Country Next: Belles

Belles is bringing her Omaha, Nebraska roots, honest songwriting and love for country music to center stage with her debut album, Midwestern, out now via East Music Row Records.

The rising country star was raised in a musical family, surrounded by generations of women who helped inspire her passion for performing and writing songs. She graduated high school at 16, and pursued a path completely her own as she stepped away for two years to study chemistry at the University of Nebraska. However she quickly found out that just because you’re good at something doesn’t mean it will bring you joy.

This mindset led her to shift her life completely and follow her heart and move to Nashville at just 19 years old with nothing but a dream. She eventually built a close-knit circle of friends and collaborators who would lead her to one of the biggest songs of her career so far, “Son of Jolene,” featuring the late icon, Dolly Parton. This came on the heels of the momentum of her viral hit “Crazy As Me.”

Now, Belles is turning the page with Midwestern, a project that highlights the power of chasing big dreams, the highs and lows in her personal life and celebrating her roots. In addition to the heartbreak songs fans have come to know her for, the album features a selection of upbeat tracks created to get listeners on their feet and dancing along.

Belles caught up with Country Now to discuss the stories and inspiration behind Midwestern, the journey that led to her collaboration with Dolly Parton, her Grand Ole Opry debut, touring and more.

You’re originally from Nebraska. So what was your upbringing like and how did growing up shape you to who you are today? 

Born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska, and I come from a very musical family. My grandma was actually a jazz singer in Chicago, and that’s actually how she met my grandpa. She was on stage at a show and he fell in love with her. And then my mom was one of four sisters. She has three sisters and they made up this pop vocal harmony group called Mulberry Lane. And they were actually signed to MCA in 1999. And they had one top 20 pop hit, but then nothing really happened after that. But I grew up touring with them and being backstage at all their shows and doing vocal warmups at the Iowa State Fair. Just honestly fell in love with music and I just wanted to be just like my mom and my grandma when that was really the start of it for me. But I did a bunch of dance and community theater in Omaha and I think my mom was like, “Why do you have to do music?” She had been through her trials with the music industry. I think she was like, “Can you just want to do something else?” But for me, it was just always this. And my mom was kind of like, even though they weren’t a pop band, my mom was the country sister. So I grew up hearing Loretta Lynn and Linda Ronstadt in the house and The Chicks and Dolly and everything like that. So that really shaped me. And when I started writing songs, I set out to write songs like those influences. 

What was the turning point where you were ready to take the leap, go to Nashville and really get involved in that community?

I had taken a couple trips down to Nashville when I was in high school, honestly, just because I loved it and I was so fascinated by Music Row and everything. And I went to the Opry for the first time in high school and I was just like, “This is the coolest thing ever.” But then I ended up going to college at University of Nebraska. I was a chemistry major for two years. I was just really weirdly good at math and science. So I just thought, “Well, if I am good at it, I should do it.” But two years in, I was just really unhappy and I just had so many feelings about just wanting to pursue this career. And I would play country bars on the weekends and then go to school all week and just look forward to playing cover gigs the whole week in school. And my heart was just pulling me in that direction. So after two years of college, I also got broken up with by my college boyfriend. So I think that helped. I was just like, “You know what? Screw it. I’m not happy here. I don’t think I want to be a doctor.” So I left college and moved down here when I was 19. 

What were those early days like in Music City, trying to navigate the industry and find your circle?

Well, it was tough. I really knew no one, but I kind of figured out just from Instagram, the writer’s rounds, and I would just show up there and talk to people and try to meet people and ask to play and ask to write with people that I thought had some good songs that night. And I mean, that was really how I met most of my friends that I’m still friends with today was just by going out and then just making friends with people. And then I found my little crew. And the crazy thing is we’re all still here and those are the guys that I wrote ‘Son of Jolene’ with, I met my first year in Nashville. So it’s crazy how that all turned out, but it was definitely, it was tough in the beginning, but I’m really glad that I stuck it out and stayed here and stayed pursuing this because now I’m so happy that we did that. 

“Son of Jolene“ obviously became this really big career moment for you. Talk about bringing Dolly into the picture and seeing that song take on such a life with her.

Well, I wrote it because my opening act on one of my headlining tours, his mom came to a show and his mom’s name was Jolene. So I kind of had that idea and then I wrote it that next week with two of my best friends. And it was crazy because I remember walking away from that write, we literally just wrote it at my friend Dan’s house in his living room. And I remember I texted those guys later. I was like, “I feel like this is a really good song.” I kind of had a feeling about it, but then I started playing it for my team in Nashville and my publisher and my record label. And they were like, “We should record this and add it to the EP.” And I was like, “I totally agree.” So then we started recording it, but obviously wanted to reach out to Dolly and her team and make sure that she was good with ‘Son of Jolene.’ It’s so Jolene coded. So then it was my publisher in Nashville who got the song to Kent Wells, who’s Dolly’s producer, and he heard the song and ended up loving it and said he was going to play it for Dolly. And that for me was like, oh my God, this is nuts. And he played it for her and she loved it so much that she wanted to sing on it, which was so unbelievable. And still, I don’t know if it’s really sunken. But I mean, that was really… I always kind of believed in that song, but that was when it was like, oh my gosh, this is going to change my life. And it totally has, which has been amazing and I’m so grateful for that one. 

Your debut album, Midwestern, is out now. What were some goals you had for yourself when building out this collection of songs?

Well, I’ve been writing for this project for so long, and if you deep dive into my music, I have a lot of fun songs, but I also have a lot of heartbreak songs. And that last EP that I put out, most of it is pretty sad. For my debut album, I wanted to put together something that had obviously some classic Belles heartbreak on it, but I really wanted to explore having some songs that when you just put them on, immediately puts you in a good mood and it makes you want to just move and dance. So that was one of my goals with this, and I feel like I really accomplished it, and I think people are going to be surprised by some of these uptempos. And also just where I grew up in Nebraska, there’s not a ton to do. People really lean towards music and putting music on and just catching a vibe, having a couple beers.  I wanted to write songs that if they played at my local honky-tonk, like Bushwhackers in Omaha, if they played that song that people would just start dancing. So that was a big goal of this project. And also it’s just so many of these songs are very, very honest, some of the most honest songs I’ve ever written, I think. And I think it’s going to be interesting to see how those connect. I feel like sometimes when I’m the most honest, those are the ones that I feel like I’m like, “Will anyone relate to this song? This so me”… I just feel like when you’re honest, people relate to that. And I’m really looking forward to seeing the reaction to some of these. So yeah, it’s definitely just very me in a project and I’m super, super proud of it.

What’s something you hope fans get to learn about you through this project that they might not know about you yet?

I think part of the reason why I called it Midwestern is because I feel like Midwestern people are so straightforward, to the point, and that really surprised me when I moved here to Nashville. I love the Southern “bless your heart” attitude, but I just don’t have that in me. I see something, I’m going to say it how it is. And I think a lot of these songs are that. I think I’m being more brutally honest about my real life on this project. And it’s like, if I think you like my boyfriend a little too much, I’m going to write a song called “I Think You Like My Boyfriend.” So I just think this is the most me I’ve ever been in my music, and I just hope that people connect with that. 

Earlier this year you got to make your Opry debut, as the first woman from Nebraska to step into the Circle. What were you feeling the moment you stepped on stage?

I know. I can’t believe it. It was so amazing. That was such a dream. My first trip to Nashville, I went to the Opry and was just in awe. I was like, “If I could do that someday, that would be the best moment of my life.” And I mean, it’s been such a dream that I’ve been working towards for so long, and now here it is. And I mean, it was truly the best night, and so many of my friends and family came out, and Kent Wells, who is Dolly’s producer and really made “Son of Jolene” happen, gave me the best introduction, and he is so wonderful. And I don’t know, it was truly such a magical night that I will never forget. And it’s just such an honor to get to stand in that circle. And yeah, I really will never forget that. 

You’re currently on the Songs and Stories Tour with plenty more dates to come. What’s been the best part of playing these shows?

It’s been so cool to get out there and just meet all these people that have found me through “Son of Jolene” or my song “Crazy as Me.” And I’ve been playing a bunch of songs from the album that people have been loving, and I can’t wait to play the full album for everyone. I mean, I’ve just been having the most fun, and I just get up there, and every night is different, and I tell crazy random stories from my wife, and sometimes to say too much, but it’s fine. And I just have a lot of fun with it. So yeah, I’ve been having a blast and I can’t wait.

Fans can keep up with Belles on Instagram.