Babes in Toyland (band)

Babes in Toyland

Company type	Band
Industry	Music
Founded	1987 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Founder	Kat Bjelland, Lori Barbero, Michelle Leon
Defunct	2001; 2017
Fate	Disbanded
Headquarters	Minneapolis , United States
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Kat Bjelland (vocals, guitar), Lori Barbero (drums), Michelle Leon (bass), Maureen Herman (bass), Clara Salyer (bass)
Products	Music albums, live performances
Number of employees	3 (core members)

Babes in Toyland was a rock group originating from Minneapolis, Minnesota, established in 1987 by vocalist and guitarist Kat Bjelland, drummer Lori Barbero, and bassist Michelle Leon. Leon departed in 1992 and was succeeded by Maureen Herman.

Their discography includes three studio albums: Spanking Machine (1990), the commercially acclaimed Fontanelle (1992), and Nemesisters (1995). The band ceased activity in 1997 and officially dissolved in 2001.

In 2014, Babes in Toyland reunited, resuming live shows and completing a global tour in 2015 during which Clara Salyer replaced Herman on bass. The group disbanded once more in 2017. They are frequently linked to the riot grrrl movement.

1987–1991: Origins and initial period

Babes in Toyland came together in 1987 when lead singer Kat Bjelland met drummer Lori Barbero at a friend's barbecue party. Originally from Woodburn, Oregon, Bjelland had relocated to Minneapolis with the goal of forming a band. Being a self-taught guitarist, she prioritized creative expression over technical proficiency. The band's name alludes to the 1903 operetta and emphasizes its all-female composition. Early members included bassist Kris Holetz and vocalist Cindy Russell.

Following the departure of Holetz and Russell, rumors circulated that Bjelland’s acquaintance Courtney Love briefly joined as bassist; however, both Bjelland and Barbero later refuted these claims. Michelle Leon was recruited as bassist but was momentarily replaced by Love before returning. Some of Babes in Toyland’s initial lyrics bore resemblance to early Hole tracks, suggesting possible collaboration or shared influences.

Their local performances commenced in late 1987. Initially perceived as noisy and abrasive, the band rapidly refined their sound to engage audiences effectively. In 1988, they released their debut single "Dust Cake Boy" through Treehouse Records. Their first album, Spanking Machine, produced by grunge pioneer Jack Endino, was recorded in Seattle and launched in April 1990 via Twin/Tone Records. The album caught the attention of underground rock band Sonic Youth; lead vocalist Thurston Moore invited them to join Sonic Youth's 1990 European tour supporting Goo. Babes in Toyland also appeared at the 1991 Reading Festival and were featured in the documentary 1991: The Year Punk Broke.

British DJ John Peel selected Spanking Machine as his preferred album of 1990. Babes in Toyland recorded Peel Sessions during 1990 and 1991; these recordings were compiled into The Peel Sessions EP released in 1992. Their initial EP, To Mother, consisting of outtakes from Spanking Machine, debuted in July 1991 and remained atop the UK Indie Chart for ten weeks.

1992–1995: Rise to mainstream prominence

Following their 1991 touring schedule, the band entered the studio to produce their major label follow-up to Spanking Machine. Bassist Michelle Leon exited early in 1992 shortly after the murder of Joe Cole, her then-partner.Maureen Herman took over bass duties. With this lineup, Babes in Toyland signed with Warner Bros.'s Reprise Records. Their sophomore album, Fontanelle, was recorded across Minnesota and New York City under the production of Sonic Youth's Lee Ranaldo. Released in 1992, it sold more than 250,000 copies within the United States. The lead single "Bruise Violet" was rumored to be directed at Courtney Love; Bjelland denied this, explaining that "Violet" symbolized a shared inspiration. The accompanying music video was filmed inside photographer Cindy Sherman's SoHo loft; Sherman’s artwork appears on both Fontanelle and the EP Painkillers, used with her consent.

In 1993, Babes in Toyland participated in the Lollapalooza tour alongside acts such as Primus, Alice in Chains, and Rage Against the Machine. During this tour, they released their third and final EP titled Painkillers. Journalist Neal Karlen authored Babes in Toyland: The Making and Selling of a Rock and Roll Band in 1994, chronicling their signing with Warner Bros. and the making of Fontanelle. Bjelland later remarked that Karlen lost many notes and fabricated portions of his account.

On April 8, 1994, Babes in Toyland performed at a Rock Against Domestic Violence benefit concert in Miami—the same day Kurt Cobain of Nirvana was found dead. Around this period, they graced the cover of Entertainment Weekly and were mentioned on a 1995 episode of Roseanne.

Their final album, Nemesisters, arrived in May 1995 to mixed critical reception; Lorraine Ali from Spin noted it lacked the intensity and focus seen on previous releases. The band described its creation as "diverse," "experimental," and "spontaneous," acknowledging that external pressures influenced the writing and recording phases. They supported the album with tours throughout Europe—including Denmark's Roskilde Festival—as well as across the United States and Australia.

1996–2001: Herman's exit, Katastrophy Wife formation, and dissolution

Following Herman's departure in 1996 due to hip issues, the band lost their recording contract. During live performances in 1996 and 1997, Dana Cochrane, previously with Mickey Finn, took over bass duties. Original bassist Michelle Leon made a brief return in 1997 amidst recurring disbandments and intentions to produce a fourth studio album. In 1998, the group contributed the piece Overtura: Astroantiquity/Attacatastrophy to the Songs of the Witchblade soundtrack, which Bjelland co-produced. By 2000, Bjelland and Barbero collaborated with bassist Jessie Farmer.

In 1999, Bjelland initiated a new project named Katastrophy Wife. Babes in Toyland reunited for a farewell performance on November 21, 2001; this show was later released as the live album Minneapolism. Although Bjelland toured Europe in 2002 under the Babes in Toyland banner with new members from the British group Angelica, legal conflicts with Barbero and Herman prevented further use of the band’s name.

2014–2020: Reunion, touring phase, and subsequent split

In July 2014, Kat Bjelland and Maureen Herman announced their reunion with plans to create fresh material and perform live. Their comeback concert occurred at Pappy And Harriet's Pioneertown Palace in California on February 10, 2015. The next evening at Los Angeles' The Roxy Theatre, Tom Morello from Rage Against the Machine introduced them. The event featured prominent guests such as Patty Schemel and Brody Dalle.

The band embarked on an international tour beginning in May 2015, kicking off with European dates across England, Scotland, Spain, and Italy. This was followed by North American appearances including Seattle’s Bumbershoot festival and Montreal Pop festival. They also played at Minneapolis' Rock the Garden festival in June 2015.

Midway through the tour in August 2015, bassist Herman was dismissed and replaced by Clara Salyer. Herman later attributed her removal to an article she authored regarding sexual assault allegations involving The Runaways' manager Kim Fowley and Joan Jett’s denial of witnessing those events. She implied that Barbero’s connections to Jett’s Blackheart Records influenced this decision. Barbero stated that while it was a difficult choice to part ways with Herman, it was necessary due to multiple factors.

Babes in Toyland performed their final concert and disbanded again in 2017. In May 2020, Lori Barbero expressed on the podcast Conan Neutron's Protonic Reversal that future reunions seemed improbable.

Legacy

Stephen Thomas Erlewine characterized Babes in Toyland as "among the most intense expressions of rock music—guitarist Kat Bjelland delivers screaming and thrashing guitar work paired with bassist Maureen Herman and drummer Lori Barbero’s relentless rhythm... this all-female trio presents a powerful female-centered sound that is not strictly feminist." In 2010, Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill remarked: "Babes in Toyland played a crucial role for us; we aimed to perform shows as compelling as theirs."

The band is honored with a star on the exterior mural of Minneapolis venue First Avenue, a recognition awarded to artists who have sold out shows or made significant cultural contributions at the club. This accolade is regarded as one of Minneapolis’ highest public honors for musicians.

Final roster

• Kat Bjelland – lead vocals, guitar (1987–2001, 2014–2017)
• Lori Barbero – drums, backing vocals (1987–2001, 2014–2017)
• Clara Salyer – bass (2015–2017)

Previous members

• Maureen Herman – bass (1992–1996, 2014–2015)
• Jessie Farmer – bass (2000–2001)
• Michelle Leon – bass (1987–1992)
• Cindy Russell – lead vocals (1987)
• Kris Holetz – bass (1987)

Discography

Albums

• Spanking Machine (1990)
• Fontanelle (1992)
• Nemesisters (1995)

Bibliography

Year	Title	Author	Publisher
1991	Babes in Toyland Lyric Book	Babes in Toyland	Twin Tone Records
1994	Babes in Toyland: The Making & Selling of a Rock & Roll Band	Neal Karlen	Avon Books
2016	I Live Inside: Memoirs of a Babe in Toyland	Michelle Leon	MNHS Press
2023	Babes In Toyland's Fontanelle	Selena Chambers	Bloomsbury Academic (33 1/3 Series)

See also

• If I Were a Carpenter
• Têtes Noires

Works cited

• Larkin, Colin (2000). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Nineties Music. Virgin Books. ISBN 978-0-753-50427-7.

External links

• MNopedia: Babes in Toyland