Angelfish

Angelfish first drew widespread attention as the short-lived outfit that introduced Shirley Manson to the producers who would soon recruit her into Garbage. Ex-members of the Scottish band Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie assembled the project, in which Manson had previously served only on keyboards and backing vocals. She rapidly stepped forward as Angelfish’s lead singer and central performer, leaving guitarist Martin Metcalf—himself a former singer with Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie—bassist Fin Wilson, and drummer Derek Kelly in supporting roles behind her rising profile. Manson’s commanding presence quickly defined the group’s identity, so that her likeness alone appeared on the sleeve of the self-titled debut album and she became the focal point of every music video. Although commercial breakthrough remained elusive for the quartet, the clips received modest rotation on MTV’s alternative showcase 120 Minutes. Butch Vig, Duke Erikson, and Steve Marker happened to see the “Suffocate Me” clip during one such broadcast and, still searching for a frontwoman for their new band, contacted Manson. While on a break from Angelfish’s North American tour, she detoured to Vig’s studio in Madison, Wisconsin, to lay down initial tracks with the trio. The collaboration succeeded, developing into Garbage and bringing Angelfish to an end.