Susan Cagle
Encyclopedia
Susan Cagle is a singer-songwriter
known by her stage name Susan Justice. She is known best for her self-recorded album, The Subway Recordings.
Cagle is the second-oldest of ten children. Accompanied by several of her siblings as The Susan Cagle Band, she started performing in subway stations in New York City
as part of the Music Under New York
program. In addition to singing, Cagle plays the guitar
in the majority of her performances, with her sister Caroline playing bass
and her brother Jesse on second guitar.
, Mexico
, Greece
, Italy
, France
, Germany
, England
, Scotland
, and Ireland
. Her parents were members of the Children of God new religious movement
, widely referred to as a cult
, and like actors River Phoenix
and Rose McGowan
(who also spent their early childhood in the group), she and her siblings would often busk
on street corners for passers by.
at the age of 7, and by the age of 14 was writing poetry
and songs. When older, she decided to leave her family and the Children of God group, at odds over their beliefs, and moved to New York. She soon began writing, recording music and performing in subway stations (her album, The Subway Recordings, is cut from live shows).
During a show in the 34th Street – Herald Square subway station, Cagle was discovered by producer Jay Levine, who introduced her to then new president of Columbia Records
, Steve Greenberg. She soon became his first signing in this placement. Cagle released her debut album, The Subway Recordings, in 2007 with Lefthook Entertainment and Columbia Records.
After leaving Columbia Records in 2009 and signing to Warner Bros., Cagle changed her stage name to Susan Justice, saying it happened "of its own accord" and it (the name change) was something she felt she "needed to do". Her second album remains unnamed and currently does not have a release date. Released tracks from the upcoming album are "Eat Dirt", "I Wonder" and "Forbidden Fruits". The album will be released as a joint venture with Warner Bros. Records and Kite Records.
, on The Oprah Winfrey Show
. "Dear Oprah" features such lyrics as: "Dear Oprah, Have you ever felt like breakin’ down/ when there ain't no one who cares around/did you ever feel this way back in the day so blue/ what did you do?"
The band appeared in the 2006 MTV
Video Music Awards warm up in the "You Hear It First".
She appears in the Gary King independent film New York Lately as Truly Hanssen. The film was released in 2008 to generally favorable reviews.
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
known by her stage name Susan Justice. She is known best for her self-recorded album, The Subway Recordings.
Cagle is the second-oldest of ten children. Accompanied by several of her siblings as The Susan Cagle Band, she started performing in subway stations in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
as part of the Music Under New York
Music Under New York
' is one of the many visual and performing arts programs administered by the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority's Office that increases the attractiveness of transit facilities for customers...
program. In addition to singing, Cagle plays the guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
in the majority of her performances, with her sister Caroline playing bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
and her brother Jesse on second guitar.
The early years
As a child, Cagle traveled the world with her family, living in or visiting countries including VenezuelaVenezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. Her parents were members of the Children of God new religious movement
New religious movement
A new religious movement is a religious community or ethical, spiritual, or philosophical group of modern origin, which has a peripheral place within the dominant religious culture. NRMs may be novel in origin or they may be part of a wider religion, such as Christianity, Hinduism or Buddhism, in...
, widely referred to as a cult
Cult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
, and like actors River Phoenix
River Phoenix
River Jude Phoenix was an American film actor, musician, and teen icon. He was the oldest brother of fellow actors Rain, Joaquin, Liberty, and Summer Phoenix.Phoenix began acting at age 10 in television commercials...
and Rose McGowan
Rose McGowan
Rose Arianna McGowan is an actress and singer. She is known for her role as Paige Matthews in The WB Television Network supernatural drama series Charmed. She played Ann-Margret alongside Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Elvis Presley in the CBS mini-series Elvis...
(who also spent their early childhood in the group), she and her siblings would often busk
Busking
Street performance or busking is the practice of performing in public places, for gratuities, which are generally in the form of money and edibles...
on street corners for passers by.
Music career
Cagle began playing guitarGuitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
at the age of 7, and by the age of 14 was writing poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
and songs. When older, she decided to leave her family and the Children of God group, at odds over their beliefs, and moved to New York. She soon began writing, recording music and performing in subway stations (her album, The Subway Recordings, is cut from live shows).
During a show in the 34th Street – Herald Square subway station, Cagle was discovered by producer Jay Levine, who introduced her to then new president of Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
, Steve Greenberg. She soon became his first signing in this placement. Cagle released her debut album, The Subway Recordings, in 2007 with Lefthook Entertainment and Columbia Records.
After leaving Columbia Records in 2009 and signing to Warner Bros., Cagle changed her stage name to Susan Justice, saying it happened "of its own accord" and it (the name change) was something she felt she "needed to do". Her second album remains unnamed and currently does not have a release date. Released tracks from the upcoming album are "Eat Dirt", "I Wonder" and "Forbidden Fruits". The album will be released as a joint venture with Warner Bros. Records and Kite Records.
Notable performances
On May 10, 2007, Cagle and her band performed "Dear Oprah", an ode to billionaire talk show host Oprah WinfreyOprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011...
, on The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
. "Dear Oprah" features such lyrics as: "Dear Oprah, Have you ever felt like breakin’ down/ when there ain't no one who cares around/did you ever feel this way back in the day so blue/ what did you do?"
The band appeared in the 2006 MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
Video Music Awards warm up in the "You Hear It First".
She appears in the Gary King independent film New York Lately as Truly Hanssen. The film was released in 2008 to generally favorable reviews.