BRATTLEBORO-If you are a fan of alternative rock, you know the music of Tanya Donelly and Chris Brokaw. She was the cofounder of Throwing Muses, Belly, and the Breeders. He is best known as the guitarist/singer for the band Come and the drummer for Codeine, and he has collaborated a number of other musicians, including Thurston Moore.
Now Donelly and Brokaw, both of Boston, have teamed up for a new project that reaches further back than their 1980s beginnings. They have recorded The Undone Is Done Again, a four-song EP of “medieval music for the modern era.”
The EP comes out on Friday, April 17, with a special-edition vinyl available for Record Store Day on Saturday, April 18.
Before the EP is released, Brokaw and Donelly started a four-city tour — called the Madrigals and Guitar Tour as a nod to the style and mood of what they are performing together — at the Stone Church in Brattleboro on Friday, April 10, at 8 p.m.
Despite being longtime players on the Boston music scene and admirers of each other’s work, Donelly and Brokaw had never worked together — that is, until 2024, when Donelly approached Brokaw about playing together at their mutual friend Hilken Mancini’s annual holiday event.
Brokaw agreed and had some thoughts on what they should sing. He had been listening to a Norwegian group, Medieval Trio, after randomly coming across a CD in a record shop. Once he started listening to the group, he became captivated by this old music.
“Chris called and said, ‘I’ve been listening to this medieval music and I’m really into it, I think it would be cool to do our interpretation of one of these carols,’” recalled Donelly. “At the time I was joking when I said, ‘Are you trying to shake me off?’ But then he sent me several pieces, and I just fell in love with the idea.”
They chose the song “In Hoc Anni Circulo,” and Donelly admitted to being nervous going into the show and singing the song, which is in Latin.
“I felt like this is just such a blindside in some ways, but when we’re doing it, it feels really natural. I’m not worried about what it is or why we are doing it, it just feels right,” she said.
“I know it’s going to sound simplistic, but it just feels good to play this music with him,” Donelly continued. “There’s something really trance-y and personally satisfying about it.”
“I don’t think people are surprised when Tanya and I do something new and different,” said Brokaw about that first show.
“I felt like we immediately had a sound that sounded and felt really different from the source that we were drawing from,” he added. “I thought it was really cool and I thought that we should do more of this — and Tanya was really into it.”
* * *
Brokaw and Donelly decided to make a record, and it involved extensive online research to find the right material. There was a lot to wade through, as these songs are very old and there are multiple versions out there.
Donelly also wanted to know what the lyrics meant, so she dove into finding translations.
“I want to make it clear that I don’t speak Latin,” Donelly said with a laugh. “But I didn’t want to be singing anything that I can’t get behind, as there is some violent religious imagery in some of these songs. I kind of stuck with the more spiritually vague and also made choices on what sounds beautiful, but it did take a while to get them in singable shape.”
The Undone Is Done Again, which showcases the interplay between Donelly’s gorgeous vocals and Brokaw’s atmospheric guitar, includes three songs in Latin and another, “Sainte Nicholaes,” in Middle English.
“We approached each song differently, and I took some liberties with the chord changes,” said Brokaw. “I know Tanya took some liberties with some of the melodies, too, so they’re definitely our versions of the songs.”
They decided to include only four songs on the EP because, as Brokaw put it, “it just felt so complete.”
* * *
Although the music is very old, Brokaw’s inventive guitar playing gives it a fresh sound. The result is beautiful and haunting and unlike anything you’ve ever heard before. It’s impressive how much emotion they express with just guitar and vocals, especially considering we can’t understand the lyrics. Donelly pushes her voice to an entirely new level here.
“I’ve never sung like this before,” she said. “But it feels good to do something that is a radical departure. It’s very fun.”
She admitted that ‘fun’ might seem like an odd word for this project, but Donelly said she and Brokaw are really enjoying it.
“I also want to add there’s something so beautiful and freeing about singing phonetically,” she said. “I can focus on what Chris is doing and the melody, and not on what I’m saying.”
* * *
Neither Brokaw nor Donelly has performed at Stone Church before, and they are looking forward to debuting the record there.
The show will include the four songs from the EP, along with material from throughout their careers. They are also working on new material and are looking forward to playing a couple of these songs as well.
Brokaw and Donelly plan to play some shows in Europe this fall, and Brokaw said he would also like to add more U.S. dates.
“I’ve always heard good things about the Stone Church, so I’m looking forward to playing there,” he said. “I am also excited to see Roger,” referring to Roger C. Miller, co-founder and guitarist of Mission of Burma, who will be opening the show. “It’s going to be a great night.”
* * *
Tanya Donelly and Chris Brokaw will perform at the Stone Church, 210 Main St., Brattleboro, on Friday, April 10, at 8 p.m. Doors open at 7 p.m.
Advance tickets are available for the all-ages show at stonechurchvt.com.
Sheryl Hunter is a freelance writer from Easthampton, Massachusetts, and has reported extensively on the regional music scene for many years. Her work has appeared in various regional and national publications.
This Arts column by Sheryl Hunter was written for The Commons.