(Photo by Ben Wilkin) Out via Plastic Sound Records is Belle Scar’s newest single “I’ve Been Here Before”, the track is taken from the debut album “Atoms”. The Montreal born but now London-based singer-songwriter Belle Scar brings dark pop that indeed – just like the press release says – sounds like a mash-up between Nick Cave, Björk and Portishead.

Scar’s new single, “I’ve Been Here Before”, is about the acknowledgement and acceptance of the ‘black dog’ of melancholy. The video for it captures London at night, with Scar playing the lead role of a wanderer and actor JD Haymer representing her shadow.

Scar studied classical piano as a child before having to abandon it due to challenges related to ADHD and dyslexia that also affected her schooling. She eventually began writing poetry and composing music, to the point where it became an obsession and she left Montreal to head over to Europe for a lengthy tour armed with just her keyboard, a fistful of dark electronic pop songs and her distinctive voice. She finally ended up in the UK where “I could truly push myself to take risks and work on my most ambitious music; I began meeting lots of incredibly talented musicians, singers and artists with whom I have collaborated.”

There she started working with musician and producer Marc Olivier to create “Atoms”, her upcoming 11-track counting debut album. “I wrote ‘Atoms’ after my son was born, the aftermath of cancer in the family, life in the pandemic as well as acknowledging and accepting my continuing cognitive challenges,” explains Scar. “These songs are about my identity and trying to navigate the cycles of life, as well as my fascination with and awe of the universe, space and time in all its mysterious ways.”

Here’s the video for the new single.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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The Montreal born but London based artist Belle Scar is back with an all new single.

“Where Do We Begin” is the first single to be issued from a new album due out in early 2023. Having previously released an album of dark electronic pop entitled “Light Bulbs” (2015), Scar is now sounding more like a female version of Nick Cave with the songs containing a wider range of instrumentation and more complex arrangements. On this single she collaborates with her husband, musician and producer Marc O (Olivier), whose roots were as a classically trained musician in Paris prior to his own relocation to London.

The single was recorded at Plastic Sound Studios in London and produced/mixed by Marc O, with guest appearances from Finnish rock bassist Sami Yaffa, French drummer Christophe Deschamps and Italian opera soprano Francesca Matta.

Here’s the video for “Where Do We Begin”.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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