The Hope Blister

Ivo Watts-Russell, founder of 4AD, assembled the Hope Blister as a direct continuation of his This Mortal Coil work. Rather than relying once more on a rotating cast of musicians, he established a fixed trio that included vocalist Louise Rutkowski, bass virtuoso Laurence O'Keefe, and cellist/arranger Audrey Riley. The group made its first appearance in 1998 via the covers album ...smile's ok. The next year brought Underarms, a limited pressing that gathered outtakes and remixes drawn from that debut. In 2005 4AD reissued the material as the two-disc package Underarms & Sideways, pairing the original tracks with an additional set of reinterpretations supplied by Kompakt artist Markus Guentner.