Bill and the Belles

Happy Again comes out THIS FRIDAY 5/16! 

We're mailing out pre-orders this week (THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!), and it's not too late to get in on the action! Click here to get your goodies! And watch this message from Kris and Kalia on why you should order this album: 

Have you seen our latest music videos? 

The Boot just premiered this one for Kris's talking blues number, "Sobbin' the Blues." It's a real pick-me-up! Big thanks to our buds at Cosmic Video (Burt Murder and Fanny Gould) for their help with this one and Happy Again (I'll Never Be). They knocked it outta the park! 

Check out this exclusive song premiere for "The Corn Shuckin' Song!" 

Farce the Music says it's "a plain goofy Roger Miller-esque double entendre of a song and I think you’ll get a kick out of it. It’s a welcome reprieve from the always raging storms of life." Heck yeah! Read more and listen here. 

People are already talking about this new album, and we're so grateful for the support! We can't wait to share another video with you ~soon~ and to release the full album this Friday! This project has been a longtime coming, and we are READY! 

Rolling Stone featured a single from our new album, "Happy Again!" 
Pre-order it today! 

It's almost here! The new Bill and the Belles album you've been pining for (you have been pining, right?). And hot damn, what an honor to get a nod from Rolling Stone! The music video for the title track was shot by our friends at Cosmic Video, and we're stoked with how it turned out. Produced by Teddy Thompson, this new album "Happy Again" is bigger and better than anything we've done before! Like Rolling Stone mentions, it isn't exactly ~happy~ but it is undeniably chock full of life, humor, and tongue-in-cheek explorations of love and loss. We are thrilled to finally be sharing it with you! Watch our latest music video here (and subscribe while you're at it!). 

 "Happy Again" drops May 21st, and you can pre-order it now! Check out these two pre-order packages (see our webstore for more!): 

• THE REALLY HAPPY PACK: This one is going make you more than pretty happy. We swear. You get a signed “Happy Again” CD, a T-Shirt that will make you smile, and a pin that will make you hungry. And a sticker. Rest assured that by purchasing the Really Happy Pack you will have made Bill and the Belles really happy. 
• THE SUPER DUPER HAPPY PACK: This is it. The Super Duper Happy Pack. It’s the whole kit and caboodle. A signed “Happy Again” CD, limited edition vinyl, limited edition T-Shirt, super cool pin, handwritten lyrics, and a sticker. It’s Super. It’s Duper. You need it almost as bad as we do. 

We recorded this album before the pandemic, and we've been working diligently to figure out how to get it to you! Releasing an album is dauntingly expensive, and to be honest we were banking on funding it through our biggest year yet of touring in 2020. No such luck! Like the rest of the world we've had to pause, reflect, and adapt. As a result, we're relying on your pre-orders to make this release possible! Over the years we've been routinely blown away by your support, and we're counting on it especially right now. The best way you can support us is to pre-order and pre-save "Happy Again." We can't wait for you to hear it! Thank you so much. 

Love, 
Bill and the Belles

An end-of-year note from the band: Thank you all for your continued support throughout this tumultuous year! We have big plans for 2021 including releasing a new album, so keep your eyes peeled for that! In the meantime, please continue to take care, practice social distancing, and show up for each other in the ways that matter. We're thinking of you this holiday season, and can't wait to see you again soon! In the meantime, we have a new video to add a little light to your day... 

Bill and the Belles Releases “Another Damn Christmas Song” 
Seasons greetings from East Tennessee! 

“Fa la la la…” We all know that 2020 brought no shortage of new challenges, but it also brought some of the same-old-same-old. Namely, the dozen or so Christmas songs that are ingrained into our collective consciousness. Kris Truelsen of Bill and the Belles decided to poke fun at this fact with the band’s latest holiday song, “Another Damn Christmas Song:” 

“Another year has come and gone, still singing the same old songs, like ‘fa la la la.’ I don’t particularly need to be reminded…” 

Bill and the Belles typically delight in the holidays. The sparkle and cheer play to their strengths, as evidenced by their 5 consecutive years hosting the festive Johnson City Jingle Bell Jamboree (they’re taking this year off, no surprises there). Traditionally the band releases a new holiday video every year (watch all the videos on their Youtube channel and subscribe while you’re there!). This one features a single-shot of them walking the streets of Johnson City, Tennessee. Shooting it involved befriending some stray cats, a perfectly placed dumpster, and only one neighbor calling the cops about some “teenagers” with a giant square peppermint perched against the Juvenile Detention Center sign. “What can we say, it was the perfect place to end our walk and provided great scaffolding for our trusty peppermint backdrop that otherwise lives in my basement,” said Kalia Yeagle. “And honestly I’m pretty flattered that somebody thought we were teenagers.” Both the song and the video are refreshing, catchy, and lighthearted, in typical Bill and the Belles fashion. Do yourself a favor: turn off the radio and find a new damn Christmas song to listen to. 

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE ON YOUTUBE AND HERE ON FACEBOOK! 

PERSONNEL: 
Recorded by: Jon Atkinson of Big Tone Records 
Mixed by: Josh Littleton 
Video: Josh Littleton 
Written by: Kris Truelsen, PalMuzak ASCAP 
Banjo/Vocals: Aidan VanSeutendael 
Fiddle/Vocals: Kalia Yeagle 
Guitar/Electric Guitar/Vocals: Kris Truelsen 
Bass: Brandon Story 

Media Contact: 
Kris Truelsen 
303-709-5367 
billandthebelles@gmail.com 

###

Welcome to September, friends! We've got exciting news: 

photo by Billie Wheeler 

Join us in welcoming Aidan VanSuetendael! 

We are thrilled to introduce this wonderful new addition to the band, and look forward to featuring her three finger and clawhammer banjo playing! Aidan grew up in South Florida where she first cultivated her interest in traditional American music. That interest deepened during her time at Denison University in Ohio, and carried her to Nashville where she currently resides. We are so happy to welcome her to the Bill and the Belles family, and can't wait for you to meet her! Please also join us in wishing Helena Hunt well as she moves on with new pursuits, including the release of her new single, Girls Like Me! You can keep up with Helena's music by checking out her Facebook page. 

Also in the spirit of season change, here at Bill and the Belles we are very ready for cooler days, fresh projects, and exercising our civic duty at the polls! Are you registered to vote? It only takes 2 minutes: Rock the Vote! 

Click photo to watch our Quarantine Happy Hour livestream! 

Of course we hope to be able to see you all in person soon, and we hope you are hunkering down safely so we can get through this crisis sooner. In the meantime you can visit us virtually! You could spend an evening with us on the front porch with our chorus of cicadas and train whistles by watching our Quarantine Happy Hour livestream! We were blown away by the response (9000 views in just a few hours?!) and are grateful to the Quarantine Happy Hour crew for having us! We encourage you to follow them and support all of the artists they feature! You can also... 

Tune in for a new Farm and Fun Time! 

We're kicking off shooting season 2 for PBS with a virtual show that you can watch live on Radio Bristol's Facebook Page, featuring 49 Winchester and the Po' Ramblin' Boys! Farm and Fun Time is now airing in 18 million homes on PBS affiliates throughout the south, and Kris has his sight set on national syndication in the coming year. Look out! Kalia wanted to make cardboard cutouts to fill the theater seats at this show--like they're doing at sports games--but turns out that's trickier than we thought. We'll be imagining your faces and uproarious applause! 

Another virtual show to put on your calendar: 

The Floyd Radio Show Season 10 Extravaganza! 

Saturday September 5th at 7:30pm eastern. We always have a wonderful time as part of the Floyd Radio Show, and are happy to be a part of this special online event! In addition to the signature skits and commercials, they are presenting an impressive lineup of musicians including Sammy Shelor and Jesse Smathers of the Lonesome River Band, Caleb Klauder and Reeb Willms, Alice Gerrard, and more. This event is being produced in conjunction with a fundraising campaign. It pains us to think about a world without incredible venues and community spaces like the Floyd Country Store, and we hope you'll consider supporting them financially. 

While you're at it, also think about subscribing to us on YouTube, liking us on Facebook, and following us on Apple Music and Spotify. While we can't put on shows for you in-person, these other ways of engaging matter even more. Plus we have a ton of new music, videos, and other content cooking for you, and you're gonna want to stay up-to-date! 

Thanks for sticking with us. We'll keep sticking with you. 

love, 
Bill and the Belles 

Thanks for the amazing new photos, Billie Wheeler!

HI WE MISS YOU! From our homebase in East Tennessee we're sending you an extra dose of strength, compassion, and patience, three things the world is demanding of us in large quantities right now. We're also sending you news! Like other artists and industry workers, we've been forced to confront the big unknowns that the future holds for live music. Not gonna lie, it's sad and frustrating and scary. But we're taking it a step at a time, and feeling grateful for those of you that are supporting the arts as you're able and grateful for our fellow artists demonstrating immense creativity and commitment amidst trying times. Thank you! We love you! Here are some things you can do to support us this week: 

1. Subscribe to Bill and the Belles on YouTube (it makes a difference! And you’ll see all the new vids like this one: SHINY NEW VIDEO) 

2. Tune in to our Quarantine Happy Hour on Facebook, Friday 8/28 at 8:30pm eastern! You’ll be the first to meet a certain special someone…!! Pester us in the comments. We miss that too. 

3. Tell your friends about Saturday’s show at the Blue Ridge Music Center! A real live show in a big outdoor amphitheater. It seats up to 5000 and they’re capping tickets at 400. Wear a mask, keep your distance, help us do this right. More info here: http://www.blueridgemusiccenter.org/20-8-29.htm Check out this poster that Taylor Rushing made to commemorate the occasion! 

4. Tune in for our Sunday online set at the Hideout's “A Day in the Country” festival featuring a bunch of cool artists, including Caleb Klauder and Reeb Willms and some band called Bill and the Belles. Learn more here: hideoutchicago.com 

5. Congratulate Kris on his IBMA nomination for “Industry Involvement of the Year!” He’s involved, alright! Well deserved. 

Hope to see you soon! 
Love,

Bill and the Belles

Folk Alliance International! We’re official. 

Honored to be joining an impressive list of artists at 2020's Folk Alliance International! See you in January, New Orleans! Keep an eye on our tour schedule for showcase info. 

We’ve been nominated for an Ameripolitan Award! 

You’re looking at a nominee for Western Swing Group of the Year! We appreciate how the Ameripolitan Awards celebrate “artists whose work does not readily conform to the tastes of today’s ‘country’ or other music genres and organizations.” Cheers to that! Looking forward to showcasing and attending the Ameripolitan Awards Show in Memphis this February! Learn more here: https://www.ameripolitan.com/ 

Photo by Matt Whitlock 

Find us in November in Abingdon, Boone, Charlottesville... 

NOV 1 Mistletoe Mingle (Abingdon, VA) 

NOV 9 Jones House (Boone, NC) 

NOV 14 Farm and Fun Time (Bristol, TN/VA) 

NOV 21 Private Event (Bristol, TN/VA) 

NOV 22 The Front Porch (Charlottesville, VA) 

Stay tuned for more exciting 2020 news, and an official announcement of our 2019 Jingle Bell Jamboree Tour! Be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram to stay up-to-date. We can't wait to see you soon! 

We are back home and hitting the ground running after a successful first trip to the UK! Highlights include a week of warm sunny days (unheard of, so we're told), a pre-show dip in a swimming hole in the Lake District (possibly the prettiest place any of us have been), and many a full English breakfast (and haggis! Helena loved it). We had a particularly good time at the Bluegrass Omagh Music Festival, the Sweet Sunny South festival, and the Long Road festival. Big thanks to our booker True North Music, all the promoters, venues, and homestay hosts, and the brave audiences who shared their time with us. You made it worth it, and we can’t wait to come back! 

Next up, Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion, right in our backyard! It’s a big festival with something for everybody, including 3 opportunities to catch Bill and the Belles! 

• FRI 9:00pm Near Moore Stage 
• SAT 2:30pm Theatre Bristol 
• SAT 7:30pm the FARM AND FUN TIME at the Paramount! Feat. Dustbowl Revival, Hogslop String Band, the Kody Norris Show, Green Grass Cloggers, and more! 

And then, on to the International Bluegrass Music Association’s World of Bluegrass in Raleigh, NC! Buckle up, friends. We’ll be around all week, but be sure to put one of our showcases on your list: 

• WED 6:00PM Bluegrass Museum Showcase at the Lincoln Theater 
• WED NIGHT 1:00AM Bluegrass Standard Showcase 
• SAT 5:30PM Hargett Street Stage, Wide Open Bluegrass StreetFest 

Fall is always a busy time for us, and a good time to reflect on what this year has had to offer so far. Thanks for showing up for us, and for continuing to support live music! Excited to see you soon. 

-Bill and the Belles

Bon Voyage! 

Today we’re on our way to the UK! It’s the band’s first tour over here, so if you’ve got any pals in England, Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland, you know where to send them! 

AUG 22 Camden, The Blues Kitchen 
AUG 23 Leek - Americana & Blues Preview 
AUG 24 Sticklebarn Sessions, Great Langdale 
AUG 25 Moniaive, Craigdarroch Arms 
AUG 26 Barnoldswick Music & Arts Center, Lancashire 
AUG 27 The Gallery at Woodend, Scarborough 
AUG 28 Bangor, Blue Sky Cafe 
AUG 30-SEP 1 Ulster American Folk Park, Omagh 
SEP 3 The Greystones, Sheffield 
SEP 4 Bristol, Hen and Chicken 
SEP 5 Boxmoor, Fishery Wharf Cafe 
*SOLD OUT* SEP 6 West Sussex, Sweet Sunny South Festival 
SEP 7-8 Lutterworth, The Long Road Festival

Found ourselves in a Roger Miller mood the other day (when AREN’T we’re in a Roger Miller mood?) so we worked up one of his songs on a drive through Virginia. Click the image below to watch, and here's to walking in the sunshine! We'll see you back stateside in September for Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion where we're playing FRIDAY and SATURDAY. Cheerio!

OH CANADA! 

We're headed to the Blueberry Bluegrass Festival in Stony Plain, Alberta! Catch us at one of these: 

FRIDAY 
11:30am Fiddle Workshop w/Kalia @Pioneer Museum 
5:30pm Outdoor Stage 

SATURDAY 
12:00pm Blueberry Patio, hosted jam 
3:30pm Fillmore Stage 

SUNDAY 
Noon CKUA bluegrass hour show 
(broadcast live from the Fillmore Stage w/Tim O'Brien and Front Country 
2:45pm Outdoor Stage 

UK TOUR! 
This will be the band's first UK visit, and it's shaped up to be a great one! Tell your UK buds! 

NEW T-SHIRTS! 

Hot off the presses! Snag one at billandthebelles.com/shop (Blueberry Bluegrass, you get first dibs!)

Have you listened to our latest singles? 
Check 'em on Spotify or Apple Music or Amazon or... you know. 
Watch our vids HERE! 

Thanks for supporting live music! Don't stop! 

Much love, 
Bill and the Belles

Voice Works – A Workshop for Singers 
(June 24-29, Port Townsend, WA) 

We had such a great time at Wintergrass in Seattle that we just couldn’t stay away from the Northwest for long. VERY HAPPY to be joining the amazing faculty (hello Eva Salina, Peter Rowan, Jefferson Hamer, Ernie Vega…) for Voice Works in Port Townsend, WA! Artistic Director Pharis Romero has got a really good thing going. “Singing is a natural human effort to communicate. Singing opens doors to other cultures and languages, and it makes you feel good.” Hear hear! 

We’ll be leading workshops all week on such irresistible subjects as Neo Old-time Country Repertoire, Finding Harmony, Early Country Female Duets, Repertoire from the Singing Brakeman (Jimmie Rodgers), and Rough and Rowdy Stringband Songs. Come sing with us! Learn more here: https://centrum.org/voice-works-a-workshop-for-singers/ 

Northeast Summer Jaunt! (NY, VT, MA, CT, ME) 

We’ve missed you, northeasterners! Hope to see you at one of these shows! Our dear bass player, Andrew, will be getting hitched that week, so we get to play this run with our pal Nico Humby on bass! We’re preparing ourselves for good times (and good pictures! Nico’s an amazing photographer and graphic designer: nicohumby.com). 

July 1 - Pine Plains Platter, Pine Plains NY 
July 2 - Radio Bean Honky Tonk Night, Burlington VT 
July 3 - Club Passim, Boston MA w/ Hoot and Holler 
July 4 - Naumkeag at Night, Stockbridge MA w/ Hoot and Holler 
July 5 - Flagpole Barn Concert, Newtown CT 
July 6 - Stone Mountain Arts Center, Brownsfield ME 

Have you heard our latest singles? Give 'em a stream on Apple Music or Spotify!

Thanks for supporting live music! Hope to see you soon. 

-Bill and the Belles