Biography
Formed in Boston during 1990, Letters to Cleo blended catchy pop melodies with the robust drive of a rock ensemble. Guitarist Greg McKenna launched the project under a different name and recruited Kay Hanley as a backing vocalist after an audition. A commanding singer who had already fronted a regional new wave act, Hanley stayed alongside McKenna once the original configuration dissolved months afterward. The remaining members embraced an upbeat power-pop style and chose the name Letters to Cleo to honor a childhood pen-pal exchange Hanley had maintained. Michael Eisenstein on guitar—who would later marry Hanley—joined with drummer Stacy Jones and bassist Scott Riebling, completing the five-piece lineup that spent the next several years playing Boston-area clubs.
By the time they issued their debut full-length Aurora Gory Alice in 1993 on the independent CherryDisc label, the group had honed its live reputation. Unexpected sales prompted Giant Records to sign them, resulting in a 1994 reissue of the same album and the follow-up Wholesale Meats and Fish the next year. Two singles appeared in 1995—“Awake” and “Here & Now”—with the latter gaining MTV rotation and reaching the Top Ten on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. The track also closed episodes of the television series Melrose Place and appeared on that show’s popular soundtrack album. Despite the single’s visibility, Wholesale Meats and Fish underperformed relative to its predecessor, and two years passed before the release of Go! in 1997. By then Jones had departed to join Veruca Salt (later forming American Hi-Fi), with Tom Polce taking over on drums.
The band’s 1998 collection Sister compiled B-sides and early demo tracks, marking their final release. Their last concert took place on May 4, 2000; The Boston Globe reported the breakup the following month. Contractual obligations for the animated series Molly-O kept the members collaborating briefly before each pursued separate paths. Hanley launched a solo career, contributed vocals to the Josie and the Pussycats film and its soundtrack, and provided backing vocals on Miley Cyrus’s 2008 tour. Jones formed American Hi-Fi, worked as a session drummer, and served as Cyrus’s musical director and drummer. Riebling and Polce moved into production and engineering roles, while McKenna started the group City Rivals.
Letters to Cleo reconvened in 2007 for a benefit supporting one of their longtime fans and played a short tour the next year, during which Joe Klompus filled in on bass for Riebling. After focusing on individual work for several years, they appeared together for the 2014 series finale of the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation. Early in 2016 they confirmed plans for new material and issued the Back to Nebraska EP that October.
By the time they issued their debut full-length Aurora Gory Alice in 1993 on the independent CherryDisc label, the group had honed its live reputation. Unexpected sales prompted Giant Records to sign them, resulting in a 1994 reissue of the same album and the follow-up Wholesale Meats and Fish the next year. Two singles appeared in 1995—“Awake” and “Here & Now”—with the latter gaining MTV rotation and reaching the Top Ten on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. The track also closed episodes of the television series Melrose Place and appeared on that show’s popular soundtrack album. Despite the single’s visibility, Wholesale Meats and Fish underperformed relative to its predecessor, and two years passed before the release of Go! in 1997. By then Jones had departed to join Veruca Salt (later forming American Hi-Fi), with Tom Polce taking over on drums.
The band’s 1998 collection Sister compiled B-sides and early demo tracks, marking their final release. Their last concert took place on May 4, 2000; The Boston Globe reported the breakup the following month. Contractual obligations for the animated series Molly-O kept the members collaborating briefly before each pursued separate paths. Hanley launched a solo career, contributed vocals to the Josie and the Pussycats film and its soundtrack, and provided backing vocals on Miley Cyrus’s 2008 tour. Jones formed American Hi-Fi, worked as a session drummer, and served as Cyrus’s musical director and drummer. Riebling and Polce moved into production and engineering roles, while McKenna started the group City Rivals.
Letters to Cleo reconvened in 2007 for a benefit supporting one of their longtime fans and played a short tour the next year, during which Joe Klompus filled in on bass for Riebling. After focusing on individual work for several years, they appeared together for the 2014 series finale of the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation. Early in 2016 they confirmed plans for new material and issued the Back to Nebraska EP that October.
Albums
