BIO:
In the summer of 2007, these three friends worked at a rock ‘n’ roll summer camp for teens, where they taught the musicians of tomorrow how to play and perform. Sneaking away from the campers at night to play music, Bella Novela was born. Inspired by western soundtracks of the ‘60s, the operatic arrangements of Queen, the guitar harmonies of Iron Maiden, and the pop choruses and disco rhythms of Abba, the band is best described as a “spaghetti western disco rock opera.”
Standing out like a unicorn in an industrial wasteland, the band has made a name for themselves in the eclectic music scene of Long Beach, California, with their flamboyant, passionate, and unforgettable live shows. They’ve toured the country and appeared on two compilations featuring the best in Long Beach music alongside Mike Watt (Minutemen) and Crystal Antlers. They’ve shared the stage with Semi-Precious Weapons, The Like, Ida Maria, Gram Rabbit, Ikey Owens (Mars Volta), Matt Embree (RX Bandits), and Girl in a Coma.
Their recently released sophomore album, The Archeress, is a rock opera concept record about the last woman on earth and her battle for survival in a vampire and zombie-swarmed apocalypse. Completely funded by loyal fans in a successful Kickstarter campaign, the trio worked with producer Mario Quintero of Blackbox Studios in San Diego (Transfer) and challenged themselves to write twelve songs that flowed as a cohesive sound and story from the viewpoint of several different characters.
“There’s so much emphasis on singles right now that we feel the album has become a lost art,” says vocalist Jackie Ojeda. “We wanted to make a true album, down to having hand-painted, watercolor cover art instead of something computer generated.”
The Archeress blends all of the best ingredients of sci-fi and horror -- zombies, vampires, ghosts, space -- with cinematic arrangements, dance beats, and pop hooks. The result is an unabashedly melodramatic, epic rock album that drips with soul and emotion, and may be the first flesh-eating monster tale to bring a tear to your eye. It’s Dawn of the Dead meets Ziggy Stardust.
“It’s a bit grandiose,” drummer Jannea McClure adds, “but we figured it would work if we committed whole-heartedly to the theatricality of it all."
Bella Novela is a band on a mission to fill the void for those aching for something new -- an oasis in the desert landscape of disposable, automated Top 40 and lo-fi minimalism. Their songs quench the thirst for fist-in-the-air dance floor anthems, blazing a path with a refreshing new sound, leaving a contrail of sweat and sequins, melted faces and melted hearts.
"LONG BEACH TRIO BELLA NOVELA ARE READY TO BLOW UP: Jackie Ojeda, lead vocalist and ivory-tickler for Long Beach’s Bella Novela, definitely calls to mind the adage that dynamite comes in small packages. During the band’s performances, she belts out impassioned indie-metal anthems while pounding at her keyboard with staggering conviction. Backed by guitarist Jacob Heath, whose Latin-metal riffs ride with drummer Jannea McClure’s galloping rhythms, Bella Novela deliver a distinctive sound teeming with verve. Drawing on such epic performers as Queen and Iron Maiden, this trio are on a mission to make music that’s as big as it is explosive, all done with cinematic flair." - OC Weekly
"THE FIVE MOST UNDERRATED BANDS OF ORANGE COUNTY: Here we have a band that forgoes the indie pop saturating music scenes in favor of dynamic, high-energy cinematic rock with prog sensibilities. Lead vocalist Jackie Ojeda is a diminutive lass whose stature belies a bellicose voice. She's backed by guitarist Jacob Heath, who busts complicated and serpentine licks, while drummer Jannea McClure attacks the skins with unparalleled fury. Truly a joy to watch." - OC Weekly
"High-drama high-energy rock from a band whose fervent hope is to outnova the Mexican daytime soaps: 'The bigger, the sadder and the more overdramatic the better,' singer Jackie O says." - The District Weekly
"Long Beach, California’s power-pop group called Bella Novela hammered out a raw set that drew equally on Pat Benatar and Iron Maiden. Drummer Jannea McClure pummeled away at her kit with heaps of intensity, and guitarist Jacob Heath’s dizzying riffing collided with the soulful howls of singer-keyboardist Jackie Ojeda. Bella Novela’s set pulled largely from its latest EP, which the group managed to sell to most of the attendants with its tight performance." - Madison Decider
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