Belle Ghoul

Originating in Detroit and New York, Belle Ghoul centers on two principal figures: Christopher Tait from Electric Six and Jesse Paris Smith, daughter of Patti Smith and Fred "Sonic" Smith. An informal exchange between the pair of friends across those cities first gave rise to the project, centered on shared musical tastes, concepts, and scattered song fragments. Formalizing the band required recruiting associates Matt Van, Mike Alonso, Christian Doble, and producer Zach Shipps. Their bright, cheerful indie pop remains literate, tender, and optimistic, drawing on the expansive style of the Boo Radleys, the Go Betweens, and Paul Kelly and the Messengers, along with Lee Hazelwood’s wry pathos and the Modern Lovers’ chaotic, innocent energy. Elefant Records released the four-song seven-inch EP “(Out Of )The Neighborhood” on Halloween in 2012.