Information/Write-up
Jellyfishbabies were a Halifax-born alternative rock band whose brief but influential run between the mid-1980s and early 1990s helped lay important groundwork for what would soon be recognized as the Halifax Pop Explosion. While they never achieved sustained mainstream success, the band’s combination of strong musicianship, literate songwriting, and stylistic range placed them a step ahead of many contemporaries, and their work resonated deeply with the generation of Halifax bands that followed.
Formed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1986, the group centred on vocalist and guitarist Scott Kendall, with guitarist Peter Arsenault, bassist David Schellenberg, and an early rhythm section that evolved during the band’s formative years. Jellyfishbabies quickly distinguished themselves on the local circuit, releasing an independently issued self-titled album in 1986 that reportedly rose to the top of CKDU-FM’s local charts within days of release—an early indicator of the band’s strong campus-radio appeal.
That same year, Jellyfishbabies were featured on Out of the Fog, a Halifax compilation that documented the city’s emerging underground scene and later gained historical significance for including early appearances by artists who would soon break nationally. The band’s presence on the compilation positioned them squarely within a rapidly coalescing East Coast alternative network that valued originality, independence, and literate songwriting.
By the late 1980s, as Halifax’s infrastructure for independent bands remained limited, Jellyfishbabies made the now-familiar east-to-Toronto migration in pursuit of broader opportunities. In 1989, the group relocated to Toronto, with drummer Michael Belitsky joining the lineup following the move. The shift brought new momentum and access to a larger industry ecosystem, while preserving the band’s distinctly Halifax-rooted sensibility.
The resulting album, The Unkind Truth About Rome, was released in 1990 on Lone Wolf Records and Fringe Product. Recorded at Reaction Studios and produced by Michael-Phillip Wojewoda, the record marked the band’s most fully realized statement. Musically, it ranged from taut, driving alternative rock to more expansive and atmospheric material, often drawing on literary and historical themes.
Several tracks from the album extended Jellyfishbabies’ reach beyond their own releases. “The Erlking” appeared on the Highway 61 soundtrack, and the band contributed a cover of Bruce Cockburn’s “Call It Democracy” to the tribute album Kick at the Darkness.
Despite critical respect and strong peer recognition, Jellyfishbabies struggled to convert momentum into sustained commercial success. Lineup instability and the realities of the early-1990s independent marketplace took their toll. Arsenault departed to join the Doughboys, and although the band continued briefly—issuing The Swan and the City—the project dissolved soon afterward.
In the years following the breakup, Jellyfishbabies’ influence became increasingly evident. Members of Sloan, among the most prominent figures to emerge from Halifax’s next wave, later cited the band as an inspiration, including naming their 2003 album Action Pact after the Jellyfishbabies song “Youth Action Pact.” Drummer Michael Belitsky went on to play with Jale and later established a wide-ranging career performing with artists such as Neko Case, The Sadies, and Pernice Brothers. Scott Kendall remained active, later fronting the Vancouver-based group Babies with Rabies.
Bassist David Schellenberg passed away in 1995, bringing a quiet finality to one of the more elusive but important chapters in Halifax’s alternative rock lineage.
Today, Jellyfishbabies are remembered less for chart success than for their role as a bridge between Halifax’s early underground scene and the nationally recognized explosion that followed—an articulate, ambitious band whose recorded legacy continues to reward rediscovery.
-Robert Williston
Musicians
Scott Kendall: vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, harmonica, percussion, cabasa, kettle drum
Peter Arsenault: guitar, backing vocals, percussion
David Schellenberg: bass, percussion
Michael Belitsky: drums, percussion
Songwriting
All songs written by Scott Kendall, except where noted
Songs © Scott Kendall, 1990
Registered PROCAN
© 1990 Pathetic Romantic Records
‘The Gibbet Song’ based on a ballad by François Villon
‘The Erlking’ based on a poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Production
Produced by Michael-Phillip Wojewoda
Recorded at Reaction Studios, 1989
Licensed to Lone Wolf Records
Manufactured and distributed by Fringe Product
Artwork
Art direction and design by Patrick Duffy for Pain Studio
Notes
Includes photo insert
The songs on this album were not conceived as a complete work but as a collection of songs which represent Jellyfishbabies musical directions and changes since the release of the first album. – Scott Kendall
Liner notes
Alba is a Provencal word meaning ‘dawn song’. It is played in an open G-tuning.
The Gibbet Song is based on a ballad by Francois Villon, and The Erlking on a poem by Goethe.
Greycoat Orchestra was written while the band was living in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Wild Cows is a mixture of Dylan’s Talking Blues and metal anthem.
Peter plays a Stratocaster and is in the left channel of the stereo mix. I play a Les Paul Custom, and am in the right channel of the stereo mix.
Special thanks to: Scratch Anderson, Michael Phillip Wojewoda, Jill Heath, Fringe Product, Brian Taylor, Gerry Schellenberg, Kristine Scott, Chris Buck, CKLN, David Barnard, Change Of Heart, Mona Dhanjal, Carson, Holly Hames, Heather Hove, Marshall Rublee, Kathi, Patrick J. Duffy, Elliot Lefko, Revolver Films, David McIlvaine, Barry Peterson, Mark Hajek, Intrepid Records, CKDU, Greg Clark, Pub Flamingo, DTK Records, Reaction Studios, Umbrella Sound, FACTOR, Steelore Productions, and all our friends and family.
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