Heavenly

Heavenly formed in Oxford in 1990, Amelia Fletcher, Rob Pursey, Mathew Fletcher, Peter Momtchiloff, and Cathy Rogers developing a sound rooted in indie pop and the C86 tradition that was immediately warm and melodic. Fletcher's vocals were sweet and direct, and her lyrics combined personal observation with a feminist politics that was entirely genuine and never preachy.

They were signed to Sarah Records and later Wiiija Records, releasing a series of albums and singles that earned a devoted following among fans of indie pop. 'Le Jardin de Heavenly' (1992) and 'The Decline and Fall of Heavenly' (1994) were their strongest albums — melodic, jangly, and full of Fletcher's characteristic warmth and wit.

Heavenly dissolved in 1996 following the death of drummer Mathew Fletcher. Amelia Fletcher subsequently formed Marine Research and later Tender Trap. Heavenly are remembered as one of the most beloved acts of the early-1990s British indie pop scene — their combination of melodic gifts, feminist politics, and genuine warmth made them genuinely important, and their influence on subsequent indie pop acts has been considerable.