LA-based indie-pop artist BEL (Isabel Whelan), originally hailing from the small town of Clovis, CA, blends a folk songwriter’s heart with the alluring polish of a classic pop artist. Raised in a bilingual household as the youngest of five, she first found her creative footing in theater, choir, violin, and harmonizing in the car with her Argentine mother to ’70s icons like Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez, and Stevie Nicks. Her journey from DIY beginnings to full-time musician wasn’t seamless—quitting a 9-to-5 came with plenty of doubt—but BEL’s leap of faith now defines her journey.

Well before she ever earned accolades from Sirius XM, Rolling Stone, NPR, numerous Spotify playlists (for her Muscle Memory, Jet Lag, and Read the Room EPs), BEL’s validation came from the fans she’d meet while performing live as a UCLA undergrad — and later, opening for indie acts such as Cold War Kids, Boyish, Gatlin, Girlhouse, BAILEN, and The Rare Occasions.

Now with her 2025 debut full-length, Holy Grail, reflects this ascent, centered on “letting go of expectations and trusting the process of chasing your dreams.” Produced by Jason Vance Harris (Role Model, Juliet Ivy), the album delivers an immersive listening experience, tracing themes of ambition, self-discovery, and surrender. Holy Grail represents the latest chapter in BEL’s unfolding story — a personal and cinematic project rooted in introspection and a self-defined visual world inspired by her childhood imagination.

Recommended For Fans Of: Miya Folick, Ally Evenson, Carol Ades, Dora Jar, The Beaches