Belly

Pre-dating the riot grrrl and grunge movements of the 1990s, Throwing Muses forged jangly 1960s harmonies with gnarled, post-punk individuality and raw, abstract lyrics, standing alongside The Pixies as influential pioneers of the US alternative rock scene. With her step-sister Kristen Hersh, joint front-woman Tanya Donelly crafted the landmark albums 'The Real Ramona' and 'House Tornado' but, by 1991, she'd worked with The Breeders and briefly This Mortal Coil and was ready to go her own way. Forming Belly with guitarist Thomas Gorman, drummer Chris Gorman and bassist Fred Abong, Donelly's natural affinity with pop hooks and traditional songwriting fitted in with the surge of alternative, indie acts that were breaking into the mainstream music world at the time, and their single 'Feed the Tree' started gaining regular plays on MTV. Its dreamy, shoegaze sound steadily gained cult popularity and helped debut album 'Star' to number two in the British charts and the band embarked on headline tours with Radiohead and The Cranberries and were nominated for two Grammy Awards. Former L7 bass player Gail Greenwood replaced Abong for follow-up 'King' in 1995, but its tougher, gloomier mood didn't catch on in the same way, and with Donelly feeling uncomfortable as the band's sole figurehead, they split the following year. She went on to release a string of solo albums and a continuing series of EPs and worked as a postpartum doula helping new parents, but after a 20-year absence Belly unexpectedly reformed for a nostalgic, self-pleasing tour in 2016. The size and warmth of the audience's response led to the crowd-funded album 'Dove' in 2018 and the band's trademark mix of lush, girl-group pop vocals, macabre fairytales and buzzsaw riffs attracted a new generation of fans.

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