Meet Bella Raye of Nashville

Today we’d like to introduce you to Bella Raye.

Hi Bella, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I have always loved music, but I never knew of it to be something I could have as a career until I took my first trip to Nashville. I originally came for a volleyball tournament, as I was playing volleyball as my main focus, and left wanting to give everything I had to becoming a country music star. My mom would take me to Nashville on the weekends, when I didn’t have school, to do vocal lessons and busk on broadway. I eventually decided to graduate high school early, and make the full time move. At just 17 years old, I packed everything I owned and my parents drove me to Nashville to start my journey. I started at Belmont, went for a semester, and then decided to focus on music full time- pressing pause on continuing my studies. I started attending any writers round / networking opportunity that I possibly could, meeting new friends, and singing the songs I wrote for rooms full of strangers. I fell in love with the community, and once I found a good circle of friends, I began co writes, and that’s when it all really began for me. I started releasing music, performing even more, and had multiple writes a month at that point. Still only at the age of 18/19 years old, learning every single day what it took to chase this dream. Now, fast forward almost 9 years, i’ve really stepped into who I am as an artist and as a woman, and there’s no better feeling. I have enjoyed every minute, and every up and down, has taught me a valuable lesson. I have now had the honor to perform at the infamous venues in town such as “The Bluebird” , “The Listening Room”, and “The Country Music Hall of Fame” and have released multiple songs, and have even had songs I have written cut by other artists.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Absolutely not. I would be lying if I said chasing this dream is a cake walk. It surely isn’t. BUT, what it is, is a character building, faith testing, love hate relationship, that has made me exactly who I am to this day. I have lost love, gained love, lost friends, gained friends, and have even had a full on existential identity crisis, but at the end of the day, almost 9 years later, I can fully say I am thankful to have chosen this road, and don’t regret it one bit. This industry breaks you, and builds you, and then breaks you some more. That was the hardest thing I had to learn – was that, even something you love with your whole entire being, sometimes might not love you back all the time. I have hit many road blocks, but have had many beautiful swinging doors open for me as well, that I know little Bella would be ecstatic about. I can appreciate the hard times because it has made me truly appreciate the good. If I had gotten everything I wanted in music, back when I thought I “deserved” it, I wouldn’t have been ready. Now that I have put the time in, and learned the lessons, I feel like I am more than ready to continue on in this journey and accept what comes my way.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a proud country music artist – with a deep flare of pop. I like to call it “city twang.”
I had the hardest time finding my place in country music because I was trying to chase what was already popular, and working for other people, but at the end of the day, I realized none of that mattered because I am my own person, and the only was to succeed is to step into my uniqueness. Morgan Wallen came to the scene a few years back, and the first time I heard his music I truly felt like I felt at home. I discovered my own version of that infamous “country trap” sound, and stepped into it fully over the last couple of years, and it’s really made a statement. I wanted to make music that made women feel empowered, and made boyfriends, husbands, dads, etc want to join their girl’s in coming to my shows, and listening to my music. I wanted to make music for everyone, not just one demographic, and I feel like I am now successfully doing that. You hear people talking about finding a sound in town, and it can take many years, and sometimes people never do – for me it took 9 years, but it was worth every minute of waiting because I can finally say I feel like my music is 110% authentic to me, and is original. It sounds like “Bella Raye” – not anybody else.

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
I just hope to be doing what i’m doing now, but on a bigger scale. This question has never scared me because i’ve always seen my music changing lives, including my own, and I really hope I get the opportunity to prove to myself that a small town girl from east tennessee can sell out arenas one day. I am so grateful to every single stepping stone along the way, and I can’t wait to continue to learn and grow. I don’t think i’ll ever stop experimenting and evolving, but I pray God places me into the full scope of my dream in the next couple years so I can fully step into what I believe I was born to do.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.bellarayemusic.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bellarayemusic