Toronto-bred, UK-based singer/songwriter Melissa Bel transcends musical eras and genres with a voice that is timelessly soulful, yet distinctly fresh. She creates a mesmerizing kaleidoscope of singer-songwriter-pop, bringing intricate narratives to life with heartfelt lyrics, enchanting melodies, and indelible hooks. Armed with the influences of Eva Cassidy, John Mayer, and The Beatles in her subconscious, her soon-to-be-released EP Alone Time offers listeners a moment for self-reflection.
Produced by Kaity Rae (The Shires, Liv Dawson, Natalie Shay), Alone Time is a collection of six tracks exploring themes of solitude, anxiety, dreaming and growth, with an overarching sense of hope weaving its way throughout. The wheels for the project started turning after Bel and Rae met during a virtual writing camp in the pinnacle of Lockdown, and their creative chemistry was instant. Taking to their respective home-studios, they worked mostly via Zoom to bring the project to life, forming an EP that would go on to be mixed by Jamie Sellers (Elton John, Ed Sheeran, Ronan Keating).
Setting the tone with lead single “Better In the Morning”, Bel reassures the listener (and herself) that things are going to be ok, with the title Alone Time offering an influential ode to the global pandemic. Finding familiar comfort in nature, she confides, “I spent lots of time walking in the countryside and I would come up with lyrics and concepts, or tweak ones we already had. I recorded the birdsong and some other nature samples that you hear throughout the EP on a couple of my walks, and went back to one of my favourite spots in the woods to shoot the artwork for “Better In the Morning.” It’s Bel’s hope that Alone Time accentuates the importance of slowing down, spending time in nature and appreciating the fleeting moments we have with our loved ones.
Throughout her career, Melissa Bel has performed across the world stage, opening for artists such as Kylie Minogue and Maverick Sabre. She co-wrote Avril Lavigne’s 2018 single “Tell Me It’s Over” and achieved a Top 10 in the iTunes Singer/Songwriter charts with her song “If She Hadn’t Lied”. Garnering airplay on BBC Radio, her music received humbling support from Apple Music, Amazon Music Canada, BBC Introducing across Surrey and Sussex, and even a no.1 spot on CIBL 101.5 Radio in Montreal. Garnering substantial TikTok support, it’s safe to say Melissa Bel is onto something huge.
