Belly (band)

Belly

Company type	Band
Industry	Music
Founded	1991 in Rhode Island, United States
Founder	Tanya Donelly
Defunct	1996 (initial breakup)
Fate	Reunited in 2016
Headquarters	Rhode Island , United States
Products	Music albums, singles, EPs

Belly is an alternative rock group that originated in Rhode Island in 1991, founded by Tanya Donelly. The initial ensemble consisted of Donelly handling vocals and guitar, Fred Abong on bass, and the Gorman siblings, Tom and Chris, on guitar and drums respectively. During the surge of alternative rock in the early 1990s, the band produced two albums before dissolving in 1995. They reunited in 2016 and embarked on tours across the US and UK.

Their debut album from 1993, Star, featured the prominent single "Feed the Tree", which reached number one on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart and peaked at number 95 on the Hot 100. Additional singles also charted on Modern Rock Tracks.

Following Star, Fred Abong departed and was succeeded by Gail Greenwood. The band's sophomore album, King released in 1995, experienced diminished commercial success and critical reception, culminating in their breakup later that year. Donelly then pursued a solo path before reforming Belly with the King lineup in 2016. Their third studio effort, Dove, came out in 2018.

History

1992–93: Formation and Star

All founding members of Belly had connections dating back to high school on Aquidneck Island, Rhode Island. The Gorman brothers along with Abong were part of Newport’s hardcore punk community, whereas Donelly had previously co-founded Boston-based indie outfits Throwing Muses and The Breeders, collaborating with notable musicians such as Kristin Hersh and Kim Deal.

Donelly chose the name "Belly" to reflect contrasting characteristics. Their inaugural live performance took place on March 14, 1992, in Newport.

The debut EP Slow Dust (1992) topped the UK indie charts. The single "Feed the Tree" entered the UK Top 40, while Star climbed to number two on the UK Albums Chart.

In America, Star achieved RIAA gold status propelled by "Feed the Tree"'s popularity on Modern Rock radio and MTV’s Buzz Bin spotlight. Subsequent singles "Gepetto" and "Slow Dog" received less attention. In 1994, Belly garnered two Grammy nominations: Best New Artist and Best Alternative Music Performance for Star. The album sold over 800,000 units in the US.

Early in 1993, Belly toured alongside Radiohead, followed by an extensive UK tour supported by the Cranberries. Leslie Langston, formerly of Throwing Muses, occasionally joined as bassist during initial tours.

1994–96: King and dissolution

After releasing Star, bassist Fred Abong exited and was replaced by Gail Greenwood, who had previously played guitar in a Boston metal band. Greenwood’s influence shifted Belly’s live sound towards a heavier electric guitar presence, moving away from the ethereal tone of their debut.

As a result, their 1995 release King embraced a more rock-oriented style. Despite this shift, sales underperformed relative to label projections, and its singles did not secure substantial airplay on Modern Rock stations. Belly appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone dated April 20, 1995, and performed "Superconnected" on the Late Show with David Letterman in June—among their final major US television appearances. That summer saw them supporting R.E.M. during their European tour followed by extensive touring across the US with opening acts Catherine Wheel and Jewel.

In 1996, Tanya Donelly officially ended Belly's activities citing creative tensions during King's production alongside disappointing commercial results. She reflected to Q: "The first couple of years were fantastic... But by the time we made King, there was a lot of negativity. I regret not recording another Belly album but at that moment I thought, Screw it, I'm done."

Following the breakup, Donelly embarked on a solo career releasing several albums. Greenwood joined bands like L7 and Bif Naked, later leading her own Rhode Island–based group Benny Sizzler. Tom Gorman briefly played with Buffalo Tom, toured with Kristin Hersh, then co-founded a commercial photography firm in New York City. Fred Abong left music to pursue woodworking before earning a doctorate in philosophy.

2016–2020: Reunion and Dove

On February 8, 2016, Belly launched an official website announcing a limited summer reunion tour covering locations in the UK, Ireland, and US.

Prior to this tour, they held two warm-up concerts in their hometown of Newport, Rhode Island on July 8 and 9—marking their first live shows since 1995. Two new tracks titled "Human Child" and "Army of Clay" were introduced during this tour, indicating growth while maintaining core elements of Belly’s classic sound.

In July 2017, Belly revealed they had commenced work on their third studio album named Dove. On October 5 that year, they launched a PledgeMusic campaign to support its release, which followed on May 4, 2018. On October 26, 2017, they issued a cover of "Hushabye Mountain" exclusively through PledgeMusic—their first new recording after more than twenty years.

The lead single from Dove, "Shiny One," was unveiled on February 23, 2018. Ahead of the album launch, they released the Feel EP for Record Store Day in April that year.

Throughout summer and autumn of 2018, Belly toured extensively across North America and Europe promoting Dove, boosting merchandise sales and broadening their audience reach.

To commemorate their 30th anniversary and Record Store Day in 2021, Belly issued Bees, a compilation featuring B-sides alongside cover versions.

Style

Tanya Donelly’s vocal delivery is noted for its "fiery spark" combined with a "sweet rasp," described as grounded and approachable. Her metaphor-rich lyrics—exemplified by Belly’s hit from 1993 Feed the Tree—draw upon celestial motifs as well as mythological and fairy tale themes. Musically, Belly is anchored in guitar-driven rock with inventive yet tightly structured arrangements that emphasize melodic hooks.

Band members

• Tanya Donelly – lead vocals, rhythm guitar (1991–1996, 2016–present)
• Chris Gorman – drums (1991–1996, 2016–present)
• Thomas Gorman – lead guitar, backing vocals, keyboards (1991–1996, 2016–present)
• Gail Greenwood – bass guitar, backing vocals (1993–1996, 2016–present)

Past members

• Fred Abong – bass guitar (1991–1993)

Timeline

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 id:Lines   value:black  legend:Studio_album/EP
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 bar:Thomas      text:Thomas Gorman
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 bar:Gail        text:Gail Greenwood
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bar:Tanya      from:08/02/2016 till:end      color:vocals
bar:Thomas     from:01/01/1991 till:31/12/1995 color:guitar
bar:Thomas     from:08/02/2016 till:end      color:guitar
bar:Fred       from:01/01/1991 till:01/04/1993 color:bass
bar:Gail       from:01/04/1993 till:31/12/1995 color:bass
bar:Gail       from:08/02/2016 till:end      color:bass
bar:Chris      from:01/01/1991 till:31/12/1995 color:drums
bar:Chris      from:08/02/2016 till:end      color:drums

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Discography

Studio albums

Year	Album information
1993	Star Released February 2, 1993 Labels involved: Sire Records, Reprise Records
1995	King Released February 14, 1995 Labels involved: Sire Records, Reprise Records
2018	Dove Released May 4, 2018 Label operated by Belly Touring LLC

Extended plays

• Slow Dust (1992)
• Gepetto (1992)
• Feed the Tree (1993)
• Moon (1993)
• Seal My Fate (1995)
• Now They'll Sleep (1995)
• Super-Connected (1995)
• Sun (1995)
• Feel (2018)

Singles

Chart performance of Belly singles

Year	Track	Highest chart positions			Album
		US (Billboard Hot100)	US Alt. (Alternative Songs)	UK (UK Singles Chart)
1992	"Gepetto"	113	8	49	Star
1993	"Feed the Tree"	95	1	32
	"Moon"	—	—	—
	"Slow Dog"	—	17	—
1994	"Are You Experienced?"	—	—	—	"Stone Free: A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix"
1995	"Super-Connected"	—	35	—	King
	"Now They'll Sleep"	103	17	28
	"Red"	—	—	—
	"Seal My Fate"	—	—	35
2017	"Hushabye Mountain"	"—"	"—"	"—"	(Non-album single)
2018	"Shiny One"	"—"	"—"	"—"	Dove
	"Stars Align"	"—"	"—"	"—"	Dove

Compilation albums

• Baby Silvertooth (Japan-only release - 1993)
• Sweet Ride: The Best of Belly (2002)
• Bees (2021)

Contributed songs

• Stone Free: A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix (1993) – "Are You Experienced?"
• Generation X: Alternative Point of View (1994) – "Feed The Tree"
• Just Say Roe (Just Say Yes Vol.7) (1994) – "It's Not Unusual"
• With Honors [Soundtrack] (1994) – "It's Not Unusual"
• UMPF (1995) – "Now They'll Sleep"
• Mallrats Soundtrack (1995) – "Broken"
• Sharks Patrol These Waters (1995) – "White Belly"
• This Is Fort Apache (1995) – "Star"
• Tank Girl Soundtrack (1995) – "Thief"
• Safe and Sound Benefit for Brookline Clinic Violence’’(1996) – "Think About Your Troubles"
• A Bunch O' Hits - Best Rock of the '90s Vol.1’’(1996) – "Feed The Tree"
• In Defense of Animals Vol.2’’(1996) – "Spaceman"
• Twister [Soundtrack]’’(1996) – "Broken"
• The Rolling Stone Women in Rock Collection’’(1998) – "Feed The Tree"
• Intimate Portrait - Women in Rock’’(1999) – "Feed The Tree"
• Out of Bounds - Journey Through Modern Rock’’(1999) – "Gepetto"
• Double Shot - Pop Alternative’’(2000) – "Feed The Tree"
• Episode S1E8 of Rick and Morty’’(2014) - "Seal My Fate"