Biography
In the early 1990s the Belltower stood out as an unusual American entry in the shoegaze scene. Their approach went beyond typical genre boundaries because of the commanding presence in Britta Phillips’ vocals, which set them apart from peers who tended to submerge singing beneath layers of distorted guitars. Instead the group operated more like a straightforward pop act.
Phillips, later recognized as the singing voice of Jem from the 1980s animated series of the same title, and co-founder Jody Porter relocated the project from New York City to London in 1990, where they began releasing recordings on the independent Ultimate imprint. The Terry Bickers–produced single Exploration Day, credited to the former House of Love guitarist, earned NME’s single of the week designation and opened doors for the follow-up releases In Hollow and Flight, culminating in the album Popdropper, issued by Ultimate in the U.K. and East/West in the U.S.
After several lineup adjustments the band returned to New York, where future Ivy and Fountains of Wayne participant Adam Schlesinger briefly handled bass duties. The group then shifted operations to South Carolina and issued the 1994 Scratchie single Underwatertown. By 1996 the Belltower had ceased activity. Porter subsequently contributed to Fountains of Wayne alongside Schlesinger and launched the project Astrojet, while Phillips went on to record with Ultrababyfat and Luna and spent time performing alongside Ben Lee.
Phillips, later recognized as the singing voice of Jem from the 1980s animated series of the same title, and co-founder Jody Porter relocated the project from New York City to London in 1990, where they began releasing recordings on the independent Ultimate imprint. The Terry Bickers–produced single Exploration Day, credited to the former House of Love guitarist, earned NME’s single of the week designation and opened doors for the follow-up releases In Hollow and Flight, culminating in the album Popdropper, issued by Ultimate in the U.K. and East/West in the U.S.
After several lineup adjustments the band returned to New York, where future Ivy and Fountains of Wayne participant Adam Schlesinger briefly handled bass duties. The group then shifted operations to South Carolina and issued the 1994 Scratchie single Underwatertown. By 1996 the Belltower had ceased activity. Porter subsequently contributed to Fountains of Wayne alongside Schlesinger and launched the project Astrojet, while Phillips went on to record with Ultrababyfat and Luna and spent time performing alongside Ben Lee.
Albums
