Britta Phillips

{{Short description|American musical artist and actress }} {{Use American English|date=July 2020}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2020}} {{Infobox person | image = BrittaPhillips 2007.jpg  | caption = Phillips performing live in New York City, New York, in 2007 | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1963|6|11}} | birth_place = Boyne City, Michigan, U.S. | years_active = 1985–present | spouse = {{marriage|Jody Porter|end=divorce}} {{marriage|Dean Wareham|2006}} | parents = {{plainlist| *Peter Phillips *Joan Binkley }} | occupation = {{hlist|Singer-songwriter|musician|record producer|actress|voice actress}} | website = {{URL|brittaphillips.com}} | module = {{Infobox musical artist | embed = yes | genre = Pop rock | instrument = {{hlist|Vocals|bass guitar}} | associated_acts = {{hlist|Dean & Britta|Luna|Ultrababyfat|The Belltower|Galaxie 500|Ben Lee|The Christine Keeler Affair}} }}}} '''Britta Phillips''' (born June 11, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, and actress.

Phillips' music career spans more than 30 years. She came to prominence in the mid-1980s as the singing voice of the title character of the animated television series ''Jem''. With her husband, Dean Wareham, she has also been a member of the bands Luna and is one half of the duo Dean & Britta; she has also had a solo career, which has included one studio album, ''Luck or Magic'' (2016).

Phillips has also been a film, television, and voice actress, including a co-starring role in the 1988 music comedy-drama film ''Satisfaction'' and multiple voice acting roles on the Adult Swim animated television series ''Moral Orel'' and ''Mary Shelley's Frankenhole''.

==Early life== Britta Phillips was born in Boyne City, Michigan, but grew up in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://newbeats.com/2009/02/17/from-the-vault-britta-phillips-interview/ |title=From the Vault: Britta Phillips interview « NewBeats |publisher=Newbeats.com |date=2009-02-17 |accessdate=2011-03-04}}</ref> Her father, Peter, was a musician, songwriter, jingle composer, and a former music teacher of Paul Simon;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/story/simon-garfunkel-show-up-for-central-park-tribute_1146437 |title=Simon & Garfunkel Central Park Tribute - dedication to Peter Phillips |publisher=Contactmusic.com |date=2010-06-10 |accessdate=2012-02-21}}</ref> he also worked on several Broadway plays. At the age of 19, Phillips moved to Brooklyn, New York, to pursue a career in music. In 1985, Phillips's father, through his musical contacts, secured an audition for her for the role of Jem in the animated TV series ''Jem and the Holograms''. Phillips was hired on the strength of her demo for the show's theme song, and that version was the one used in its opening credits.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.smalldoggiesmagazine.com/features/interviews/singer-britta-phillips/ |title=Drew Ullrich Interviews Britta Phillips | Smalldoggies Interviews: Britta Phillips |publisher=Smalldoggies Magazine |date=2010-08-19 |accessdate=2011-03-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110319210711/http://www.smalldoggiesmagazine.com/features/interviews/singer-britta-phillips/ |archive-date=2011-03-19 |url-status=usurped }}</ref>

==Music career== {{BLP more cn|section|date=May 2026}} Phillips was a member of the bands The Belltower and Ultrababyfat in the 1990s and Luna from 2000 to the present day. Phillips has released albums with fellow Luna bandmate Dean Wareham as the duo Dean & Britta.

Phillips and Wareham have also composed original score for the Noah Baumbach films ''Mistress America'' and ''The Squid and the Whale'', and the Morgan J. Freeman film ''Just Like the Son'' and more recently contributed additional score and songs for the Olivier Assays series Irma Vep.

In 2001, Phillips provided vocals on the Anika Moa album ''Thinking Room''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/2899614/a/Thinking+Room.htm |title=Thinking Room personnel |publisher=Cduniverse.com |date=2002-03-05 |accessdate=2012-02-21}}</ref> In 2007, Phillips produced and recorded a cover of Neil Young's "I Am a Child" for the benefit CD ''Cinnamon Girl - Women Artists Cover Neil Young For Charity''. In 2010, Phillips performed vocals on the MGMT single "It's Working" from their album ''Congratulations''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.whoismgmt.com/us/music/congratulations |title=MGMT official website "Congratulations" personnel |publisher=Whoismgmt.com |date=2010-04-13 |accessdate=2012-02-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120308125509/http://www.whoismgmt.com/us/music/congratulations |archive-date=2012-03-08 |url-status=dead }}</ref> 2016 saw the release of her long-awaited debut solo album, ''Luck or Magic''. It contains five covers, along with five original songs.

In 2023, Phillips was featured on the Gunship album ''Unicorn'' adding vocals to the techno/dance rock "Holographic Heart".

==Acting career== Phillips's first acting job was as the singing voice of the lead character in the animated series ''Jem'', alongside actress and singer Samantha Newark, who provided Jem's speaking voice.<ref>{{cite news|title= Cartoon Character Puts Singer Into Spotlight |publisher= Sun Sentinel|url= http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1987-12-22/features/8702130145_1_demo-hasbro-theme-song|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120330060609/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1987-12-22/features/8702130145_1_demo-hasbro-theme-song|url-status= dead|archive-date= March 30, 2012|accessdate=2010-09-01}}</ref> The series ran from 1985 to 1988.

In 1988, she co-starred in the teen rock band movie ''Satisfaction'', which also starred Justine Bateman, Julia Roberts, Liam Neeson, Trini Alvarado, and Scott Coffey; the film is primarily known today as Julia Roberts's first credited big-screen role.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/tv/2018/10/25/julia-roberts-homecoming-ben-is-back-cover/ |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |title=A tale of two Julias: Inside the making of the edgiest roles of Julia Roberts' career |date=2018-10-25 |access-date=2019-11-30 |author=Tim Stack }}</ref> Phillips performed several songs during the movie and is featured on the soundtrack album. Also in 1988, she guest-starred on the cult TV show ''Crime Story'', in the episode "Always a Blonde"; she played a former homecoming queen turned high-class escort in Las Vegas, Nevada. She followed that with a starring role as a nurse in the pilot episode of the short-lived TV series ''Nightingales''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://newbeats.com/2009/02/17/from-the-vault-britta-phillips-interview/ |title=Britta Phillips Interview and acting career details |publisher=Newbeats.com |date=2009-02-17 |accessdate=2012-02-21}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rockjem.com/brittap.html |title=Rock Jem Britta Phillips interview |publisher=Rockjem.com |accessdate=2012-02-21}}</ref> From 2005 to 2008, she voiced various characters for the Adult Swim series ''Moral Orel'', most notably Bloberta Puppington. In 2006, she featured as herself in the Luna band documentary ''Tell Me Do You Miss Me''. Since 2010, Phillips has voiced various characters in ''Mary Shelley's Frankenhole'', most noticeably Elizabeth Frankenstein. Both ''Moral Orel'' and ''Mary Shelley's Frankenhole'' were created by Dino Stamatopoulos. In 2010, Phillips appeared alongside Wareham on ''Yo Gabba Gabba!'', in the episode titled "Ride".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://stereogum.com/474702/dean-britta-revisit-yo-gabba-gabba-galaxie-500/video/ |title=Yo Gabba Gabba Dean & Britta details action|publisher=Stereogum.com|date=2010-08-17 |accessdate=2012-03-05}}</ref>

Phillips had a cameo, along with Dean Wareham, in the 2012 Noah Baumbach film ''Frances Ha'', written by Baumbach and Greta Gerwig.<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.salon.com/2013/05/17/noah_baumbach_frances_ha_is_my_reinvention|title=Noah Baumbach: "Frances Ha" is my reinvention|date=16 May 2013|accessdate=7 May 2016}}</ref>

==Radio and podcast appearances== Phillips appeared on Ken Reid's ''TV Guidance Counselor'' podcast on December 9, 2016.

==Personal life== Phillips married musician Jody Porter, but the couple later divorced.<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/charleston/sixty-most-beautiful-minutes-with-britta-phillips/Content?oid=3415284|title=Sixty most beautiful minutes with Britta Phillips: Indie Rock Siren|author=Queen, Larry|date=2011|accessdate=7 May 2016}}</ref> In 2006, she married musician and Luna bandmate Dean Wareham during the recording sessions for their album ''Back Numbers''.<ref>{{citation|url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/300589/dean-britta/biography|title=Dean & Britta|accessdate=7 May 2016|archive-date=June 5, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160605020633/http://www.billboard.com/artist/300589/dean-britta/biography|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Discography== '''Solo album''' {| class="wikitable" |- !Year !Title !Label |- style="vertical-align:top;" | style="text-align:left; "| 2016 | style="text-align:left; "|''Luck or Magic'' | style="text-align:left; "| Double Feature |}

'''Singles''' {| class="wikitable sortable" |- !Year !Title !B-side |- style="vertical-align:top;" | style="text-align:left; "|1984 | style="text-align:left; "|"Through the Eyes" | style="text-align:left; "|"Through the Eyes" (instrumental) |- | style="text-align:left; "|1985 | style="text-align:left; "|"Don't Think Twice" (Promo-only) | style="text-align:left; "|"Don't Think Twice" |- | style="text-align:left; "|1986 | style="text-align:left; "|"I Just Can't Help Myself" | style="text-align:left; "|"I Just Can't Help Myself" (instrumental) |- | style="text-align:left; "|2009 | style="text-align:left; "|"Shine Your Light" (with James Iha) | style="text-align:left; "|"You Can't Escape" |- | style="text-align:left; "|2014 | style="text-align:left; "|"Love" (with Dean Wareham) | style="text-align:left; "| "Fallin' in Love" (with Dean Wareham) |}

==References== {{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links== * [http://www.deanandbritta.com/ Dean Wareham and Britta Phillips official website] * [https://lunamusic.com Luna official website] * {{Discogs artist}} * {{AllMusic|artist|britta-phillips-mn0000621661|Britta Phillips}} * {{IMDb name|id=0680272|name=Britta Phillips}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20071130152556/http://www.mensvogue.com/arts/music/articles/2006/12/18/dean_britta ''Men's Vogue'' interview with Dean and Britta]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Phillips, Britta}} Category:Living people Category:1963 births Category:American film actresses Category:American voice actresses Category:Luna (1990s American band) members Category:Actresses from Michigan Category:People from Boyne City, Michigan Category:Actresses from Bucks County, Pennsylvania Category:Musicians from Bucks County, Pennsylvania Category:21st-century American actresses Category:American television actresses Category:20th-century American actresses Category:American film score composers Category:Singers from Pennsylvania Category:Singers from Michigan Category:American women guitarists Category:American women bass guitarists Category:20th-century American bass guitarists Category:21st-century American bass guitarists Category:Guitarists from Michigan Category:Guitarists from Pennsylvania Category:20th-century American women singers Category:20th-century American composers Category:21st-century American women musicians Category:20th-century American women composers Category:20th-century American singers