Transcending Hardcore Origins with More Personal Songwriting
GENRE: Indie Rock
HOMETOWN: Cincinnati, OH
ARTISTIC APPROACH: Producing soft, catchy tunes that fans can relate to.
URL: www.bellehistoiremusic.com
Just a year ago, 17-year-old Jane Smith was fronting the hardcore outfit Formulas and writing softer songs for her own pleasure. When her brother listened to her mellow tracks, he made her an offer. “[He] told me that he would pay for me to record an EP with my good friend [Aaron Hunt],” Smith recalls.
“Before we knew it, [Wes Comer], our drummer, was loving it and wanted to be a part of it, with [Mitch Winsett] and [Austin Livingood] soon to follow!” A month later, Belle Histoire released its first EP, Spirits.
“We all got to be part of the process to help mold [the] initial ideas into finished songs…it’s the first time we collectively felt a sense of true ownership in our music.”
And now, one year after their debut offering, the Cincinnati-based quartet has toured the U.S. and is playing the Bunbury Music Festival this month alongside acts like Death Cab for Cutie, The Gaslight Anthem, Weezer and Jane’s Addiction. In addition, the group signed to InVogue Records and released the I Can Tell EP this spring, with a full-length debut due this summer.
“Making the [full-length] was so fun,” explains bassist/vocalist Winsett. “Jane writes most of our music, [but] for the full-length we all got to be part of the process to help mold her initial ideas into finished songs…it’s the first time we collectively felt a sense of true ownership in our music.”
This sense of community spans further than within the band. “What really sets [us] apart is the positivity we try to bring into our music as well as outside of it,” says Winsett. “Not all of our music is upbeat and uplifting, but one of our goals as a band is to truly connect with those who are influenced by our music and build relationships with our [audience],” a feat that the young indie rockers are achieving with their ever-growing fan base.
photo by Meagan White Photography