Alisha's Attic

Sisters Karen and Shellie Poole spent their formative years in England’s Essex County immersed in music. Harboring ambitions of entering the pop sphere, they composed eccentric and lighthearted songs under the name Alisha’s Attic, drawn from an imaginary persona blending elements of each sister. A self-produced demo fusing Prince and Kate Bush influences reached the Mercury label, setting their career in motion. Although collaborative sessions with outside producers were ultimately scrapped, the pair constructed the core of their first album through their own writing and programming. Dave Stewart was later enlisted to finalize the project, resulting in the 1996 release Alisha Rules the World. Extensive promotional outings, support dates with INXS, an appearance on America’s Lilith Fair, and the hit single “I Am, I Feel” generated 600,000 British sales along with a devoted American following. Their 1998 follow-up, Illumina, adopted a more mature tone and retained the loyalty of existing fans yet achieved only modest chart results, save for lead single “The Incidentals,” which peaked at number 13 in the U.K. The 2001 album The House We Built found the sisters exploring deeper and more reflective themes; despite favorable notices from both critics and supporters, the project coincided with a major roster reduction at Mercury. The duo subsequently disbanded to pursue individual paths. Karen established herself as a songwriter, supplying hits for Kylie Minogue, Sugababes, and the Shapeshifters. Shellie altered the spelling of her name to Shelly and launched a solo career; she wed Ally McErlaine of Scottish band Texas in 2001 and issued Hard Time for the Dreamer in 2005. That same year the pair staged a brief live reunion when Karen appeared with Shelly for two songs at a Shepherd’s Bush Green performance.