TANYA DONELLY

Tanya Donelly first emerged in the indie-rock landscape in the early 1980s, co-founding Throwing Muses (with stepsister Kristin Hersh), then later co-forming The Breeders, before leading her own band Belly in the 1990s. With Belly she had her biggest commercial breakthrough, notably with the single “Feed the Tree”, earning critical acclaim and a Grammy nomination. 

After that success, Tanya embarked on a solo career marked by lyrical richness, melodic innovation, and a shifting musical palette that embraces folk, country, ambient, and indie pop textures. Her solo debut, Lovesongs for Underdogs (1997), established her distinct songwriting voice outside of her band projects.

This Hungry Life (originally released in 2006) is a live album recorded in a unique intimate setting — a closed hotel in Bellows Falls, Vermont — featuring largely new material, plus a few covers and re-imagined tracks. The album reflects maturity in both voice and subject matter: themes of home, family, identity, and the passage of time are woven through in her warm vocals and intimate performance style, with the live setting giving the songs immediacy and connection. 

Marking the 20th anniversary of This Hungry Life offers a chance to revisit her work at this pivotal moment: affirming her legacy in indie rock; celebrating her evolution as an artist who has never stopped refining her craft; and presenting This Hungry Life not just as a document of a live show but as a milestone in her ongoing journey — both musically and personally.

We are very excited to release This Hungry Life on vinyl for the first time ever to celebrate its 20th Anniversary!

This reissue was lovingly curated, and features a gatefold jacket, 4-color inner sleeve, and is available in 3 vinyl color options.

Vinyl mastering and lacquers cut by Scott Hull at Masterdisk. Records pressed at Gotta Groove Records in Cleveland, OH. Original artwork and design by Hamilton Hughes Design. Design assistance by Aaron Tanner.

Pre-Order at ALR-MUSIC.com

Side A
New England
World on Fire
Kundalini Slide
This Hungry Life
Littlewing

Side B
To the Lighthouse
Invisible One
Days of Grace
Long Long Long
River Girls

Players:
Tanya Donelly – guitar, vocals
Dean Fisher – guitars
Rich Gilbert – pedal steel, guitar
Joan Wasser – violin, viola
Joe McMahon – upright bass
Arthur Johnson – drums
Bill Janovitz – vocals

Production:
Engineered by Brian Brown
Edited by Dean Fisher and Brian Brown
Mixed by Paul Kolderie with mixing engineer Adam Taylor