From Nursery To Misery

Formed in Essex, England, the lo-fi synth pop outfit From Nursery to Misery featured identical twin sisters Tina and Gina Fear alongside keyboardist Lee Stevens. Having grown up as neighbors on the same street, the three began collaborating musically in their teenage years around 1987. The Fear sisters delivered naïve, untrained vocals that alternated between singing and spoken delivery, set against Stevens’ inventive backing tracks, resulting in a sound that felt both curious and childlike. This combination proved equally charming and unsettling, resisting straightforward stylistic parallels. Activity ceased in 1991 after just four live performances and the self-distribution of two homemade cassette albums through the Mail Art network. The group also issued a split tape alongside Nostalgie Eternelle and contributed to more than a dozen cassette compilations. Despite ending their musical work, the Fear sisters maintained an enduring spiritual connection that kept them inseparable. In 2015 director Matthew Reed spent time at the sisters’ residence to capture a short documentary offering glimpses into their personal sphere. Dark Entries assembled the 2017 compilation Pixies in the Woods, drawing from the band’s original cassette releases, various compilation tracks, and several previously unheard recordings.