Surf, Storms & the Making of ‘King’: Tanya Donelly of Belly Looks Back on Its 30th Anniversary
It’s been 30 years since Belly released ‘King’ and somehow it still feels just as wild, weird, and wonderful as ever.
Coming off the surprise success of ‘Star,’ the band with bassist Gail Greenwood newly in the fold teamed up with legendary producer Glyn Johns and recorded in the Bahamas, chasing something bolder and heavier. Tanya Donelly’s songwriting hit a new level—political, personal, poetic—and her guitar chemistry with Tom Gorman turned into this sort of secret language. Tracks like ‘Seal My Fate,’ ‘Now They’ll Sleep,’ and ‘Super-Connected’ weren’t just catchy, they moved. They still do.
Now ‘King’ is back on wax for Record Store Day 2025, finally getting the vinyl reissue it deserves. Pressed on limited green vinyl, remastered by Kevin Vanbergen, and keeping its original sleeve art, this is the version fans have been waiting for. Tanya remembers the Compass Point sessions like a dream: swimming, storms, surf, and somehow nailing takes in just two tries. It was inspiring and real, and that magic is baked into every groove of ‘King.’ If you’re new to ‘Belly,’ this is your invitation. If you’ve been around since the beginning, welcome home.
Pre-Order ‘King’ (30th Anniversary Edition) on Green Vinyl or CD here!
“We weave in and out and around each other… and these are very fun to play live partly for this reason.”
Thank you very much for taking your time. Tanya, when you look back at those late nights in cramped rehearsal spaces and the fierce intensity of early gigs, is there a single moment from the making of King that still sings in your veins?
Tanya Donelly: There are many moments that sing…recording at Compass Point was a very unique and special experience. We were there during tropical storm season, and several times we’d have to take a break after losing power. These stretches of downtime and dramatic weather ended up charging the energy of the hours we were able to record. Chris Gorman actually went surfing during a waterspout swarm (do not try this at home), and then came in and we nailed ‘Untitled and Unsung’ in two takes. Every morning we’d swim, record for a few hours, maybe swim again, everyone (but me) would surf, eat our weight in local fruit, record for a few hours, have dinner at Glyn’s amazing place on the water, night swim, and do it all again the next day. Bonkers.
Your interplay with Tom Gorman on guitar always felt like a secret conversation without words. Was there a particular riff or moment on King that defined that silent dialogue for you?
I love this question! I think it goes without saying that Tom is a brilliant guitarist, and playing with him feels simultaneously safe and exciting, a rare combo. On ‘King,’ I especially love what we’re doing together on ‘Seal My Fate,’ ‘Untitled and Unsung,’ and ‘Now They’ll Sleep.’ We weave in and out and around each other on all three, and these are very fun to play live partly for this reason.
Working with a legend like Glyn Johns on King must have been transformative. Can you share a behind-the-scenes glimpse of how his presence reshaped your creative instincts?
Glyn was wonderful in preproduction as well as production. He met up with us for a week at our practice space in Middletown, RI, and we tweaked and practiced for days in order to be ready to record everything live once we got to the Bahamas. It was so smart to have that work done beforehand, and it saved us a ton of time and stress. He was also very good at knowing a vibey take when he heard it, even if it was perhaps not the most “perfect” take. And Jack Joseph Puig was also invaluable in the process of recording live, which is why Glyn brought him on board.
The underground scene of the early nineties was raw and unpredictable. Is there a memory from that era—whether on stage or off—that still makes your heart race when you revisit ‘King’?
I think the fact that two quirky and very different indie-esque rock songs like ‘Superconnected’ and ‘Now They’ll Sleep’ got as much radio play as they did is a testament to how broad the bandwidth was back then. And again, recorded live and relatively unpolished. Still shiny, though.
As ‘King’ returns on limited green vinyl after three decades, what does it feel like to resurrect that piece of history for a new generation of listeners?
In the past several years we’ve noticed many young faces in the audience, and it’s so lovely to have them in the mix. It’s gratifying to have something new and handheld to offer now, and especially to those who weren’t around for the first round.
Let’s dive into the early days. Do you remember that spark when the city’s grimy underbelly collided with your fierce ambition, leaving no room for compromise?
This question is reminding me of early Throwing Muses days in Boston, playing a much-loved club called The Rat in Kenmore Sq. When it rained very, very hard, the rats would sometimes come up from the subway, and a few times we’d be loading out as they milled around. One particular night, the cat-sized mother of all rats came sauntering slowly up the sidewalk and we jumped on top of our amps until she passed. It was like a fairy tale, and we were thrilled! I miss that place very much.
Looking back, can you pinpoint a moment of creative rupture… a spark that turned the familiar into something shockingly original, something that still haunts your musical DNA?
Regarding ‘Belly,’ I would say our ’96 breakup was a rupture that led us to very different individual ventures and experiences, many of which are still intact and important to us today. And then the coming together again … onstage, co-writing, recording … has felt both very familiar and very new. We picked up where we left off in some ways, but we wouldn’t be making the music we’re making now without that time apart. (My break from Throwing Muses was also a big point of rupture personally, and the growing pains that followed are ongoing.)
What’s the one unfiltered truth about your early days—a secret story or whispered memory—that you wish more people could hear?
I nearly lost my leg and life in a car accident when I was 12 years old, and responded very dramatically by diving into a spiritual search that lasted many years. This interest became a constant in my life and work, and continues in a more measured way to this day, albeit with much less adolescent zeal.
As we wrap up, what’s capturing your passion these days, both musically and personally?
Boston. After a stretch of being very “indoorsy”, I’ve been dipping back into my town ~ the musicians, venues, museums, activists, artists, my beautiful friends. Home.
Klemen Breznikar
Headline photo: Stephen Dirado
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