Sobule Finds Her Muse Again

Jill Sobule scored a surprise hit in 1995 with her semi-controversial “I Kissed a Girl,” a celebration of a moment shared by two friends that mainstreamed homoeroticism a few strides ahead of “Ellen.” Although the left-field hit from her “Jill Sobule” CD caused a minor stir and didn’t reflect the breadth of her songwriting skills, Sobule remains quite fond of the song.

“I don’t want to be one of those people who says after a while, ‘Ugh, I’m sick of that song--I hate singing it,’ ” Sobule said by phone from Las Vegas, a stopover on a tour opening for Warren Zevon that arrives Thursday in San Juan Capistrano. “ ‘Kissed a Girl’ has substance, and it gave me my 15 minutes of fame, which is something I may never get again.

“Plus, I’ve kind of re-embraced it,” she said. “Some teenage girls who were sexually confused have come up to me and told me that this song has meant something to them.”

The Denver-born, New York-based singer-songwriter had no such hits on her subsequent release, 1997’s “Happy Town,” and because it sold only 24,000 copies--according to SoundScan--her label dropped her.

A period of self-doubt and depression followed, but Sobule found the right tonic in fellow rock musician Lloyd Cole, who enlisted her to play lead guitar in his band during a yearlong tour.

“For the first time in my life, I was a sideman--and it brought me back,” Sobule said. “There was this freedom--the pressure of being in charge was off, and I started loving music again and writing new songs.”

Most of that new material can be heard on “Pink Pearl,” her forthcoming album for the West Hollywood-based indie label, Beyond Music. The 12-song collection, due in stores April 18, blends catchy melodies with insightful lyrics featuring Sobule’s typically offbeat characters. Much of her material is inspired by a pop culture that’s become increasingly unpredictable.

“Why are we so obsessed with Mary Kay Letourneau and Kathie Lee [Gifford]? It’s absurd--they’re like modern-day Greek tragedies,” she said. “Or maybe I’m just trying to justify watching the Lifetime movie of the week.”

One new song, “Lucy at the Gym,” takes a critical look at society’s obsession with physical appearances yet still shows empathy for its protagonist. According to Sobule, the tune hits close to home.

“When I was in high school, I succumbed to the pressures of being thin,” she said. “It was horrible. I was this raging feminist--which I still am--and I was being what I hated other girls being. Thank God I got over it.

“Well, when I lived recently on the Upper East Side, I’d go to this gym where this anorexic-looking woman worked out on the StairMaster,” she said. “It was pathetic, but a part of me could relate to her. I’d be watching her all the time as I ate my bagel. I’m not really sure what [doing] that says about me, but . . . .”