Taking Over the Independent Music Industry, One Band at a Time

Typically, when the term "child star" is used, it brings to mind cases of Hollywood's best and brightest, corrupted by money and fame, leading less than glamorous, less than desirable back-stories. This, however is not the case for Rilo Kiley's Jenny Lewis and Blake Sennet.
Both Jenny and Blake grew up in front of the camera; Lewis in both television and movies, Sennet almost entirely on television, and the result was two rather lengthy filmographies as well as multiple musical endeavors before either of them were thirty years old.

Sennet, often credited as Blake Soper, 33, started his television career with a guest spot on the Michael Landon series, Highway to Heaven, in 1987. From there, he had several guest roles on various shows and in 1991 he landed the part of Ronnie Pinsky on Nickelodeon's Salute Your Shorts. He may, however, be more easily recognized today for his recurring roles as Joey "the Rat" Epstein in season 3 of Boy Meets World and Elman in many episodes of 3rd Rock From the Sun.

Lewis, 30, also got her career off and running with a spot on the Twilight Zone in 1985. She also had many guest roles on shows such as Growing Pains, Mr. Belvedere, Roseanne and Murder, She Wrote, finding her way to roles in Pleasantville and alongside Angelina Jolie in 1996's teen-witch genre flick, Foxfire.

Rilo Kiley's first album, Take Offs & Landings, was released on Barsuk Records in 2001 and they quickly answered that with The Execution of All Things the following year, this time on the Nebraska based Saddle Creek label. After touring, to promote the Execution album as well as working a stint as back-up band to Merge Records' M. Ward, the band took a break.

But in true independent music fashion, the band members' breaks from Rilo Kiley were not spent in college, writing memoirs, or any of the many other things celebrities do when they "take a break."

Not at all. Lewis used the time to work with Barsuk veteran Ben Gibbard and producer Jimmy Tamborello, providing vocals for the Postal Service's debut album, Give Up, as well as working solo, and as part of Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins.