This post is about the significance (forwards and backwards) of Belly’s “Feed the Tree”, which was my introduction to Tanya Donelly (crush).

I was aware of The Breeders before Belly- after all, they were the earlier Band. The history here is that Tanya had formed the band Throwing Muses with her step-sister, Kristin Hersch, which had toured with The Pixies. Kim Deal was a members of The Pixies, and she and Tanya developed a friendship. After The Pixies and Throwing Muses disbanded, the two ladies decided to start a band together, called The Breeders. The first Breeders album “Pod” was written by Kim, and the second was to be written by Tanya. Kim decided not to follow through with this plan, so Tonya left the band to be replaced by Kim’s sister Kelly. The first Belly offering “Star” (with Feed the Tree) was actually written to be The Breeders’ second album.

Though Tanya was a founding member of Throwing Muses, Kristin was inarguably the major creative force behind that act. Nonetheless, Tanya did provide much, and if you compare Throwing Muses to Belly and to 50 Foot Wave (Kristin Hersch’s later band), you get a sense of just what Tanya contributed to the group.

Kristin Hersch is one of those incredible forces in 80’s and 90’s alternative music. However, after Tanya left Throwing Muses, the band and her inimitable voice went into hibernation. In the 2000’s, she reemerged with the band 50 Foot Wave, with a fresh take on the same old vibes.

Though The Pixies had opened for Throwing Muses, it wasn’t long before the tides turned, and for good reason (many of the most important artists of the 1990’s, like Kurt Cobain, cited The Pixies as a major influence- Kurt even suggested that “Nevermind” was just “ripping off The Pixies”). Black Francis was the lead singer and the biggest personality of the band, but Kim Deal offered no less a layer. She was formidable, and it shows.

In between The Pixies and The Breeders, Kim flirted with other acts, including The Amps and This Mortal Coil:

Like Deal, Donelly explored other options after the first The Breeders’ album and her independent work, including a collaboration with Catherine Wheel.

In 1997, Tanya Donelly released her first solo album, “Lovesongs for Underdogs”, an album that has remained in pretty constant rotation for me ever since.

It’s maybe a strange comparison to make (though I don’t think so), but I would would say that Tanya Donelly is as close to Stevie Nicks as a 90’s singer-songwriter got- Dar Williams, aside. She marries an incredible voice with incredible talent, and (I would argue) incredible allure.

Anyway, back together briefly:

Outro: