Susanna Hoffs of ‘The Bangles’ Went Through ‘Identity Crisis’ After Having Children

Susanna Hoffs, singer in the ‘80s pop-rock band The Bangles, faced some major life changes in the ‘90s when she had two children with filmmaker Jay Roach.
“I was a mom and married to a filmmaker and living this so-called grownup-life and finding myself at a crossroads, like, ‘How do I juggle all this stuff?’ and trying to figure out how to ‘Do it all,’” she said, noting that the song “Living Alone With You” was inspired by Roach’s career gaining momentum, causing the couple to be “like ships crossing in the night.”
“It was such a reflective time, a really emotional time,” she recalls. “I think when your emotions are right up at the surface like that, it’s a great time to write songs.”
“The Lost Record” is a collection of songs she recorded in 1999 in the garage of her Los Angeles home. When musician Dan Schwartz asked Hoffs about making the album, she agreed but told him that during what she called a “non-Bangles chapter,” which included raising her growing family, her sessions had to look different this time around.
“I told Dan, ‘Yeah, but can we do it in my garage? I have a new baby, and I’m kind of staying at home right now.’ He said, ‘Yeah,’ and we had all these great people—Jim Keltner, Dan, Brian MacLeod, all these people. It was a true garage band situation, which I loved,” she reminisced. “The Bangles were formed in the garage of my childhood home, so I’ve had a lifetime of recording in garages.”
However, Hoffs never released the album until decades later.
“I think it became a little bit fraught,” she said. “There was some discourse between some of the personalities, I think, and maybe it was because the Bangles wanted to get back together, and I felt that I had to park this, somehow, for the greater good. It was so long ago. It was just like the stars were not aligning or something, and I had to shelve it.
“But I’ve always loved these sessions. I had such a fondness for the material and for these recordings because they were so honest and sort of basic and stripped down. It was so much the spirit of creativity in that garage. I’m so glad it’s coming out, finally,” she said.
As for what’s next, at age 65, Hoffs has no plans of slowing down.
Originally called The Colours and The Bangs, The Bangles released their debut album, “All Over the Place,” with Columbia Records in 1984. However, the band got its breakthrough with the 1986 album “Different Light,” which included the No. 1 single “Walk Like an Egyptian” and “Manic Monday,” which was written by Prince.
The album went on to become certified triple-platinum and was followed by 1988’s “Everything,” which included the singles “In Your Room” and “Eternal Flame.”
In 1989, the Bangles separated but reunited nearly a decade later to record “Get the Girl,” featured in the 1999 film “Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me.” The group officially re-formed and went on tour before recording and releasing 2003’s “Doll Revolution.”
In 2005, Michael Steele left the band and was replaced by Abby Travis for live performances. In the mid-2010s, original band member Zilinskas started to make regular appearances before officially rejoining The Bangles in 2018, the last year the group released new music.
The band was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2000.