production) VICE TV (also known as VICELAND); V ...

interviews such as Last Lesbian Bar about the disappearing lesbian bar, and interviews with

Margaret Cho Margaret Moran Cho (born December 5, 1968) is an American comedian, actress, LGBT social activist, and musician. She is known for her stand-up routines, through which she critiques social and political problems, especially regarding race and se ...

, and

Kate Nash Kate Marie Nash (born 6 July 1987) is an English singer-songwriter and actress. Nash launched her music career in 2005. Her 2007 single " Foundations" became a hit and brought her to public attention in the UK. Her debut album, '' Made of Bricks ...

. In 2017, Samson plays a small role as a New York artist in

Odd Mom Out ''Odd Mom Out'' is an American sitcom that was created by and starring Jill Kargman. A 10-episode first season was ordered by the American cable television network Bravo. The series focuses on Jill Kargman playing a fictionalized version of h ...

. In 2019, Samson makes a brief appearance as a

Postmates Postmates is a food delivery service, founded in 2011, and acquired by Uber in 2020. It offers local delivery of restaurant-prepared meals and other goods. It is headquartered in San Francisco, California. , Postmates operates in 2,940 U.S. ...

employee delivering food in the

series ''Russian Doll''.

Writing

Samson wrote a widely quoted piece on the economics of being an artist for

The Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...

in 2011. Titled "I Love My Job But It Made Me Poorer," the article examines the financial realities of a long-term career in music. In 2013, she began writing for ''

Talkhouse Talkhouse is a digital media outlet and online magazine created in 2013 by Ian Wheeler and Tim Putnam. Musicians, actors, and filmmakers share their experiences in their respective fields in personal essays, discuss their peers’ work in editor ...

.'' Samson has also written for Tom Tom Magazine and Creative Time Reports.

Teaching

Starting in 2016, Samson started teaching at NYU's

Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music The New York University Tisch School of the Arts (commonly referred to as Tisch) is the performing, cinematic and media arts school of New York University. Founded on August 17, 1965, Tisch is a training ground for artists, scholars of the ...

, where she is currently an assistant arts professor. Additionally, Samson has lectured at the We Make Waves Festival,

Bard College Bard College is a private liberal arts college in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. The campus overlooks the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains, and is within the Hudson River Historic District—a National Historic Landmark. Founded in 1860, ...

, TED X (CLE), and the Artists with a Conscience Conference at

Amherst College Amherst College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts. Founded in 1821 as an attempt to relocate Williams College by its then-president Zephaniah Swift Moore, Amherst is the third oldest institution of higher educati ...

Personal life

Samson calls herself a "lesbian," "gender-nonconforming," and "non-binary" non-exclusively. Her friends refer to her using feminine singular pronouns.

References

External links

* of JD Samson * for Le Tigre World. *
PUNKCAST#1132
includes short video clip of DJ JD Samson @ Studio B, Brooklyn, April 5, 2007. ( RealPlayer, mp4)
JD Samson and Emily Roysden interview each other ANP Quarterly Vol.1 #5

JD Samson and Michael O'Neill interviewed about MEN on Buzzine October 28, 2011

Interview with JD by iO Tillet Wright in T Magazine April 11, 2012
{{DEFAULTSORT:Samson, JD 1978 births American punk rock musicians Sarah Lawrence College alumni LGBT feminists LGBT songwriters Living people Musicians from Cleveland Third-wave feminism American feminists Queercore musicians Feminist musicians Guitarists from Ohio LGBT people from Ohio Le Tigre members 21st-century American guitarists American lesbian musicians 20th-century LGBT people 21st-century LGBT people Non-binary musicians