Hailing from the Blue Ridge foothills of Johnson City, Tennessee, Bill and the Belles’ brand of Americana oftentimes feels like it’s turning back the hands of time with their charming vintage sound. Capitalizing on their clear love for early American music, the songs coloring the track list of their first-ever full-length album, DreamSongs, Etc., were recorded over the course of just two days in a Southeast Virginia farmhouse. Ahead of its 24 August release on Jalopy, the band is sharing a new music video for their single, “Finger Pointin’ Mama”, with PopMatters.
Taking influence from old-school jazz, blues, and folk, the playful tune is a callback to the foundations of roots music and the timeless lessons that come with them. It’s a sweet and sincere piece of work that perfectly captures what Bill and the Belles are about in a song. The accompanying video ups the charm tenfold, conveying the band’s effortlessly enchanting style and sound that much further in its composition.
Bill and the Belles tells us, “Finger Pointin’ Mama is a playful yet scathing song about being honest with yourself and those around you. A kind of Ukulele Ike meets ‘White Light/White Heat’ meets the Marvelettes sort of thing served as inspiration for the video. Shot in our front yard in Johnson City, Tennessee.”