Bellehouse

The folks here at the PEV offices sure have lucky timing this week – we were able to kick off our weeks by filling the office with the sounds of our latest feature, the super talented and super dynamic Bellehouse (Jess Taylor Clinton, Sarah Elizabeth Haines, Nick Lenchner, Catie Friel, Ryan Gross). The Bellehouse brand of music makes even the Bellehouse772492_44f16380ea4a4601a8308bc267c34f98.jpg_srb_p_648_423_75_22_0.50_1.20_0.00_jpg_srbmost difficult Monday a much easier hill to climb, the band’s triumvirate of vocals and high-energy music backed by an upright bass, guitar, banjo and viola a welcome break from music as usual. Combining elements of Americana, indie, folk and rock tones, Bellehouse has certainly crafted their own position among a sea of peers.
Bellehouse has a new self-titled EP that just arrived last month – the very tunes we jammed to yesterday, and the same tunes you’ll be hooked on after you finish reading this interview. We asked Clinton and Haines what fans should expect from the new work – they said, “We’ve had the pleasure of releasing two singles from that album ahead of release – ‘Back to Life’ and ‘Breakaway Town’ which have both met with positive response…The five tracks on the EP are all quite different from one another, but together they give a very cohesive picture of our sound as a group. And Jess’s lyrics are really like poetry–it’s harder to hear all the words at a live show, so it will be nice for people to be able to listen in a different setting.” You should certainly dive head first into the new EP now at http://www.bellehousetheband.com/ – it’s a fantastic listen. Do this, right after you finish reading all of the answers to the XXQs below.

XXQs: Bellehouse

PensEyeView.com (PEV): How would you describe your sound and what do you feel makes you stand out from others in your genre?

Jessica Taylor Clinton (JTC): We’re definitely in the Americana family. New, indie, urban – all prefixes apply. Although we love playing old traditional, the vast majority of our material is original. Hopefully it shows in the songwriting how wide our range of genre influences is.

Sarah Elizabeth Haines (SHE): And we’re lucky to have a band with all different kinds of musical training and backgrounds, from classical to Irish and Balkan and soul, so we get to extract parts of all of those and infuse them into our sound, which is nice.

PEV: Calling Brooklyn home, what kind of music were you all into growing up? Do you remember your first concert?

JTC: In fact, we all grew up outside New York State! I’m from Los Angeles, California – Sarah, Catie and Nick are all from New Jersey, and Ryan is from Maine. I think my first real rock concert was Our Lady Peace at Bayfest 2002 in Sarnia, Ontario. Not really the kind of music I’m into now, but feeling the energy of a concert that size was amazing. We all call New York home for now, and really like it. It’s saturated with amazing musicians all here to make their voices heard.

Bellehouse 772492_ddfaf22b70dd4369a8d83da303c93826.jpg_srb_p_600_423_75_22_0.50_1.20_0.00_jpg_srbSEH: I went to a lot of classical concerts when I was a kid, and they were my introduction to music, but my first big concert experience outside of that was going to Jazzfest in New Orleans when I was in middle school. It was such an incredible experience to see so many amazing groups, but the real standout to me was the Rebirth Brass Band. They just make you feel great.

PEV: What was it like trying to break into the music scene in your hometown, when you first started out as a band? What was your first show like together as a band?

JTC: When Bellehouse started a couple years ago, we’d all been playing in the city before. It was exciting to get a new project going that felt this good. Our very first show was with a slightly different line up of members in July 2013 – it was held in my living room, which I lovingly call the Window Box. That was a great show – I’ve never seen my apartment so jam-packed!

PEV: What has been the most frustrating part of the whole “music business”?

SEH: The unpredictability of it gets old. And, right now especially, the instability of the entire business makes it hard to determine what your next step should be a lot of the time. The whole business is in flux and where there used to be a pretty clear set of steps to take it’s now a giant labyrinth…

JTC: And maybe that what you used to do for pure fun now becomes work you still won’t be paid for–not for a good long while anyway. But it’s a worthy investment for sure. In a way artists have much more control over our fates and our work than we used to.

PEV: What can fans expect from a live Bellehouse show?

JTC: A lot of acoustic energy. We hope to blow people away with the vocal arrangements we pull off – we three frontwomen of the band try and keep the vibe really fun and light, and then bust out the seriousness when the music plays.

SEH: There’s definitely a strong feminine energy onstage too. It’s comforting to know I’ve got these two other rockin’ ladies up there next to me; we definitely play off of each other a lot.

PEV: What is the first thing that comes to mind when you step on stage?

JTC: I want to make sure the mix is right – it’s important we all hear each other really well. Other than that – mmm, beer or whiskey?

SEH: I just smile. And hope I don’t get too sweaty.

PEV: How has playing in Bellehouse been different from working with other artists or projects in the past?

SEH: I think we have found a great mix of just hanging out and allowing creativity to happen and professional, get-stuff-done efficiency. And we all like each other a whole lot.

Bellehouse772492_dbd8a9e3f73849e981ad4eb6b3a5bf38.jpg_srb_p_626_423_75_22_0.50_1.20_0.00_jpg_srbJTC: It’s just a lot of fun and talent going on at the same time with these guys. It feels like a really natural collaboration. You know you’ve found something special when your group of close friends can pretty instantly make your songs that much better by playing them.

PEV: What is the underlying inspiration for your music? Where do you get your best ideas for songs?

JTC: Anything and everything – nature, road trips, romance, lack thereof…

PEV: Thinking back to when you first started out, do you ever look back on your career and think about your earlier days and how you’ve arrived where you are today?

JTC: These are the early days, I hope.

SEH: I must say that even from graduating undergrad to now, Bellehouse has made me a different person and a different musician. I was strictly classically trained for most of my life and it really opened up a different part of me in the last couple of years. And I really have Jess to thank for that for asking me to take a solo–I looked at her like she had two heads the first time, and now I’m starting to feel much more comfortable with it.

JTC: I get that look a lot.

PEV: What’s one thing we’d be surprised to hear about the members of Bellehouse?

JTC: We all have an extremely wry and graphic sense of humor.

PEV: Tell us about your latest project. What can fans expect from this work?

JTC: We are warming up to our debut EP release! We’ve had the pleasure of releasing two singles from that album – “Back to Life” and “Breakaway Town” which have both met with positive response.

SEH: The five tracks on the EP are all quite different from one another, but together they give a very cohesive picture of our sound as a group. And Jess’s lyrics are really like poetry–it’s harder to hear all the words at a live show, so it will be nice for people to be able to listen in a different setting.

PEV: What is the feeling you get after a song is complete, and you can sit back and listen to it for the first time?

JTC: Well, it’s always a work in progress. It is a really awesome moment when you first hear those harmonies you’ve been dreaming about realized. That is what I live for, and why I love this band so much.

PEV: With all your traveling, is there one area you wish you could travel around and play that you have not yet?

JTC: Everywhere – we’ve actually yet to tour officially.

PEV: How have all your friends and family reacted to your career? What’s it like when you get to play in your hometown?

SEH: I’m lucky that my parents live nearby in New Jersey, so they’ve heard us on multiple occasions, and we have played in some local bars near my folks. There’s definitely been a lot of hometown support across the board.

JTC: It’s great to see. I’ve yet to play with Bellehouse in my hometown of Los Angeles, but I have a feeling that we will be out there later this year.

PEV: What can we find each of you doing in your spare time, aside from playing/writing music?

JTC: I enjoy gardening and yoga a lot.

SEH: I love to cook and I love running as well. It’s been a dream of mine to try to run a marathon at some point in my life.

PEV: Name one present and past artist or group that would be your dream collaboration. Why?

JTC: I think almost anyone on the stage of The Last Waltz would be a dream collaboration, in another era I suppose. As for the present, I feel like I’d do well singing backup for Ray LaMontagne.

SEH: In the present for me, I’d say someone like Bela Fleck would be pretty amazing–I feel like I could learn so much from him. All of his cross-genre collaborations are so cool.

PEV: Is there an up and coming band or artist you think we should all be looking out for now?

JTC: I will always heartily endorse my friend Sima Cunningham. She is seriously an amazing singer-songwriter, and her band is just killer as well. Don’t take my word for it – go listen to her newest EP!

SEH: And Natti Vogel is an incredible singer/songwriter/human being with a really rockin’ band, and he’s been a great friend and supporter of us from the beginning.

JTC: Natti is divine and otherworldly.

PEV: If playing music wasn’t your life (or life’s goal), what do you think each of you would be doing for a career?

JTC: I’d probably live in a car and work in agriculture. Maybe teach.

SEH: I don’t know. I love to cook. I’ve actually dreamed up a whole concept and menu for a restaurant, though being in the restaurant business is probably just as hard as the music business…

PEV: So, what is next for Bellehouse?

JTC: Wonderful things – stay tuned!

SEH: Thanks so much for talking to us!

For more information, click to http://www.bellehousetheband.com/. - Pen's Eye View

The utterly sweet and harmonious indie-string band Bellehouse recently released their self-titled EP—and we’re giving fans a chance to listen right now for free!

Jess Taylor Clinton (vocals, guitar, songwriting), Sarah Elizabeth Haines (vocals, viola), Catie Friel (vocals), Nick Lenchner (bass) and Ryan Gross (banjo, vocals) formed Bellehouse in 2013 in Brooklyn and have been perfecting their sound over the last two years. The roots music and folk quintet draw sounds and inspiration from Celtic traditional, folk revival, Motown, and more in their latest effort.

With their luscious harmonies and delicate playing, Bellehouse are reaching new prominence with their refined, vibrant, energetic sound. The four-part harmonies, floating above the driving guitar and banjo rhythms, steadied by the bass, give the band a sound full of grandeur and fun—one surely not to be missed!

Listen to the EP below: - Elmore Magazine

This band isn’t just stringing its audience along.

The indie string band Bellehouse, which delivers its first EP at Littlefield on July 16, hopes that its music can create a connection between the Brooklyn music scene and classic Americana.

“I see us as a lowly bridge,” said Jess Clinton, the band’s guitarist and one of its three female vocalists. “I kind of hope it is a bit of a journey and that everyone can find something to relate to.”

The only instruments the Brooklyn band uses are a banjo, guitar, viola, and upright bass — and some tight harmonies. But the band’s influences include more than the string band bluegrass listeners might expect, says Clinton. They hope the band’s blend of classic rock, soul, Motown, and folk-rock will appeal even to fans of Brooklyn’s fast and loud electronic dance music scene.

“We are trying to resurrect music from our generation,” said Clinton. “We want to take people out of the EDM comfort zone and into something a little more loose.”

Bellehouse has been refining its natural acoustic sound over the last two years, and Clinton said that she and the band members are excited to finally get their record out and perform it live.

“I think what we are about is putting on an energetic, entertaining show revolving around Americana long-form music,” she said.

Bellehouse record release party at Littlefield [622 Degraw St. between Fourth and Third Avenues in Gowanus, (718) 855–3388, www.littlefieldnyc.com]. July 16 at 9 pm. $10. - The Brooklyn Paper

Whatever your take on folk and Americana, it seems that, in recent years, a certain strain of the latter has enlivened a certain strain of the former. Where some subgenres of folk could suffer from overly somber self-seriousness, many subgenres of Americana come equipped with a jaunty sense of fun. When the two mix, a crucial balance is achieved.

Working at this crossroads of folk and Americana (plus a few other genres) as well as almost anyone today are Brooklyn’s Bellehouse, blending strings at once mournful and invigorated with acoustic guitar at once propulsive and graceful. Nowhere is this more apparent than on “Breakaway Town,” set to appear on their forthcoming, self-titled EP. In the brand new video below, performing against a simple black backdrop, Bellehouse performs their fittingly spare arrangement, giving their elegant harmonies room to delicately dominate the performance.

Look for “Breakaway Town” on the Bellehouse EP on July 16 (pre-order here), when the band will also be playing their EP release show at Brooklyn’s Littlefield. - Elmore Magazine

Join us on July 16th to celebrate the album release of emerging indie-string Americana band, Bellehouse's, self-titled EP at Littlefield in Brooklyn, NY, which will be digitally available for purchase on iTunes July 16th. Delayed Gratification admires Bellehouse’s musicianship by applauding how the group “wields the confidence and technical expertise of a much bigger band.” The performance begins at 9:00 PM. Admission is $10.00 and ages 21 and over are welcome. For more information go to: http://www.littlefieldnyc.com/calendar/ - The Village Voice

Bellehouse (EP Release Show)
Brooklyn-based Bellehouse, driven by a vocal trio that evokes a three-headed siren amidst the warm familiarity of an old-time string band, has been spinning tales of urban Americana since the beginning of 2013. Bellehouse draws influence from Old Time and early folk-revival while pulling from a broad host of other genres – including Celtic trad, classic rock, soul and Motown, Balkan choir and beyond. The resulting synergy walks the line between down-home roots music and intellectual acoustic folk-rock.
Bellehouse presents as a duo (band founders Clinton and Haines) and as a full-on string band. A choir-like triumvirate of voices draws listeners to the proverbial fireside. Double bass, guitar, banjo and viola lay foot-stomping fuel for the fire – as guides through an intricate, earthy world of pulsing unplugged rhythms. They may lure you with a ballad then turn on a dime for more raw acoustic harmony, the whole attendance closely in tow.
Bellehouse includes Jess Taylor Clinton (vocals, guitar, songwriting), Sarah Elizabeth Haines (vocals, viola), Catie Friel (vocals), Nick Lenchner (bass), and Ryan Gross (banjo, vocals). Although Clinton hails from Los Angeles, Bellehouse’s following is strongest in the New York City area as well as much of Northern New Jersey, where 3 of the 5 members were reared. - Brooklyn Vegan

Folk in Brooklyn? Why not? Much of the Americana and folk music of the 60’s was birthed in Washington Square, so a few subway stops away should make little difference. And it doesn’t, as the Brooklyn-based band Bellehouse demonstrates on every song. A five-person group that captures the American folk spirit with strong female-led vocals and addictive rhythms, Bellehouse bring back the 60’s and while they are as current as the EDM pouring out of the raves in the meatpacking district.

Described as an “Emerging indie-string Americana band, Bellehouse has the polish of people who have spent their lives writing and singing music. Their second single, “Breakaway Town,” from their upcoming, debut self-titled EP GroundSounds, carries you liltingly along with beautifully arranged strings and the very impressive vocal harmonies of Jess Taylor Clinton, Sarah Elizabeth Haines and Catie Friel. It is hard to believe that Bellehouse have been together for slightly less than two years – not long for five people – the three women and Nick Lenchner (bass) and Ryan Gross (banjo, vocals) to craft such lovely, memorable music. This is going to be a great conversation Friday…I hope to convince them to come to LA on tour.

Tune in at 2:05 pm ET. Friday - Music Friday

Emerging indie-string Americana band, Bellehouse, release their third single, “Josie,” from their upcoming, debut self-titled EP, set to release July 16, 2015.

Groundsounds recently referred to the band’s sound as “intriguing” and having “beautifully arranged strings and impressive vocal harmonies.”
Formed in 2013 and currently based in Brooklyn, the 5-piece are a cross between down-home roots music and intellectual folk-rock. Bellehouse delivers a sound that embraces a variety of genres — from Celtic traditional and folk revival to soul and Motown. The close-knit group consists of Jess Taylor Clinton (vocals, guitar, songwriting), Sarah Elizabeth Haines (vocals, viola), Catie Friel (vocals), Nick Lenchner (bass) and Ryan Gross (banjo, vocals). Elmore Magazine says, “working at this crossroads of folk and Americana (plus a few other genres) as well as almost anyone today are Brooklyn’s Bellehouse.” Music Friday described Bellehouse as “a five-person group that captures the American folk spirit with strong female-led vocals and addictive rhythms…”
Delayed Gratification admires Bellehouse’s musicianship by applauding how the group “wields the confidence and technical expertise of a much bigger band.” Don’t miss out on their feature track, “Josie,” from their forthcoming EP, available on iTunes July 16th. In addition, the band will be holding their EP release show at Brooklyn’s Littlefield on July 16th and will be joined by local acts Natti Vogel & Fairytales for the Fatherless. - Nerdy Frames

There's a natural juxtaposition between Brooklyn band Bellehouse's music and its metropolitan surroundings. Maybe that's naive: Greenwich village, after all, boasted Pete Seeger, Judy Collins, Peter Yarrow, and a young man named Robert Zimmerman who would eventually make waves under the pseudonym Bob Dylan. Nevertheless, there's a Romantic notion in folk music, resulting from the never-quite-gone time when people like Alan Lomax and John Fahey would travel impoverished, rural sections of a country civilized only in name, that stringed acoustic music comes from a place of isolation and innocence, which isn't to say innocence and isolation are strangers to modern conurbation, but perhaps (and perhaps unwisely) oft left in assumed opposition to city living.

Bellehouse, however, isn't strictly a city band: it casts a wider net. Even in the immediate details of how they met, Sarah and Jess can't help but mention crossing paths while studying abroad in Prague, which, by many experts' standards, is pretty far from New York. While a story that specific and grounded in the day to day may be unheard in Bellehouse's music, it isn't any less relevant. On a song like "Even Shiva," the band pulls from sources as diverse as Hinduism, Judeo-Christian history, housebuilding, and modern love.

That's indicative of the band's scope, at once both familiar and novel in instrumentation and substance. Bellehouse also wields the confidence and technical expertise of a much bigger band, surely a sign of things to come. If you're still reading and unconvinced, let me say it simply: Bellehouse is a joy to listen to - if you click on the first link at the top, you should be able to hear most of their songs. I haven't been able to catch them live yet, but they seem to play the Rockwood Music Hall in New York with some frequency. If you're in the area, do yourself a favor. They have a new EP coming out this summer too so stay tuned, sportsfans! - Delayed Gratification

Today we’re premiering an intriguing new track from indie/folk band Bellehouse. “Breakaway Town” is a pensive song featuring beautifully arranged strings and impressive vocal harmonies. The track is from their upcoming self-titled debut EP, out this Summer. Stream “Breakaway Town” below! - GroundSounds

Emerging indie-Americana folk group, Bellehouse, release their first single, “Back To Life,” from their upcoming debut self-titled EP — which will be out early this summer. The track features rich, 3-part vocal harmonies from the three leading ladies and an acoustic sound that can be likened to an Old-Time string band, with guitar, banjo, upright bass and viola.

Formed in 2013 and currently based in Brooklyn, the 5-piece band walks the line between down-home roots music and intellectual folk-rock. Bellehouse delivers a sound that embraces a variety of genres — from Celtic traditional and folk revival to soul and Motown. The close-knit group consists of Jess Taylor Clinton (vocals, guitar, songwriting), Sarah Elizabeth Haines (vocals, viola), Catie Friel (vocals), Nick Lenchner (bass) and Ryan Gross (banjo, vocals).

Catch Bellehouse live at one of their shows in the NYC area. They perform with Mackenzie Shivers at their favorite haunt, Rockwood Music Hall, Stage 3, at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, April 20th. Keep an eye out for more from Bellehouse in the coming months. - Vents Magazine

Folk music in Brooklyn? Why not? Much of the Americana and folk music of the 60’s was birthed in Washington Square in Manhattan, so a few subway stops further down the MTA should make no difference. And it doesn’t, as the Brooklyn-based band Bellehouse makes very clear. A five-person group that captures the American folk spirit with strong female-led vocals and addictive string-rhythms, Bellehouse brings back the 60’s but is as current as the EDM pouring out of the clubs in New York’s meatpacking district. Their debut EP Back to Life, released this month, might just put them in contention for the title of the New Face of Folk Music in America.

Bellehouse calls itself an “Emerging indie-string Americana band” but there is nothing emerging about them other than the youth of their catalogue – Back to Life is their first multiple-song release. Bellehouse has the polish of people who have spent their lives writing and singing music. Their lyrics are sharp, their harmonies smooth and on target and their performances are high energy and fun. Plus, they incorporate all the modern bells and whistles they need to make their sound in the here and now, as well as in the historic folk world.

The EP opens with the title song, released earlier as a single, and draws you in fast and deep with an addictive guitar rhythm, hooks any pop singer would envy and the razor-edged harmony of Jess Taylor Clinton, Sarah Elizabeth Haines and Catie Friel. Their vocal blend is so sharp it tightens the muscles in your belly. The banjo moves in and picks up the tempo the three voices rise together, When it’s back to life, we must sin as wise /We must owe the Earth our lives and buy what time is hawking. You are hooked.

You don’t have long to wait for your next fix. “Take the Ore” rolls out slowly with banjo and standup bass and guitar beats while the vocals rise and fall with an almost childlike sing-song quality. The second time you hear it (you will put it on repeat) you find yourself humming or even singing along and realizing what a sophisticated piece of music this is. By the time the Haine’s violin sails in and introduces the second stanza vocals that are somehow simultaneously static and melodic, Bellehouse has your full attention: you want to know this song and sing with them.

Jess and Sarah told me in an interview on Music FridayLive! that assembling the complex harmonies and integrating them with the string tempos frequently takes quite a bit of time time. They often start with the lyrics and then move to the strings; but sometimes they begin with a melody, an idea or a snatch of music in one of the band member’s heads. But regardless of how they begin and how much time it takes, fun is the key – bringing the voices together in complex harmonies is what propels them.

That complexity and the fun behind it are on full display in the EP’s third song, “The Line and the Light”. A lively but mysteriously melancholy banjo sets up the tempo as a single voice sings alliterative lines: I have seen the light from the very first time we’ve spoken /I have seen the line like a barricade, still unbroken. Then the banjo accelerates, the rhythm guitar kicks in and the harmonies move at a blistering rap-like pace with a high-pitch soprano counterline soaring red hot over the throughline. The blended voices gather even tighter and rise up in the chorus: Need and know me with your eyes wide/ Need and know me with your bright eyes wide. It is spectacular.



Bellehouse gives you a breather with “Josie”, which starts out innocently enough with a guitar strum and simple banjo echoed in a standup bass. A single voice sings the opening of a story:

Belle, lay of the lake, hardened to shake /She’s wired for hope but no mistake /Pliant be damned makes a good man /The fair are there to mediate. But as with everything Bellehouse, harmonies build upon harmonies, the arrangements shift, the violin adds a new color and the hooks come out. You find yourself singing along Heed the heat and find an open door as a simple, sunny story has evolves into a powerful life lesson.

The EP leaves you with my favorite song, the moody “Breakaway Town” a poetic ballad of a woman’s shotgun revenge written by Jessie Clinton that is as old as the Dust Bowl and new as Title IX. The sweet voices sing Took a double-barrel leading in the front door/Shot one or two, but her heart begged more/Make them pay for every dress they tore” with and edge you won’t forget. A haunting story darkly colored with a simple guitar rhythm. Stunning and unforgettable. - Music Friday Live by Patrick O'Heffenan (via Music Junkie Press)