Rose Melberg is a singer and guitarist from Sacramento (California) who formed Tiger Trap to play romantic punk-pop. Tiger Trap (K, 1993) is the Fastbacks in love. Super Crush, For Sure and Words And Smiles are prime cuts in the tradition of girl groups and teen idols. The band borrows sounds from surf music (Tore A Hole), folk-rock (You're Sleeping) and rock and roll (Eight Wheels). The band dissolved after a final EP, Sour Grass (K, 1994), that contained Sour Grass and Don't Ask.

Melberg's new band, Go Sailor, was based in Portland (Oregon) and played a much toned-down version of Tiger Trap's tender and sweet rock. Their early recordings (3 EPs and a single) were compiled on Go Sailor (Lookout, 1996).

Melberg further retreated from the punk scene with Softies, a duo with singer Jen Sbragia that fundamentally continues the mission of Go Sailor. The single He'll Never Have To Know and the gems of It's Love (K, 1995), namely Hello rain and Charms Around Your Wrist, are fragile acoustic pop that draws comparisons with Everything But The Girl. The naive, romantic, drums-less Softies are just about the opposite of the riot-grrrls who terrorize the rock establishment in the same years.

The songs on Winter Pageant (K, 1997) and Holiday In Rhode Island (K, 2000) are even sweeter and catchier.

Jean Sbragia played also with the All Girls Summer Fun Band, formed in 1998 with Kim Baxter, Ari Douangpanya and bassist Kathy Foster (later in the Thermals).

The Bed I Made (Father/Daughter, 2024) was the Softies' first album in 24 years.