On July 18, L7 bassist Jennifer Finch passed away from an aggressive form of brain cancer, leaving an irreplaceable hole in LA’s creative community. Fans saw her as funny, wise, profane, and a pillar of strength and compassion. She was only 59 years old.
But before she passed, Finch co-wrote a memoir about her life with writer-musician-filmmaker Jeff Alulis—also known as Jeff Penalty. Shooting Up and Making Out: A Memoir of My Life in LA and L7 was a project that took the duo two years to craft, as Alulis made sure that Finch was pleased with each and every word that was written—if she was the one to tell her story, it should be told the right way, right?
While Finch isn’t here to see the final product, Alulis is sure that she would have been more than pleased with the outcome. The memoir traces Finch’s teen years in the LA punk scene, where she made choices that defined her life. For instance, she started shooting heroin at fourteen and then joined a band with Courtney Love and Kat Bjelland at nineteen. From there, she got more involved in the grunge scene, starting with her placement in L7 at twenty years old. This led her to share stages with notable bands like Pearl Jam and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
In between this exciting life as a touring musician, Finch dealt with sobriety, addiction, and loss. The memoir gets into the impact that overdosing and early deaths of friends had on Finch, but it also explores how she pulled herself out of a bad place. She got sober, found photography, and co-founded a pro-choice advocacy group.
Overall, this memoir gives one final look at Jennifer Finch—who she was, what she believed, and the legacy she leaves behind.
Shooting Up and Making Out: A Memoir of My Life in LA and L7 by Jennifer Finch and Jeff Alulis will be released in January 2027 via Da Capo. You can pre-order a copy here.
In October, L7 will head out on a farewell tour, hitting up various cities across North America. Tickets and the full list of dates can be found here.
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