Belladonna – St. David’s: 13th Floor New Song Of The Day

Belladonna has released St. Davids…St David’s gives another glimpse into the forthcoming Belladonna album, set to be released in November. Taking a stylistic departure from Belladonna’s previous output, this record focuses on a more intimate side of Bella, aiming to capture the same feeling as her bedroom demos.

Here is the blurb with more:

“We sat high on the treetops, at the back of St David’s, throwing fruit at the homeschool kids”

The lyrics of St David’s revolve around vignettes from Cook’s formative years “It’s about me reflecting on growing up in suburban New Zealand in the church. During the time I wrote it I was deconstructing a lot. To me this song doesn’t come to any real conclusions about deeper meanings, instead reflecting on the trees I used to climb outside my childhood church or the meetings that were the wall paper to my childhood. I’m really happy to have this song as a little memento for a time in my life.”

The pounding bass and swirling, hypnotic overdriven guitars come courtesy of producer Chris Armour. With keys from Dave Jellyman and drums from Hikurangi Schaverien-Kaa rounding out the mix. St David’s was mixed and mastered by Bevan Smith (The Beths, Glass Vaults).

Bella Cook, best known under the moniker Belladonna, has already earned critical praise for her first two EPs and in 2020 landed a Top 20 spot in the APRA Silver Scrolls for her single Hands.

As a child, Bella was drawn to creative pursuits, focused mostly on writing short stories, photography, and performing for her unwitting family audience at any opportunity. Songwriting emerged unexpectedly when a primary school classmate shared an original song. Her curiosity led her to write her own, and though she hadn’t planned to pursue music seriously, she was captivated by its storytelling potential. By the end of high school, she had begun lugging a tape recorder around capturing snippets of melodies and frank observations on daily life.

In 2019, Bella moved to Auckland to focus fully on music. She penned an impressive batch of songs, explored co-writing, and began recording her quirky pop tunes. With producer Shannon Fowler (Tom Lark) at the helm, she shaped Belladonna’s first two EP’s. 2020’s ‘Salty Dog’ and 2022’s ‘Total Eclipse Of My Brain’ both featuring driving guitars, synths, and vibrant embellishments alongside unapologetically Kiwi vocals.

Over the past couple of years, Bella has been hunkered down in various studios around Wellington with producer Chris Armour (Miles Caulder), building a debut album that expands her sonic world while staying grounded in story-driven lyricism. The process hasn’t been easy; juggling recording with full-time study and work, plus dealing with a house fire, a studio flood, and the heartbreak along the way. But the past few years have left Bella with a deep pool of inspiration to draw from.

With this upcoming release we can expect to hear from a more somber, heartfelt side of Belladonna. Songs written mostly around an acoustic guitar and an endeavour to capture the intimacy of her home demos while staying true to the offbeat charm that’s made her one to watch.

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