“Benny Valentine” via LaunchLeft
Today, Los Angeles-based artist Bella Moore shared her debut single “Benny Valentine” via Rain Phoenix’s label, LaunchLeft. Bella’s ethereal vocals slide across distorted guitars and resonant drums as the hauntingly beautiful, fuzzed out track delves into a mesmerizing meeting with the mysterious figure ‘Benny Valentine.’ With lyrics that invoke a sense of fascination with the enigmatic character, the track’s eerie atmosphere paints a picture that explores the complexities of the captivating encounter. Grappling between attraction and resistance, the internal conflict amplifies the overall sense of uncertainty that permeates the song. Bella says, “‘Benny Valentine’ is a love song. It reminds me of a nightmare and a dream all at once. It’s a feeling of doom and being eternal, living in love and not fear.”
Bella Moore dreams of a world out of time. Growing up around racetracks, casinos, Floridian seas, old Hollywood films, and carnivals, she is heavily influenced by memory. In the summer of 2022, she met a young boy who read her palm and told her to pursue music. Shortly after, her fiancé, director and singer Ben Howley of the band Limo, had her duet on the band’s second album, and from there she began to experiment.
Owing to a very close relationship with her grandparents, Bella was drawn to the music of Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash and Rudy Vallee, along with a variety of 30’s to 50’s singers. Combining this with her eclectic taste in bands like Suicide, Bloodshot Bill, and Les Rallizes Dénudés, Bella began to compose songs on her keyboard. She is inspired mostly by drums, and can create a song entirely around a selection of carefully chosen waltz-style drum beats. Bella sought the help of Kirk Hellie and Rob Campanella to further the start of her musical journey, tapping them to help produce and mix her upcoming new music.
“Benny Valentine” Single Art, Artwork Credit: Elliot Weaver