Juliana Hatfield

Juliana Hatfield’s 35-year career has seen her an underground darling, cultural emblem and a time-tested veteran whose tender singing and exemplary guitar playing is an iconic and enduring pinnacle of indie and alternative rock. In 1986, she co-founded Boston indie-rock trio the Blake Babies with Freda Love and John Strohm, injecting a glassy pop sensibility and keen knack for melody into the East Coast’s vibrant underground rock scene, which included Dinosaur Jr., the Pixies and The Lemonheads. Her 1992 debut solo album, Hey Babe, proved Hatfield a force in her own right. Its 11 tracks of melodic alt-rock portend the explosion of her singular blend of hard and soft (and also the cultural impact of grunge figureheads Nirvana, detailed in the album’s song of the same name). That’s not to mention Hatfield’s crucial contribution as bassist and backing vocalist on The Lemonheads’ albums It’s a Shame About Ray (1992) and Come on Feel The Lemonheads (1993).