Electronic-dance music artist, Belle Vex, shares his new and fun, upbeat single “Something New” that makes listeners want to get up and dance! Vex hails from New England, who enjoys creating and producing dance songs that are influential to him and others. His new single with “Something New” is the exact portrayal of Vex’s music and the mood it puts one in.
“Something New” is featured on his six-song EP, Fifteen Minutes Of Fame,” featuring Vex as a “dance-pop innovator, a clear communicator, and a subtly sophisticated lyricist.” Belle VEX says of “Something New”, “I was just tired. Every now and then you come to a point where you just need to take a short break and re-energize yourself, but this was different. This was almost like a career crisis. I felt as if everything that I was doing was pointless and that there was no “good” ending. This wasn’t depression, just a turning point…. I needed something new. Something to move forward in a new way and see things in a new light. It’s the only way I saw change.”
We had a lengthy chat with Vex about his love for dance and music overall, his writing and recording process of “Something New,” and even more of an explanation why he needed a break from things in life, working with director Rob Fitzgerald, and much more.
What led to your passion for electronic/dance music?
Belle Vex: I don’t necessarily strive to make the next electronic hit. It’s more of an outcome thing. A lot of my songs start off as acoustic versions and they’re transformed into what you hear. I just like interesting ideas, clean sound, and forthright feeling… Once you put all of my interests together, that’s just the end result every time. I don’t really like talking about what put me on my path to music, because it starts with a near death experience and a guy who hit rock bottom. It’s such a cliche’ story at this point that I feel like my true life events are just something someone else would make up to sell themselves. I kind of feel guilty that it’s my truth. I don’t want to use it, because I don’t want people to look at me and say “Same old story, he’s just trying to get attention.” and I never want the things that I went through to be downplayed like that.
Your latest single and music video for “Something New,” is from your current EP, Fifteen Minutes Of Fame. What is your writing and recording process for your music?
Belle: “Something New’ isn’t from Fifteen. Fifteen Minutes was put out at the end 2015 and there was the single “Make It Good for Her” released in between.
The process starts with a simple idea that’s usually a chord progression on a keyboard or guitar, but I have made stuff with just lyrics or another instrument. My goal is to get a feeling not a product. I’m not focused on “how good this is going to come out” or “are people are going to like it”. I just really want something that I think is dope. Once I have that I worry about the product. That’s when I might go into the studio with someone to track vocals or higher a producer to improve on the parts that are lacking. Otherwise I’d do it myself. That said, I have been working with producers a lot lately, because I enjoy it and it they’re able to take my songs to higher levels. More heads are better than one.
“Something New” is a reflection of you needing a break from things in your life…can you expound on that?
Belle: Instead of a break, let’s say I needed a change. I didn’t want to stop what I was doing, but I knew that if I kept going the way I was… I would end up with the same results. See, I was watching the world change right before my eyes. We got this new president which ignited this “us vs them” experience, the entertainment industry was changing fast, and better technology was once again becoming readily accessible to the people. I didn’t know what that meant for an unsigned, self-funded artist like myself. What I did know was that the old model was dated and I wasn’t the same person that I was when I started. I didn’t have the same desires, I wasn’t infatuated with the same woman that I wrote about, had accomplished previous goals and learned from past mistakes. I even started holding myself accountable for “selling music.” Just because I made it, didn’t mean I should’ve sold it. I began considering a lot of my old work as glorified demos. It really was “What do I do now?”. I wanted something new. So as much as this song is about that desire, it also doubles as a conversation with myself. I do that a lot. I’m good at hiding my real message in ironic stories.
What was the vision/idea with director, Rob Fitzgerald, for “Something New”?
Belle: Well the video kind of changed from its initial vision, because I pulled an 11th hour adjustment to the song. Originally, there was going to be a panel of judges who would be casting the next talent for one of my music videos. There would be multiple people going for the part, but one person would get denied, leave, and then come back in and try to pass someone different. In the end, I would storm out of the room frustrated and would’ve chosen someone genuine who was too scared to audition. I didn’t think the song was strong enough and I wanted to move forward with something everyone was proud of… so I changed it up. When Rob got the new version , he saw something more mystical so I stepped back and let him do his thing. It became something closer to the message of the song; a fine tuned idea. What you see is really Rob in full effect.
Who was your first concert, and which one has been your overall favorite, and why?
Belle: It’s better to say that I’ve seen My Chemical Romance live and then some years later, I’ve seen Childish Gambino. I’m a big fan of both. I never really was a big concert-goer, because I’d rather be on stage. From a young age I was in an all city orchestra, acting in theater, and then I went on to do my shows. I think most of my experience with musicians comes from just meeting them in the studio. It doesn’t matter the genre. I’ve gotten to meet artists who have been a part of, if not produced, some of my favorite works.
Which five artists or albums would you not want to live without?
Belle: Alright, let’s do it! My Chemical Romance’s Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge pretty much changed the way I thought about rock music. There was magic there. Eminem’s The Eminem Show not only built the unbreakable bond between me and my best friend/brother, it helped me express anger. I don’t care what people think about Eminem, because this isn’t about that. I was young when my father disappeared and my mom would look at me and only see him. Plus the man that moved into the house made it pretty clear that he wasn’t there for me. I was confused and angry and couldn’t even recognize the abuse that I was being exposed to. That album helped me vent, make mistakes, and ultimately learn why I used to be kind of a messed up, sarcastic, youth. I can’t trade it out. Childish Gambino’s “Camp” was a really, really good time. I’ve made a ton of really good friends just playing this for people. Plus I looked up a bit to Donald Glover and respected the hell out of him. Michael Jackson’s “Bad” has all of my favorites from him. I don’t even have memories of being exposed to that album… It’s just another part of me. See what I did there? Lastly, this one’s personal. Coheed and Cambria’s “In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth 3” was the favorite of someone really close to me. He took his life in 2011. When I found out, I had just left college and was catching a flight to Cali. I didn’t make the funeral. This was the start of the worst time of my life and that album is the only thing I have to remember him by. I didn’t mean to end this on a low note.
Do you have a guilty music or entertainment pleasure?
Belle: I don’t know, because I’m proud of all of my interests and things today aren’t really looked down on as they used to be. Video Games are cool, comic book movies and shows are in. No one really questions individual tastes in my experience. There’s something for everyone. I guess the closest thing would be anime, because there was a point in my life where people would look at me funny, but to me they’re just cartoons. I was a kid during the time these started coming to TV so these weren’t too different from Saturday morning shows. As I got older, so did the shows I watched. Whatever. I never cared. I’ve actually gone on to meet a ton of the voice actors and some of them have become friends, acting mentors even. I’ve also voiced some characters for indie projects, but that was a life ago.
Sidenote: I would love to have a recurring role in a Marvel movie as well as the TV show “Supernatural.”
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