Q & A WITH BELLA MACKENZIE
A born entertainer, Bella’s soulful tones and mesmerising stage performances will show you why she is one of Australia’s hottest and most buzzed about new country music artists. Her ability to enchant a live audience has seen her perform at some of Australia’s large music festivals: Groundwater CMR on the Gold Coast, Tamworth CMF (Toyota Park Stage), NQ Rock’ n Country, Country on Keppel, Rockhampton River Festival – Country on Quay and Mt Isa Rodeo – Road to Rodeo Longreach.
We find out more about what her path to success is and what informs her amazing fashion sense.
Do you feel your taste in music heavily influences your fashion sense?
Yes, my taste in music heavily influences my fashion sense because like music, I have an eclectic taste as I love to mix and match my fashion. That edgy yet contemporary country, western style is my fav! I love showing my love for this genre through my clothing and incorporating the western style into my looks.
How would you describe your sound?
I would describe my sound as contemporary country with a twist. I have many influences from different genres such as soul and blues which I love to incorporate into my music. Country music however will always be in my roots and I will always find a way to keep my songs country!
Creative process… talk us through it!
My creative process usually begins with an idea or concept of what I want to write about. I write that idea down and start thinking of what story I can base around it, sometimes a true story, sometimes a made up narrative. I then get my guitar out and start finding a chord progression that I think will fit. From there I word vomit! I write down everything that comes to mind no matter how weird it is and begin to come up with the lyrics.
Most memorable live show moment?
My most memorable live show moment is playing to thousands of people on the main stage at The Tamworth Country Music Festival in April 2022 with my band and playing my single ‘Miss You No More’ for the first time live. Was such a rush and I felt all my hard work pay off!
Most memorable backstage moment?
My most memorable backstage moment was when I was standing backstage after my set at Tamworth on the main stage and Adam Brand came over to me and said “killed it kid”. Such a small thing for him but a massive for me and is something I will never forget. It made me feel like I was doing something right.
Fun Fact about you?
A fun fact about me is that I grew up on the premises of my family's pub in the coal mining town of Moranbah. It is a childhood that not many kids can say they had and safe to say we were the coolest kids out! We got to go down to the cold rooms and play hide and seek and take all the food we wanted…There were lots of places to hide in a pub! One of our favourite jokes to play as young kids living at the pub was to steal the walkie talkies and trick the duty managers. My siblings and I were little menaces but it was a ball growing up there. My most favourite thing about growing up at the pub was getting to see all of the live music acts come through every weekend doing what they love for a living, such an inspiration for me as a young girl who just loved to sing.
Something new/cool you discovered lately?
I recently discovered the song ‘Heartbreak in Boots’ by Temecula Road and I haven’t stopped singing it! I am obsessed with the contemporary country sound and I would love to release a song like it one day. It makes me feel like I am in the middle of an open paddock by myself with my favorite boots on listening to my favorite songs, so beautiful.
What was your first album purchased?
The first album I ever purchased was Taylor Swift’s Fearless when I went to her concert for my 5th birthday in 2010. I fell asleep halfway through it but I still remember wearing one of her merch shirts that touched the floor because it was too big for me and singing ‘Love Story’ in my chair hoping she would hear from the stage and call me up, haha.
If you could travel to one place in the world right now, where would that be?
If I could travel to one place in the world right now it would be Nashville, Tennessee. It has been my dream to go to Nashville since I discovered country music. I hear all these stories of how it is a musician's heaven and I hope to get over there very very soon and hopefully live there one day.
Fave Wrangler jeans fit?
My favourite Wrangler jeans fit are the Retro Mid Rise Boot Cut Jeans in style Mae. I am obsessed with these jeans and they are definitely my current faves. They are so flattering on so many different body types and make everyone look so beautiful!
