Bella Mer: Debut Single Stirs Intrigue

The talented Bella Mer sings with impassioned beauty under a very timely “Loaded Gun” music video.  See for yourself.  We caught up with her to talk inspirations, music video collaborations, and her future plans.

Your debut single, “Loaded Gun” was co-written and produced with BRÅVES.  How did that collaboration begin, what was that like, and what do you look for in a collaborator?

It was clear that I was always meant to work with BRÅVES. The universe brought us together in two completely separate ways. And we all spoke the same language. Working with them was pure magic.

Bring me back to the beginning.  Have you always played music since a teenager?  Where are you from?  Who were some early inspirations and what motivated you to start writing and recording songs as a fulltime endeavor?

Songs have found their way through me my entire life. I whistled and sang in my crib. I remember my past lives and my dreams more vividly than reality sometimes. My music is a beautiful memory of something sad combined with a modern heartbeat of electronic drums. Some of my musical influences include Phantogram, London Grammer, Dido, and Sarah McLachlan.

Tell me about the music video for “Loaded Gun” and this idea that “our human tendency [is] to be drawn toward things we know will harm us”?  Did you have an idea for the striking visual of a circle made of people pointing guns at each other?  It is not revealed until the second half of the video and I just wonder if you wrote it and had a visual idea in mind or if that came from collaboration with director Bryden Lando.

The song, “Loaded Gun”, is about our human tendency to be lured by the temptation of things we know will harm us – a moth to the flame. We, as a collective, feed and fuel hate and fear, despite having an understanding of their destructive properties. In our current state of humanity, everyone holds a gun to each others’ heads with judgements and blame. When I visualized what this song meant to me, this was what I saw. The director, Bryden Lando, loved my vision and ran with it, adding his incredible artistic eye.

What is the lyric writing process like for you?  Does the music or the lyrics come first for you?

Most of my lyrics come from dreams and memories. For the EP, I went on a journey into the depths of my soul, pulled out pieces, and arranged them into these lyrical stories. Sometimes lyrics come first, sometimes music. 

Where are you these days?  Have you played live or have plans to tour?

I’m starting out with secret shows, including an upcoming EP release show in Los Angeles.

What is a typical day for you? What inspires you these days?

“If you looked down to the bottom of my soul, you would understand fully the source of my longing … Even the open, transparent lake has its unknown depths, which no divers know.” – Hans Christian Anderson

What are your plans for the future?

Create and love until my heart breaks… and then start again.