event

Gatlin’s music captures the fullness of existence—meditating on life’s pain while celebrating the joy too. “Whatever emotion you’re feeling? Feel it deeply. Don’t numb it out.” she says. The Florida-raised singer-songwriter had that epiphany after a whirlwind couple of years that included a move from Nashville to Los Angeles, opening shows with Ashe, Pale Waves, and VÉRITE—and her first heartbreak, an experience that led her to dive into pop that communicated deep feelings while allowing for communal catharsis. Raised on Stevie Nicks and Taylor Swift, Gatlin has been cultivating her musical acumen since she was young. After heading to Nashville to study songwriting, she released her first solo music in 2020, and has been thrilling audiences with emotionally open pop songs like the swirling “2000 Miles” and the strutting “Talking To Myself,” and her breakout 2021 single “What If I Love You,” which has amassed more than 36 million listens on Spotify since its release. Her newest EP, I Sleep Fine Now, comes from a more mature place, with the bulk of it inspired by her emotional state while grappling with her first big breakup. “It was the first time I lost someone that I cared a lot about,” she says. The EP combines the realizations inspired from that experience with immediate hooks and plainly stated, sometimes lacerating lyrics. These seven tracks prize vulnerability first and foremost, and she’s unafraid to speak truths about romantic love’s highs and lows.

Rarely does modern music earn the badge timeless, but BEL cuts through the noise. Hailing from the small town of Clovis, California, Isabel Whelan crafts nostalgic songs with honesty and attention to detail, occupying the intersection of indie, pop, and folk, while taking cues from the likes of Stevie Nicks, Joni Mitchell, and Mazzy Star.

 

In 2022, BEL released four singles (including collaborations with girlhouse and Boyish), which culminated in the release of her sophomore EP, Jet Lag. Throughout the rollout, she steadily built a core fanbase on socials while receiving support from Sirius XM (300+ organic plays), Pandora (2 playlist covers), Spotify, Apple, and several publications. BEL headlined the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn and supported Isaac Dunbar, Beach Weather, and Kristiane, positioning herself on the precipice of the indie zeitgeist.

 

After landing on a handful of “Artists to Watch in ‘23,” lists, BEL has been steadily releasing a string of singles leading up to her third EP due out later this year. The project’s collaborators include Sean Silverman (Beach Weather), Jack Laboz, Jon Santana, Day Wave + more. Her single “Are You Okay?,” reached #1 on SiriusXMU organically in April/May 2023 along with support on AltNation and KCRW. After her recent direct support for Boyish on their June 2023 US tour, and upcoming Mind The Gap festival, 2023 is shaping up to be an exciting year of releases and live performances for BEL.

 

Short Bio - Rarely does modern music earn the badge timeless, but BEL cuts through the noise. Hailing from the small town of Clovis, California, Isabel Whelan crafts nostalgic songs with honesty and attention to detail, occupying the intersection of indie, pop, and folk, while taking cues from the likes of Stevie Nicks, Joni Mitchell, and Mazzy Star.

 

After the 2022 release of her sophomore EP, Jet Lag, BEL landed on a handful of end-of-year “Artists to Watch” lists, and is continuing the momentum with new music in 2023. The first three singles, "Are You Okay?," "Woman on Fire," and "Cold Brew," have received ample support from Sirius XM, Pandora, Spotify, Apple, and several publications. With a 3rd EP underway and her first festival announcement, 2023 is shaping up to be an exciting year of releases and live performances for BEL.