From Bubblegum to Sky

From Bubblegum to Sky is an indie pop solo project created by Mario Ishii Hernandez of Ciao Bella. From Bubblegum to Sky's debut album Me and Amy and the Two French Boys was released in 2000 under the Eenie Meenie Records label, followed in 2004 with Nothing Sadder Than Lonely Queen. Hernandez's third and most recent From Bubblegum to Sky album, A Soft Kill, was released June 3, 2008.

The name "From Bubblegum to Sky" was briefly dropped by Hernandez in December 2005 in favor of "Seiko and Salome", the names of his parents. By 2007, however, the name had changed back to From Bubblegum to Sky.

Mario Ishii Hernandez

Mario Ishii Hernandez was born in El Paso, Texas but spent most of the first decade of his life living in Japan. While growing up in Japan he was heavily influenced by Japanese pop. When he came back to the United States he immediately opened up to the pop music the Western hemisphere had to offer. He started Teeny Records while high school; the band later became Teeny Hi-Fi and finally Ciao Bella. Their 1997 LP "1" was acclaimed in retro-pop circles before the band split up. Hernandez then began recording as From Bubblegum to Sky.

One of Hernandez's Japanese music influences is Pink Lady while his major American music influences include David Bowie and The Beatles.

While Hernandez's music is usually very simple pop compositions with simple and accessible melodies, his lyrics are known to be dark and bitter (in an interview [1], he himself describes his lyrics as "shallow and hateful"). This distinction between the lyrics and music has been mentioned frequently by critics.

Mario Hernandez has stated that he prefers the band-like name "From Bubblegum to Sky" over his own name because even though it is a solo project, the experience is similar to having a band. He added it would be unsettling to see his own name on his music.

Discography

Studio albums

• Me and Amy and the Two French Boys (2000)
• Nothing Sadder Than Lonely Queen (2004)
• A Soft Kill (2008)

Singles

• "Hello Hello Hi" (1999) 7" single

External links

• Official site
• Official blog at Tumblr
• From Bubblegum to Sky at Eenie Meenie
• From Bubblegum to Sky at MySpace
• Mario Hernandez website