ICYMI: #HighVoltageWoman IG Live featuring Bella Rios

BY LAURA HARPER/WWR Staff Writer

Some artists discover their love for music over time, but for others, it follows them throughout their whole lives, such as with the talented musician Bella Rios.

Rios says she was surrounded by music her whole life. From a young age, her parents were always listening to classic rock that would eventually influence her future sound. One day, she approached her parents and told them that she wanted to try her hand at singing.

From there, Rios was enrolled into a children’s program that formed a band around the young musician. She had her first public singing performance at the age of eleven, and from that point on, she knew that she wanted to dedicate her life to performing. She continued to be classically trained on vocals and piano, which she says was beneficial to the development of her career today.

"The classical training paid off in my performance,” Rios said. “I’ve learned to trust my vocals even when I’m nervous, even when I’m sick, a lot more than I would if I didn’t understand my voice.”

According to Rios, one of the downsides of classical training was that she used to be obsessed with everything sounding “pretty.” It took a while for her to realize that little vocal imperfections such as cracks could be used to create a unique sound.

Although she did enjoy covering classic songs in her children’s program, Rios realized that what she craved was the challenge of making her own music. With the support of her parents, she connected with various songwriters in New York and Chicago to develop her own style that was unique to her. At first, discovering this sound was a challenge, but she eventually fell into her own groove.

Rios says the first of her original songs that really had the depth she wanted was her single “Bitter." This song was inspired by the end of a rather unhealthy long-term friendship that left her feeling resentful, until she realized that those feelings were holding her back from truly moving forward.

Upcoming, Rios intends to release three more singles that will lead up to the release of an EP. She wrote most of these songs during the lockdown imposed by the COVID-19 global pandemic, and she says that she is excited to finally be able to release these songs into the world.

Rios says she considers herself lucky to have worked with so many incredible female writers and musicians, but she does feel that the music industry presents a major challenge with a knowledge imbalance. It can be difficult for many young, hopeful musicians to get started because the industry contains a lot of greedy people who will try to take advantage of new musicians and their supportive families.

For other young female musicians out there who are looking to make their mark on the industry, Rios says one of the most important things is to be proud of yourself.

“Everything is about experience and how much work you’re willing to put into it,” Rios said. “Work your butt off but do it for the things you feel completely good about.”

For more on Bella Rios, you can check out the entire interview on the @OfficialWomenWhoRock IGTV channel on Instagram.