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Hello all, we are now in March, 2012... 'RizMum' blog sure is getting slower now, but as promised I will try my best to keep on going... and its been awhile now since my last post (T_T) and to update this took me almost a year, anyhow, this will be my final year so you guys know how it is when the big "E" comes. So guys, see you in my next post and keep on SHREDDING!!!! And as always please feel free to drop a suggestion/ideas via e-mail, Thanks

Sunday 18 July 2010

Tanya Donelly (Throwing Muses/Belly)

Name: Tanya Donelly
Born: 14th July, 1966 (Newport, Rhode Island, USA)

Profile: She is an American Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter and guitarist based in New England who co-founded "Throwing Muses". She is best known as lead vocalist and songwriter for "Belly"'.

History: At age 8, she met with Kristin Hersh in school and their quickly becoming close friends. Eventually, Donelly's father later married Hersh's mother.

Around the age of 14, Hersh's and Donelly's fathers both gave them their own guitars and they initially started playing along with "The Beatles" songs. Soon after, the two started to play along with songs written by Hersh's musical father and then began to write original songs of their own. At age 15, Donelly and Hersh founded "Throwing Muses".

Throughout the 80's, Donelly worked as lead guitarist and secondary vocalist/songwriter, complementing the work of band leader Hersh. In 1986, the band did recording albums for the British 4AD label. Although the band's work generally employed complex rhythms and offbeat chord structures, Donelly has said she eventually accepted that her compositions were simpler and had 'more traditional songwriting sensibilities' than Hersh's, by the last two years she worked in the band. Some of her tunes from this period include 'Green', 'Dragonhead' and 'Angel'.

In 1990, Donelly had additionally begun working in a side project called "The Breeders" with Kim Deal (Pixies). Working with this band increased Donelly's versatility as a guitarist. In 1991, after the released of "Throwing Muses" album 'The Real Ramona', Donelly officially left the band and founded "Belly", as guitarist, vocalist and songwriter.

In 1993, "Belly" released the 'Star' LP, the album soon peaked at #2 on the UK music charts and featured, 'Feed the Tree', which quickly rated at #1. In 1995, the band released, 'King'. Though critically well-received, this album did not match the commercial success of 'Star'. The band officially broke up in 1996.

After "Belly" was disbanded, Donelly put together a group of musicians to tour internationally with, just prior to her first solo release, the 'Sliding & Diving' EP. Included on the tour were bassist Dean Fisher (husband) and drummer Stacy Jones (Letters to Cleo).

In 2004, Donelly released 'Whiskey Tango Ghosts', an acoustic album laced with Rich Gilbert's pedal steel guitar touches. The album's lyrics explored, in part, marital relationships and family life. Donelly has said the album's minor-key tone was influenced by 'a horrible war, a horrible administration, a bleak, mean winter'.

Influences: Marc Ribot, Leonard Cohen, Lucinda Williams, Joan Wasser, Robyn Hitchcock, Nina Simone, Kristin Hersh, "Dambuilders", "Pixies", "Count Zero" and "The Beatles"

Axology: Campbell American guitar - Tanya Donelly signature model and Fender Telecaster Thinline

Signature song(s): Feed the Tree - Belly (Star LP, 1993)


Link(s):

http://www.tanyadonelly.com/ (Official website)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EkoG75W9NY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpwqcR-lHuY&feature=PlayList&p=57C21F566D771728&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=3

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

SO glad life turned out the way it did and brought those two 8 year old girls together...who'd have known where it would lead :)

Love Tanya, Love Kristin!

RizMum said...

:) <3 <3 <3