Los Angeles-based independent artist BELLAVOLENT, seamlessly combines indie, pop, electronica, and bass music with live instrumentation to create a one-of-a-kind sound.
You can hear the current inspiration of artists like Billie Eilish, Bea Miller, Sia, Daya, Haliee Steinfeild, Halsey, Krewella, Madison Beer, and many more speak into her musical creations. With a sound that is characterized by powerful songwriting, ethereal vocals, and celestial synths, BELLAVOLENT provides a timeless listening experience to her audience.
Sipping on the atmospheric concoction of her most recent single ”Holding It Down,” it’s hard to deny the striking unity that surfaces through a fluid merger of delicate and prevailing tones. You instantly get taken to a prosperous universe where BELLAVOLENT casts out a spellbinding tempo that has you latched into the intoxicating melodies filling out the track.
Encompassing a rush of slow to upbeat grooves as the music progresses in “Holding It Down,” the myriad of emotions that are struck make for an intricate sonic journey that’s ventured by one's interpretation. BELLAVOLENT has a knack for creating masterpieces that resonate with her audience through a triumphant offering of liberation. Allowing that consistency to run through her music as she extends a perspective lens to the various thoughts and emotions that run through her being is truly magical.
“Holding It Down,” has us taking away an empowered vessel of captivation, and comprehension, as we walk away from her hauntingly beautiful timbres with our heads held high. Laying down a blanketed brilliance with her inimitable timbres, BELLAVOLENT wraps the messaging she disburses throughout the track in a familiarity that we love to experience. Taking over, one track at a time, BELLAVOLENT remains on our radar as one to cast out a galaxy of sentimental sounds.
Welcome to BuzzMusic BELLAVOLENT, and congratulations on the release of your latest single, “Holding It Down." We admire how you bring such a unique take to the various sounds you offer in this record. Could you please take us into the inspiration behind this track?
Thank you. So the true inspiration behind this track comes from my dear friend and brother from another mother, the music producer on this song, his name is Luke Villemur. He actually originally gave me a completely different song to sing over, it was a remix that he got paid to do for a band. It was the fastest I had ever written lyrics and a melody at that part of my musical life. I was already inspired because we have a similar taste in music, which is a rare find. As far as the lyrics go, I just really like to bring positivity and empowerment into the world and I feel the song does a great job doing that.
What do you feel that “Holding It Down” says about you as an artist? What would you like your listeners to reflect on when taking this song in?
I think it says that I am serious about my music and my approach to creating it. I really held it down throughout the process of birthing this song. I think listeners who have been listening before Holding it Down came out can hear how much I let this song transform me as an artist. I couldn't just let out a song that people would just say "this is really good." I wanted people to say "this is exceptional work!" As far as what I would want listeners to reflect on when taking this song in, feel the power behind the instrumental arrangement, and take the messages to heart. Remember being a kid, how hard some of us thought it was (or even was), getting away (or getting ready to get away) from all those childhood & teenage problems. We realize there are bigger things to ponder like "where do we go, now that we are here? With all the problems we face & all of our fears?" This line can be referred to as the personal problems we go through or even our own triumphs and just pondering what the next step is. It can also and should also be referred to the bigger problems we face as a human race, as you see in the music video I point out problems in racism, climate, starvation, inflation, cancer, the list could have gone on but I only had so much room in the official music video. "Got better things to worry about, now all we wanna do is make a sound" is a counter reference to the line "don't let your parents hear a sound." At least for me, when I was a teenager, I would sneak out of the house when I wasn't supposed to, hoping they wouldn't hear a sound. (Don't try this at home, kids!) As I became an adult I realized I had bigger things to worry about and how I just wanted to be heard and how I want us all to be heard! "We should know better by now." That goes back to the problems I point out especially in regards to racism, climate issues, keeping people from starving, there are so many things in this world I feel we as a human race should know better about by now. The lyrics eventually lead to empowerment "let it be clear, we are very strong, we will be the change we want to see." Encouraging more empowerment "Now let's be the change, Don't be quiet let them hear your sound, stand strong you gotta hold your ground, hold it down! HOLDING IT DOWN! Can't push us around." I really want to see more people being the change they want to see in the world, not backing down, holding their ground, letting everyone hear what they have to say, and not allowing anyone in any circumstance to push us around. The last bit of the lyrical content I want to talk about is the last part of the bridge. "Being the ones that lift each other up, can't put us down. Being the ones that make our dreams come true. Can't stop us now." In a world where far too many people put others down, be one of the people that lift others up. In a world where far too many people give up on their dreams, be someone who is unstoppable in making their dreams come true. Hold it down, be someone others will say that they are truly "Holding it down."
Since your 2018 album ‘Dream,’ given your fan base a string of singles in 2021. What’s the difference between creating for an album, versus a single track? Do you have a preference for how you approach the creative journey in this case?
Well, DREAM was a special case of creation for me. I made that album in Italy with an Italian composer named Lorenzo Montanà after meeting in a dark Los Angeles club he was playing in with Tying Tiffany. We kept in touch and on his birthday I happened to finally have all my own home recording studio equipment and I sang him a personalized Happy Birthday song. He loved my voice so much he sent me the instrumental for the song "Go Everywhere" on the DREAM album but took my vocals and created the track "Someone like you" on the DREAM album. He then asked if I wanted to come to Italy and make an album with him. It was a dream come true for an aspiring singer like myself. So somehow I saved $10k in 6 months and I flew to Italy & England for 3 months and recorded DREAM with him. He mixed what we recorded as I backpacked around Italy with one of my best friends Nina who is Italian American and before leaving back to the states I got to hear the final mix, after he mastered it, he gave it to me and I came back to the states with my debut album. Honestly, I look back and think about how magical that was, how big of a gift that was, and how lucky I am to have gotten my start that way. I was really confused about what to do next for a long time. I just tried different things to get the album to be a success but my totally inexperienced artist mind just couldn't figure it out. So I just released the album independently and played it out for a while. Eventually, I got sick of it and had some music executives tell me how good it was but that they were looking for a singer who was exceptional. Never had I actually been trained professionally as a vocalist and so I sought out a coach and found Caitlyn Cuneo who is also a music artist named Violet Grae. I put myself through what I call vocal boot camp with her to finish Holding it Down. What I learned with her helped me put out Forever Babe in time for Valentine's day 2021 as well. She is an exceptional coach helping me to become an exceptional singer. As far as why I am putting out singles and why I am not planning on an album is because of algorithms. Spotify shows monthly listeners and I only get into the thousands when I put out a single because it hits the algorithms. As soon as the month has passed since the single drops out my monthly listeners go down. So by putting out singles I have a greater chance of keeping my listeners engaged. It really can take a long time to finish a song, and then come up with a release plan. So I feel like when you just drop a whole album you are missing out on the continuous algorithms. I would be down to put out a 2021 compilation album if I can get enough singles out this year to make that make sense.
What is your mission statement as an artist? How do you ensure you carry that out with everything that you do?
I actually haven't thought too much about a mission statement as an artist, now you have me thinking. What should my mission statement be? And also how will I ensure to carry that out with everything I do. As I need to save time at the moment I would love to have you accept a raincheck and I promise the next time I do a BuzzMusic interview I will have this answer in full. Thank you for the inspiration on this.
What's next for you?
August 27th we are releasing the Acoustic version of Holding it Down. You can pre-save it here. On September 1st we are releasing the music video we made for the acoustic version, so be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel and hit the notification bell on ALL. We are looking to get some remixes done for Holding it Down, anyone interested can go to my website for the stems, there are also stems for Forever Babe (which I produced myself & have a few music videos out for.) We are lining up some more local shows in Los Angeles to play you can keep an eye out for announcements, and don't worry fans outside of LA, we will start prepping a tour ASAP. What you can for sure be ready for is more singles and hopefully more music videos when we can afford them or when we can get some crowdfunding on them. If you see us play live you will hear some of these unreleased singles. "Can't Control Us" may be the next one you all get to hear as a release, this is another collaboration with Luke Villemur, but I actually got to produce the bridge! A few other collaborations are in the works with other producers imma keep on the down-low for meow. But as far as BELLAVOLENT now being her own music producer. I have four more singles I am working on "Problems" "Excuses" "Upside Down" & "Remember When". I am also working on a remake of a song from the DREAM album. "Leave the World Better." So essentially you can expect a lot, and that I am refining my sound a lot more now that I produce. Bummer this interview is over. Looking forward to the next! Thank you BuzzMusic! Thank you, readers!
