Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lara Bell. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Lara, appreciate you joining us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

My parents gave me great upbringing! I was taught at home all my life until college, and it really encouraged me to chase after my dreams. I would get all my homework done during the day, which gave me time to do that things I wanted to do in my free time. I remember getting my first guitar at 14, and sitting in my bedroom for hours writing songs (if you pull out an old journal, it’s basically me singing my feelings, that don’t even rhyme, about boys who broke my heart who didn’t know I existed, haha, classic high school stories), it was, and still is, my safe space.
My parents raised me to be passionate to do what I love, and that no dream is too little. I loved performing, I wanted to be onstage at a very young age. Because of them, I was able to. From dance class, to piano lessons, to acting classes, to guitar lessons, to driving me to choir for literally just 30 mins a day at our local middle school, and theater classes after ours studies… I did it all because of them.
They taught me how to be a leader, how to take charge, how to communicate well with adults at a young age, how to manage my time, and well, basically, gave me all the ingredients needed to eventually make my own business, which is my music career today.

I am very thankful to have such supportive family members, and very thankful they engrained such wonderful values in my mind as a child which then transferred over to my adult life. Without my upbringing, I probably would not have had the drive and motivation to do what I do today. It’s been 10 years since I started doing this, and I wouldn’t be here today without my parents encouragement to follow my dreams, so I’d say that’s what they did right!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Hey y’all! My name is Lara Bell. I am from Johnsburg IL (wayyyy up north of the state by the cornfields, on the boarder of WI/IL), and I am an aspiring country singer/songwriter. I started performing in 2013, at open mics in coffee shops. Fast forward, and now I have my own band, a single out on streaming services (Couple More Rounds) and have opened for well known country artists like Jameson Rogers and Lauren Alaina at local festivals. It took lots of work to get here, and there’s still a ways away to go, but I couldn’t be happier!

I have a great support system behind me, which you probably read about in the previous paragraph. My dad is my sound engineer/assistant manager, and comes to almost every show. Even when he doesn’t need to be, he still shows up, which always makes me smile.
I started this business with his help, but to this day, I am still the one who books and manages 99% my brand. I’ve never paid for ads or sponsorships, I run all social media myself, I manage our rehearsals and set lists, our bookings, and much more! It is a full time job, being an independent artist, but those who are in the field know all too well the grind I’m talking about. You have to have the drive to do the “not so fun stuff”, and I trust me, I definitely don’t want to some days, but at the end of it all… it’s hard work going toward what you love, and the results make it all worth it.
So to those who are just starting a business or new project to chase their dreams: keep at it! hard work definitely pays off, and you’re going to meet some wonderful people along the way.

Like every girl in the early 2000s, Taylor Swift was on their playlist. But I owned every CD Hahaha, she was, and still is, such an inspiration to me. She’s the reason I started writing my own songs and wanted to learn how to play guitar. I’ve seen her live 4 times, and I would love to thank her for getting me through so many hard times through her music.

I also grew up on all the classics, which influences my style.
From Elvis, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Patsy Cline, John Denver, Cat Stevens, The Grateful Dead, to The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Journey, Boston, and so much more, I had a great well rounded music influence. I also listened to a lot of musical theatre and classical music thanks to my family. My dad was the rock and roll influence and my mom was the folk and country one. I definitely write in the latter style. Something about a just a guitar and lyrics feels so genuine to me, I truly think country music is the best style of music out there, although I am biased lol.

What sets me apart from others I’d say, is my genre diversity. Almost every show, we get comments about how great it is that we switch it up almost every song. You never know who’s gonna be in the crowd, so I like to make sure everyone’s having a good time.

I am super proud of the image we have created as a band! I love that we support other musicians in the local area, I love that we have such fabulous venues who book us year after year, and I love that we have such a wonderful fan base. The sweet things people say to me at shows or on a Facebook post mean so much to me. Y’all are truly the best for supporting me and believing in my music!! It’s still mind blowing that people know who I am when I go to my local bars/restaurants/shops, or when I get to sign autographs. So if you’re reading this.. thank you, from the bottom of my heart. None of it goes unnoticed, that without you, we wouldn’t be where we are today!

I truly hope to take my music to Nashville someday. I plan to release an acoustic EP in the early fall, and we also plan to take a trip to music city for the first time in September. My band is so wonderful, and after years of hard work, I feel like I have finally found the guys (and girl) who are gonna stand by me for the rest of this journey. And that’s so freaking cool to think about. Above all, we are making memories, and that’s the best part.

Overall, if you like emo cowgirl music, you guys are sure to like mine. I’ve always been one to write about the hard things. The things that no one loves to talk about. So growing up, writing was my therapy. I would be too scared to tell that boy how I really felt, so I’d write 10 songs about it lol. Although they never heard it (but sometimes they did.. whoops) it felt so good to get it off my chest. When you come to our shows, we mostly sing upbeat cover songs with a few originals sprinkled in. That is what we are booked to do! But one day, if I could play a show of just my own songs, my own catalog of heartbreak anthems, and I’d hear fans sing along to the words… well shucks! I would be the happiest girl ever.

Thanks for checking out my music and reading my story; it means a lot to me and all indie artists out there. <3

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Sure! I just started my music Instagram 2 years ago, and have gained a local following of almost 1,100 just by announcing it at my shows, following other local artists, being consistent, and staying on the trends. Social media is hard work, it’s a full time job! I’m pretty proud of how much I’ve organically grown my socials over the years. I don’t pay for adds or sponsorship, so it’s a rewarding feeling! My next step is to tackle a more broad audience on apps like TikTok, because that helps a lot of artists get noticed. Always take pictures, record yourself, use good lighting, angles, and create a good brand! I love showcasing all my different outfits I wear for shows. It’s also a good thing to learn how the younger generation uses social media, which will help you seem relatable to them.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

As the business manager of my brand, I am in charge of a lot. I like to make sure my band mates are always comfortable with the songs we are rehearsing, always having a set calendar ahead of schedule, making good use of their time at rehearsals, planning song ideas and set lists in advance, and including everyone on big decisions we make. If you have good people behind you, it shouldn’t be hard to be a good leader! Always stay humble. That’s good advice I’ve been given myself over the years… and never take anything for granted. :)

Contact Info:

• Website: https://larabellmusic.com/
• Instagram: @larabellmusic
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/larabellmusic
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@AcousticLara
• Tiktok: @larabellmusic

Image Credits
Cardenas Captures for the professional shots.