At six months old, Bella Frances was hospitalized for the first of what would be many times over her young life due to severe anaphylaxis. At six years old, she wrote her first poem (her teacher floated a theory of plagiarism but was quickly shut down by Frances and her mother who had heard her daughter use the word “Nevertheless” correctly in a sentence as a toddler) and she never looked back. 

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Maybe the two are connected. It could simply be her ear for language or her natural sense of rhythm, or perhaps anyone who has to learn to deal with life-or-death situations before they learn to walk is destined to desperately seek out some form of emotional expression. However you look at it, Bella Frances is an artist with a lot to say and a lot to feel. 

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Frances cites her intense growing up years as the reason for her paradoxically childlike worldview that finds wonder in small, simple things. When you are unable to break bread and partake in simple rituals with the people around you, normal cafes and small towns begin to feel exotic and spark complex emotional responses.

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Having this sensitive antennae is what lies at the heart of Frances’ cosmic country music (influenced by her lyrical heroine Taylor Swift and sonic inspirations Kacey Musgraves and Waxahatchee). Because for someone who can write entire heartfelt songs about moments that seem insignificant on the surface, when you reach the really good stuff — the heartbreak, the drama, the loves, the breakdowns, the self-actualization — it all comes with the kind of poignancy that can only be articulated through Bella’s blend of gut-wrenching lyrics and spine-tingling vocal performance. Her background in musical theatre makes her painted voice the consort to her lyrics with its depths and soaring heights of emotion. (Frances’ favourite anecdotal claim to fame as a vocalist is stopping not one, but two life-threatening allergic reactions in their tracks by belting out her favourite showtunes.)

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In 2023 Frances released her first single independently, collaborating with Juno-winning, Grammy-nominated producer Rob Szabo. After ‘Magic,’ she put out in quick succession three more singles (“The Tower,” “Super 8,” and “Hope You’re Here For Christmas,”), two self-directed music videos, and her first EP ‘She’ll Cross Oceans’ in the summer of 2024, also produced by Szabo. Frances has performed at music festivals and venues including Springtide, Roots North, Folk Music Ontario, Sofar Toronto, and City TV’s CMCTV Talent series (airing Feb 2024). The winter of 2024/25 saw her named Emerging Artist of the Year in her home city of Orillia, Ontario, and performing in Montreal with folk, country and classical legend David Amram.

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Dan Swinimer (BCCMA Producer of the Year award-winner, CCMA Producer of the Year nominee, Madeline Merlo) says of Frances, “Her innate ability to craft poignant narratives through her music sets her apart as a true storyteller.”