Babes in Toyland was an American alternative rock band from Minneapolis, Minnesota, formed in 1987. The band was founded by vocalist and guitarist Kat Bjelland, along with drummer Lori Barbero and bassist Michelle Leon, who was later replaced by Maureen Herman in 1992.
Babes in Toyland in 2015, from left to right: Maureen Herman, Lori Barbero, and Kat Bjelland
Bjelland performing with Babes in Toyland in Groningen, Netherlands, 1991
The band playing at Primavera Sound 2015 in Porto
Babes in Toyland's star on the outside of Minneapolis nightclub First Avenue
Katherine Lynne Bjelland is a former American musician. She rose to prominence as the lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter of the alternative rock band Babes in Toyland, which she formed in 1987. She has been noted for her unusual vocal style alternately consisting of shrill screams, whispering, and speaking in tongues, as well as for her guitar playing style, which incorporates "jagged" tones with "psychotic rockabilly rhythms".
Bjelland performing with Babes in Toyland in Groningen, Netherlands, 1991
Bjelland in Minneapolis, 1992
Bjelland performing at Primavera Sound with Babes in Toyland, 2015
Bjelland (right) learned to play guitar from her uncle, David Higginbotham (center), a local musician in Kat's hometown of Woodburn, Oregon
