The Kate Bush performance that Tanya Donnelly “never recovered” from
Few artists have the ability to consistently stop audiences in their tracks from the very first listen, but Kate Bush is one of them. With her soaring vocals, magical synth soundscapes, and literary-inspired lyricism, the art-pop aficionado is a truly singular musician, something that comes across as soon as you hit play on her discography. Discovering Bush’s catalogue feels like opening a portal to an entirely new sonic world.
Millions of music fans all over the world have experienced this feeling. Hearing the wavering vocals of ‘Wuthering Heights’ or the tender synths of ‘Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)’ for the first time evokes a certain kind of awe in a person and a sudden desire to delve into the entirety of Bush’s discography to see what other sonic treasures it holds. Tanya Donnelly remembers this feeling well.
As a mainstay in the alternative rock scene, Donnelly has stunned her own fair share of audiences. She played guitar and lent her voice to The Breeders’ debut, Pod, ahead of their truly iconic album Last Splash, before leaving the band to front her own alternative rock outfit Belly, penning their most well-known track, ‘Feed the Tree’ in the early 1990s. But before she became an alternative star in her own right, Donnelly was stunned by the stylings of Bush.
As the guitarist recalled during a conversation with Uncut, Donnelly first discovered Bush when she appeared on the long-standing comedy series Saturday Night Live. “Oh God, where to start?” she began, “My first sighting of Kate Bush was on Saturday Night Live performing ‘Them Heavy People’ – my sister Kristin was with me and I remember saying something like, ‘What is she doing?’ or ‘What is happening right now?’, or something along those lines.”
Donnelly’s stunned response to Bush’s performance was entirely positive, completely opening up her mind to the boundaries of the medium. “I felt like everything that was musically possible expanded for me in those three minutes,” she remembered, “Honestly, I never recovered from it!” From that moment, Donnelly was captured by Bush, and she was particularly enthusiastic about one album in particular.
The former Breeders member named Bush’s debut record, The Kick Inside, as one of her favourites of all time. Released in 1978, the record introduced the world to the magical stylings of Bush, accompanying her record-breaking debut single with a slew of other art-pop experiments. From ‘L’Amour Looks Something Like You’ to ‘Strange Phenomena’, the record asserted Bush’s vocal talents and her strangely singular approach to the genre.
From there, she only entranced more audiences with each new record. Hounds of Love was another favourite of Donnelly’s, who described it as one of her “most-loved albums.” A selection of synth soundscapes and otherworldly compositions, the album isn’t just one of Donnelly’s most well-loved listens; it’s one of the most well-loved offerings in Bush’s catalogue.
But Bush’s impact on Donnelly extended beyond her love for the music. “Kate validated my inner goth romantic,” she concluded, “and I am still head over heels for her.” She’s not the only one. Over 40 years on from the release of The Kick Inside, the ‘Wuthering Heights’ singer still remains one of the most distinctive and the most prominent voices in pop. Music will never recover from her influence.
