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Headed Northwest! 

California! Oregon! Washington! British Columbia! 

We are coming your way this month and holy smokes, we're excited! We’re gonna see redwoods, seals, and the Goonies rock, and we’re also playing shows! This is our first little tour to the area and we want to see YOU!! Join us for one of these dates later this month. 

We need your help to make this a successful run! If you know people out this way, please let ‘em know about our shows! We need the power of word-of-mouth on our side to pull this off. These are lovely venues in beautiful places, and they're bound to be some special shows. Hope to see some new faces! 

CLICK FOR TIX & INFO: 

10/25 Sweetwater Music Hall - Mill Valley, CA 

10/26 Arcata Playhouse - Arcata, CA 

10/27 The Old Church - Portland, OR 

10/28 Kirkland Performance Center - Kirkland, WA 

10/29 Rogue Folk Club - Vancouver, BC 
*livestream available* 

Thanks for the support, folks! See you on the road. 

Much love, 
Bill and the Belles

Bristol Rhythm & Roots + Fall preview! 

It's that time of year again... Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion! It's one of our favorite festivals to play, and you can catch us there twice: 

Friday 5:30pm - Piedmont Stage 

Saturday 7:30pm - Paramount Theater - Farm and Fun Time! 

Saturday's special edition of Farm and Fun Time is not to be missed! If you have a ticket to Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion, you're good to stroll on in and be a part of the studio audience. This show is gonna be a real doozy, featuring special guests the Del McCoury Band, Willie Watson, and the Green Grass Cloggers (plus perhaps some surprise guests?!). The weekend offers no shortage of amazing artists, and this will be one experience you'll definitely want to add to your schedule. Hope to see you in the audience! 

We had a wonderful time on both Mountain Stage and WoodSongs last week! If you tuned in to watch or listen live, thank you! If not, keep an eye and ear out to catch the shows on your local radio and tv stations. It was such an honor to share the stage with so many other incredible artists, and we'd been especially looking forward to our debut Mountain Stage performance for a long time. Check out these commemorative posters featuring squirrel royalty: 

For our Floyd folks, we're headed your way soon: September 17th! We love the Floyd Country Store, and can't wait to see you all again! Be sure to check out our website calendar for a full list of shows. You might notice that there are some west coast dates making their way onto the list...! If you've got buds in WA/OR/N.CA, let 'em know we're coming their way in October! It's folks like you that show up for live music who make our hearts lift and help this work feel worth it. Thank you so much for all the support! We can't wait to see you soon. 

Much love, 
Bill and the Belles 

UPCOMING SHOWS: 
9/9-9/10 - Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion, Bristol VA/TN 
9/17 - Floyd Country Store, Floyd VA 
10/13 - Farm and Fun Time, Bristol VA 
10/14 - Spring Island, Okatie SC 
10/25 - Sweetwater Music Hall, Mill Valley CA 
10/26 - Arcata Playhouse, Arcata CA 
10/27 - The Old Church, Portland OR 
10/28 - Kirkland Performance Center, Kirkland WA 
11/3 - New Spire Arts, Frederick MD 
11/4 - Hank Dietle's Tavern, Rockville MD

That Summer Feeling 

NEW SHIRT ALERT! 

Hot damn! We've got a dreamy new shirt courtesy of one of our favorite artists, DREYFUS! It's a technicolor mushroomy fiddle dream, and you can get yours right here right now. Bill and the Belles loves you! 

Blue Ridge Music Center 

THIS SATURDAY, July 16th, we'll be back at one of our favorite venues: the Blue Ridge Music Center! Come take a drive down the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway and then stop off for an outdoor concert. We would love to see you! Tickets here: https://www.blueridgemusiccenter.org/concert-events/bill-belles-2022/ 

Farm and Fun Time! 

Farm and Fun Time just continues to grow, and we couldn't be prouder! In addition to seeking national syndication through PBS this year (keep an eye on your local station!), it's also now housed at the Paramount Bristol for quarterly BIG shows! This month's is a real banger, celebrating the 95th anniversary of the 1927 Bristol Sessions. It features the "queen of bluegrass" Rhonda Vincent, Roni Stoneman of the Stoneman family, and incredible Americana artist Lauren Morrow. Definitely a not-to-miss show! 

Tickets here: https://paramountbristol.org/event/farm-fun-time-rhonda-vincent/ 

Stream here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyvBjeq9iFi3nJQxNpEDbzg 

A few special things to put on your radar: 

Mountain Stage - August 28! W/ Laurie Lewis, the Early Mays, and more! Be a part of the live audience as Mountain Stage records a fresh episode for NPR Music with host Kathy Mattea in Charleston, WV. Tickets here: https://mountainstage.org/event/laurie-lewis-the-early-mays-and-more-on-mountain-stage/ 

West Coast Fall tour! More dates to be announced soon. To wet your palate, we'll be at The Old Church in Portland OR on October 27! Learn more here: https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/5799271/bill-and-the-belles--portland-the-old-church-concert-hall- 

UPCOMING DATES 
See full calendar here 

7/16 - Blue Ridge Music Center (Galax, VA) 

7/21 - Farm and Fun Time (Bristol, TN) 

7/29 - Music on the Lawn (Seven Devils, NC) 

7/30 - Oldtone Roots Music Fest (Hillsdale, NY) 

8/2 - Levitt Pavilion (Westport, CT) 

8/11 - Farm and Fun Time (Bristol, VA) 

8/13 - Ashe County Arts (West Jefferson, NC) 

8/21 Queen City Jam (Charlotte, NC) 

8/28 - Mountain Stage (Charleston, WV)

Kennedy Center, Spring Preview 

We're playing the Kennedy Center this week! 

This is a major bucket list show for us, and a stupendous way to roll into spring! We hope you'll join us if you're able: 6pm at the Grand Foyer Millenium Stage, this Thursday March 3rd! Tickets are FREE and you can reserve them here: https://www.kennedy-center.org/whats-on/millennium-stage/ 

March 11th at Down Home 

Johnson City is so lucky to have the Down Home, and we are so lucky to get to play there! Join us Friday March 11th with our folk singer friend, Willi Carlisle! If you haven't experienced Willi yet, I can't think of a better space to do so than the Down Home. Tickets available now! 

Farm and Fun Time is going Paramount! 

We're excited to announce that Farm and Fun Time will be moving to the big ol' Paramount Theater for quarterly shows! Our kickoff show will be March 10th featuring the Mavericks and Dallas Wayne w/ Redd Volkaert! This is gonna be a blast. We are SO proud of how Farm and Fun Time has grown over the years, and can't wait to bring it to the big stage more often! Get tickets here: https://paramountbristol.org/event/mavericks/ 

And for fun, check out this moment captured from last Farm and Fun Time when Kris and Andrew dove into some brother duets. If you wanna get the rabbit out the L-O-G make a commotion like a D-O-G! 

We have a number of exciting shows coming up that will take us to over a dozen states! Take a look at our full calendar as we announce more dates, and see if we're coming to your neck of the woods. We sure miss seeing you, and we hope to cross paths again soon! 

UPCOMING SHOWS 

3/3 - Kennedy Center, Millenium Stage - Washington DC 
3/10 - Farm and Fun Time at the Paramount Theater - Bristol, VA 
3/11 - The Down Home - Johnson City, TN 
4/1 - Flatiron Crossroads - Gloucester, VA 
4/2-3 - Rotary District 7570 Conference - Roanoke, VA 
4/8 - Stringband Summit - Johnson City, TN 
4/14 - Farm and Fun Time - Bristol, VA 
4/15 - Southgate House Revival, The Revival Room - Newport, KY 
4/16 - Holland Theater - Bellefountaine, OH 
4/20 - Philadelphia Folksong Society - Philadelphia, PA 
4/21 - Jalopy Theater - Brooklyn, NY 
4/23 - The Word Barn - Exeter, NH 
4/24 - The Parlor Room at Signature Sounds - Northampton, MA 
4/27 - The 443 Social Club - Syracuse, NY 
4/28 - Club Passim - Cambridge, MA 
4/29 - Stone Mountain Arts Center - Brownfield, ME 
4/30 - Charm City Bluegrass - Baltimore, MD 
5/1 - Camarillo Concerts - Bethesda, MD 
5/6 - River Jam! At the National Whitewater Center - Charlotte, NC 
5/11 - Farm and Fun Time - Bristol, VA 
5/12 - The Grey Eagle w/Twisted Pine and Golden Shoals - Asheville, NC 
5/13 - Reeves Theater - Elkin, NC

Hot Dog Holidays! 

Seasons Greetings from Bill and the Belles! 

We hope you're finding ways to make it through yet another tumultuous year. You've been on our minds, and we can't wait to cross paths again soon. If you're in the area, you can catch us at one of these shows: 

12/9 - Farm and Fun Time - Bristol, TN/VA 
feat. Tim O'Brien and the Slocan Ramblers 

12/17 - A Radio Bristol Christmas - Bristol TN/VA 
feat. the Kody Norris Show, Martha Spencer and Larry Sigmon 

12/18 - Bristol Holiday Hootenanny - Patton-Crosswhite VFW Post 6975 
*benefitting the Bristol Emergency Food Pantry 

12/19 - Down Home Christmas - Johnson City, TN 

Give the gift of hot dog cheer! 

Our Dog Tees--designed by the one-and-only Taylor Rushing--are now back in stock in sizes Small-XXL! Get 'em while you can! We'll get them in the mail as quick as mustard stains your shirt. We hope you'll relish the day it arrives. While you're in our webstore, consider adding a corndog pin or CD to your cart, or pre-ordering Happy Again on vinyl! 

We'll leave you with our 2020 holiday video, "Just Another Christmas Song," which features a stroll through the neighborhood while we poke fun at the same-old-same-old-ness of the holiday season. Remember you can watch all of our holiday videos (the bitter AND the sweet) on our Youtube channel

Cheers, 

Bill and the Belles 

Merlefest, Bristol Rhythm and Roots 

The time has come, friends. We're finally headed to Merlefest! We've been looking forward to this festival for a long time, and to add to the delight we've been spotlighted as a "must catch" act of the weekend! 

The Holler says "The Tennessee-based roots group is one of the quirkier offerings of the weekend.... They’re an ideal band to witness after the past year and a half." Gee whiz, what a compliment! Heartfelt thanks to the folks at The Holler and No Depression for the shout outs. We hope to see you at our sets on Friday! 3pm at the Creekside Stage, and 6:15pm at the Traditional Stage. 

Our 6th Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion was wonderful! Thank you to all our friends and fans for showing up and making us feel so loved this weekend, and to Wide Open Country for highlighting Friday night's Farm and Fun Time! It was such a good feeling to look out and see so many folks we haven’t seen in such a long time smiling back at us. Y’all give us the energy to keep pushing forward and we couldn’t do it without you. Thank you! 

We have some local and regional shows coming up, and we'd love to see you there! Take a look at our website caeldnar for the full scoop. Here are some highlights: 

UPCOMING SHOWS 

10/1 - IBMA Street Fest (Raleigh, NC) 
10/1 - Music in the Valle (Valle Crucis, NC) 
10/14 - Farm and Fun Time (Bristol, VA) 
10/15 - Cork and Keg (Asheville, NC) 
10/16 - Home Craft Days (Big Stone Gap, VA) 
11/12 - Baltimore Old Time Festival (Baltimore, MD)

Now Signed with Concerted Efforts! 

Now Signed with Concerted Efforts! 

For booking, contact Lori Peters :: Visit Concerted Efforts' Website 

“Bill and the Belles is committed to helping early country 
music remain appreciated –not just replicated.” 
–ROLLING STONE 

“What may be the most innovative modern 
interpretation of vintage roots music.” 
–No Depression 

“They’re a joy to watch live, and we bet you can’t 
make it through their set without smiling.” 
–The Bluegrass Situation 

Bill and the Belles began as a project to explore the sounds between rural and urban music, between vaudeville and down home roots, but they’ve arrived somewhere wholly their own. They revel in the in-between: deeply engaged with the stringband tradition and eager to stretch those influences to contemporary settings. Happy Again is the latest chapter of that ongoing story: what happens when a stringband from East Tennessee lays down a session at Motown. It’s a welcome evolution that feels familiar and timeless. 

Out May 21, 2021 on Ditty Boom Records (distribution and promotion by Free Dirt Service Co.), Happy Again marks a new chapter for the group by featuring eleven all-original songs penned by founding member Kris Truelsen. Anyone who’s been to one of their shows can attest that you leave feeling lighter and refreshed. The deft production touch of Teddy Thompson, who encouraged using only first or second takes, gives Happy Again an emotional punch that deepens with each listen. 

Watch the Live Performance "Meatloaf Mama"

UPCOMING FESTIVAL APPEARANCES: 
Aug 13 Podunk Music Festival- Goshen, CT 
Aug 15 Appaloosa Festival- Front Royal, VA 
Aug 20 Music on the Square- Jonesborough, TN 
Sept 3 Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival- Woodstown, NJ 
Sept 10-12 Bristol Rhythm & Roots- Bristol, TN 
Sept 17 Merlefest- Wilkesboro, NC

August '21 highlights! 

The Down Home THIS SATURDAY! 

We're playing the iconic Down Home in Johnson City, TN this week! Call 423-929-9822 for tickets or visit downhome.com. *NOTE: are you a student or a parent of a student? Hit us up for a secret codeword that'll get you a discount at the door!* It's always an honor to play this spot, and we're eager to support our favorite local venues as we all navigate this ongoing pandemic. This will be a limited capacity show. 

Appaloosa Music Festival!! 

We've got a few chances for you to catch us in the DC-area coming up, including the one-and-only Appaloosa Music Festival with our buds Scythian! We'll be there Sunday 8/15. We sang a song about meatloaf to share our excitement: 

Happy 10th, Ear Trumpet! 

This month we're celebrating 10 years of Ear Trumpet Labs! Ear Trumpet microphones have been our trusty companions and supporters over the years, and we're excited to contribute to the festivities this month! There will be a #10YearsofETL Video Concert Special on August 25 with performances and call-ins from artists including us, The Milk Carton Kids, Amythyst Kiah, Darlingside, Gangstagrass, Rainbow Girls, and more. Keep an ear(trumpet) out for the new jingle Kris wrote just for the occasion! 

UPCOMING SHOWS 
see website calendar for full schedule 

8/5 - Farm and Fun Time (Bristol, VA) 

8/6 - Concerts by Canoe (Franklin Co, VA) 

8/7 - The Down Home (Johnson City, TN) 

8/8 - Brews and Tunes (Jonesborough, TN) 

8/12 - Fairfax County Government Center (Fairfax, VA) 

8/13 - Podunk Music Festival (Goshen, CT) 

8/15 - Appaloosa Music Festival! (Front Royal, VA) 

8/20 - Music on the Square (Jonesborough, TN) 

8/21 - Roan Concerts (Roan Mountain, TN) 

9/1 - Red Barn Radio (Lexington, KY) 

9/3 - Delaware Valley Festival (Woodstown, NJ) 

9/10+11 - Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion (Bristol TN/VA) 

9/17 - Merlefest (Wilkesboro, NC) 

... 

Stay safe out there! Wear a mask, get vaccinated, do right by one another. We love you and miss you and can't wait to share more music together. Keep in touch on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, etc. 

- Bill and the Belles

People Gonna Talk - New Music Video! 

People gonna talk, just let 'em 

You gotta keep your head up and forget 'em 

They talk about you cuz they got nothing else to do 

Except to tell somebody some made up story that's all about you 

Holler just premiered the new music video for our new country-folk meets 60s pop-rock song "People Gonna Talk" 

“People Gonna Talk” is a song about the kind of frustrations that small town living can create, presented in a weird ball of joy (if that's not Bill and the Belles in a nutshell...). In contrast to the sassy lyrics, we decided to celebrate small town life in the music video, because for all its challenges, living in smaller places can have a lot of perks too. 

One of the biggest is how rich in character these places can be, and we had no shortage of character on hand for this music video! Celebrated artists and local legends Eugene Wolfe, Christine Murdock, and Ed Snodderly were generous enough to revive their former band, Mehitabel and the What’s Their Name Brothers, for an afternoon lipsync session at a great local dive, Nappy’s Bar. 

These folks truly embody part of what we love about life in Johnson City, and we were fortunate that they were so willing to get ridiculous with us. We give you a music video that’s a little John Waters, a little local Friday night talent show, and a lot Bill and the Belles. 

WATCH IT ON YOUTUBE 

WATCH IT ON FACEBOOK 

We've been blown away by the support our new album, Happy Again, has been getting, including topping the Americana charts! We're honored, and so grateful to get to share this music with you! Keep streaming it wherever you listen to music, follow us on all the places, and let a friend know if you think they'd like what we've got going on. Maybe we'll see you at a show this summer? See website for details! 

6/25 Bluff City, TN 

6/26 Johnson City, TN 

7/8 Farm and Fun Time! (Bristol, VA) 

7/9 Redwing Roots Festival (Mt Solon, VA) 

7/10 Holy Taco (Johnson City, TN) 

8/5 Farm and Fun Time! (Bristol, VA) 

8/6 Concerts by Canoe (Franklin County, VA) 

8/7 The Down Home (Johnson City, TN) 

8/8 Brews and Tunes (Jonesborough, TN) 

8/12 Fairfax, VA 

8/13 Podunk Music Festival (Goshen, CT) 

8/19 Middlesboro, KY 

8/20 Music on the Square (Jonesborough, TN) 

9/2 Delaware Valley Festival (Woodstown, NJ) 

9/10 Bristol Rhythm and Roots (Bristol TN/VA) 

9/17 Merlefest (Wilkesboro, NC) 

Keep on shuckin, 

- Bill and the Belles

Happy Again is out TODAY! 

Happy Again is out today! 

“Happy Again introduces some new textures to the band’s sound… but the fundamental, classic country, gather-round-the-radio sounds that Bill and the Belles tap into haven’t changed a bit, and neither has their charm.” -No Depression 

“You’ll get a kick out of it. It’s a welcome reprieve from the always raging storms of life.” -Farce the Music 

“The entire production is delightful… Expertly played… Reeks of 60s melodic magic.” -American Highways 

“It’s Americana as dark comedy.” -Tinnitist 

“[Happy Again] delivers lilting, upbeat melodies, excellent harmony vocal work, and a pervasively playful mood.” -Jeff Burger 

Top 50 on the Americana Charts! 

We are thrilled to crack Top 50 on the American Charts with a debut at #41, and to be one of the most added this week nationally! We also made Top 20 on the Alt Country charts. Thank you to all the DJs playing us around the country! 

Y’all, the challenges we faced to put this record out were no joke, yet we persevered and did it and we’re so happy we did!!! As many of these songs were born out of hardship, we hope this record helps provide comfort and a pick me up to those who might be in need of a friend or serve as a reminder that hard times do in fact pass. 

We are so grateful to the community of people that helped make “Happy Again” a fully realized project. Huge thanks to our Producer Teddy Thompson for his expertise, and creative vision and for keeping us directed during such a whirlwind recording session. Our friend who wears all the hats, the amazingly talented Josh Littleton. Jim Price and Bobby Starnes at Hat Creek Recording Company. Our amazingly talented friends who sat in with us Don Eanes on keys and Nicholas Falk on drums. “Happy Again was mixed by the great Ted Young and masterfully mastered by Anna Frick. Thanks to @spitzerspacetelescope for nailing the album art and to Billie Wheeler for supplying great images. The Earnest Tube for loaning us some great vintage gear. And of course the band who dedicated so much time to making “Happy Again” a reality - Kris Truelsen, Kalia Yeagle, Helena Rose, Andrew Small, and Aidan VanSuetendael. Huge thanks to our fans friends and family for their support through it all!!! 

And thanks to everyone who has ordered our merch! It makes all the difference, and will continue to. We look forward to getting back on the road and bringing our music to your town, but until then we are SO HAPPY (again) to share this new album with you! If you haven’t already, be sure to add Happy Again on your streaming platforms, subscribe to us on Youtube so you’ll catch all our videos, and follow us on social media so we can keep you up-to-date on our goings on.