Tanya Donelly (born July 14 1966 in Newport, Rhode Island) is an American singer‑songwriter and guitarist who began her career in the early 1980s as co‑founder of the alternative band Throwing Muses with step‑sister Kristin Hersh; the group moved to Boston in 1986 and became the first American act signed to 4AD. After leaving Throwing Muses in the early 1990s, she co‑founded The Breeders with Kim Deal, contributing to the 1990 debut Pod, before forming Belly in 1991. Belly's 1993 album Star reached number 2 on the UK charts, produced the radio hit "Feed the Tree", earned a Gold certification in 1994, and led to a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist. Following Belly's dissolution in 1996, Tanya Donelly pursued a solo career, releasing Lovesongs for Underdogs (1997), the EP Sleepwalk (2001), Beautysleep (2002), Whiskey Tango Ghosts (2004), and the live recording This Hungry Life (2006) on 4AD and Warner Bros. Records. She collaborated with musicians such as Kim Deal and Dave Narcizo, and provided backing vocals on reunion projects for Throwing Muses and Mission of Burma. In 2018, Belly briefly reformed to release Dove, and the duo The Loyal Seas released Strange Mornings in the Garden (2022). Her career included chart success, Grammy nominations, and lasting influence in alternative rock. In 2020, she collaborated with Parkinson Sisters on Tany Donelly and the Parkinson Sisters, and in 2026, she partnered with guitarist Chris Brokaw on The Undone Is Done Again.
