The Black Belles
The Black Belles is an American all-female "garage goth" rock band found by Jack White and signed to his label Third Man Records.[1][2]
The Black Belles | |
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![]() The Black Belles performing at the Brudenell Social Club, Leeds, 2012. | |
Background information | |
Origin | Nashville, Tennessee, United States |
Genres | Garage rock |
Years active | 2009–2012 (hiatus) |
Labels | Third Man Records |
Website | theblackbelles |
Members | Shelby Lynne Ruby Rogers Olivia Jean |
Past members | Christina Norwood Erin Belle |
History
The Black Belles formed in 2009 originally with Erin Belle. Bassist Ruby Rogers said "She helped us out in the studio, and we needed someone with more of a commitment. She's also a model. Her scheduling didn't work out. We just haven't communicated that to a lot of people."[3] They quickly signed to Third Man Records and released three singles: "Elvira", "What Can I Do", and "Charlene" with Stephen Colbert, which they performed live on The Colbert Report.[4] Regarding their start with Third Man Records, Olivia Jean said, "I had a recording that I gave to Jack, and it was mostly instrumental music, but it was a jumping-off point for like, some project to begin. I did it for myself, but I didn't play anything live, because I didn't have a band. But once we all met, we kind of collaborated together and shared ideas, threw all those ideas together and we had a lot of material to work with."[3]
In 2011, they released their debut self-titled album which had two singles: "Honky Tonk Horror" and "Wishing Well".[5] The album was produced by Jack White and recorded in the course of a few months. Rogers said "We did it really fast, and then we recorded it really fast, too."[3] It received mildly positive reviews, achieving a Metacritic score of 59.[6]
In 2014 band member Olivia Jean released a solo album, Bathtub Love Killings, also with Third Man Records.[7]
Band members
- Current
- Olivia Jean – lead vocals, guitars, piano, keyboards (2009–present)
- Shelby Lynne – drums, percussion (2009–present); piano, keyboards (2009–10)
- Ruby Rogers – bass guitar (2010–present); drums, percussion (2009–10)
- Former
- Christina Norwood – piano, keyboards (2010–12)
- Erin Belle – bass guitar (2009–10)
- Timeline
![](../I/c58812721bde880f467b63e86efea565.png.webp)
Discography
Albums
Year | Title |
2011 | The Black Belles
|
Singles
Year | Title |
2010 | "Elvira"
|
2010 | "What Can I Do?"
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2011 | "Charlene II (I'm Over You)" (Stephen Colbert featuring The Black Belles)
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2011 | "Honky Tonk Horror"
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2012 | "Wishing Well"
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References
- "Jack White as a svengali? Here's how not to do it ..." The Guardian. 8 Feb 2010.
- "Band of the Week: The Black Belles". Vogue. 15 Nov 2011.
- "The Black Belles Ring True - Interview Magazine".
- "Stephen Colbert and the Black Belles Debut 'Charlene II (I'm Over You)'". Rolling Stone. 24 Jun 2011.
- "New music: The Black Belles – The Wishing Well". The Guardian. 26 Apr 2012.
- "Reviews for The Black Belles by The Black Belles - Metacritic".
- "Olivia Jean: Lana Del Rey's worst nightmare". WBEZ91.5. 4 Nov 2014.