Bio:

What began as physical therapy turned into a band

Belle and Chain is the Alt-Country, Western-tinged rock band formed by actress, filmmaker, director and musician Spencer Grammer (Rick and Morty, Greek) and multi-instrumentalist Davis IL. Blending Americana and haunting folk, Grammer describes their music as “leaning country but moodier with a little more grit”-- inspired equally by Johnny Cash and David Lynch.

Music became central to Grammer's life after she suffered a stab wound in 2020 in New York City while trying to break up a fight, causing lasting nerve damage in her right hand. Encouraged to pick up guitar as part of her recovery, she began writing songs in 2024 and discovered that playing and singing was a powerful way to process that trauma and rebuild confidence. 

Grammer was raised in New York City and Los Angeles in a deeply artistic household — her father a celebrated TV actor, her mother a Broadway dancer — and immersed in the performing arts from an early age. In her career as an actress, director and voice performer, she’s earned widespread recognition as the voice of Summer Smith on Adult Swim's Rick and Morty.

Meeting at Davis’ annual Highland Park Hellbender party, he was impressed with Grammer’s songwriting and in what he calls a “Cinderella moment”, joined full-time serving as co-writer and collaborator on keys and guitar. A San Francisco Bay Area native, his father's omnivorous diet of the Fillmore music scene passed on to Davis, allowing him to perform since high school when he “found his people: musicians”. 

As writing and performing partners, Davis “literally makes (our) shows happen out of sheer will and I like to think a little magic. Without him I wouldn’t even be playing and performing live like this”, says Grammer. “It’s incredibly exciting to be experimenting with our music and getting people out to enjoy it live.”

The Los Angeles-based band toured the US, UK and Europe in 2025: playing Freakout!, Echo Park Rising festivals and culminating in an opening slot for The Wedding Present in London at O2 Forum Kentish Town. New US/EU dates supporting Barns Courtney start April 2026. They are documenting the recording and touring process via their episodic series on Substack.

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