Spotlight.
Belly Rachel
INTRODUCTION
Ahead of her headline slot at AMPLIFI taking place at The Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh Wednesday 31 January, we chat with Belly Rachel. A Malaysian singer/songwriter based in Scotland, ever since the release of her debut single (‘Ride or Die’), Belly has begun making waves in the Glasgow indie music circuit, with her powerful vocals and honest songwriting.
INTERVIEW
How did you get into music? What initially inspired you?
To be honest, I fell in love with the art of storytelling first, very early on in life. And when I stumbled upon Joni Mitchell and Jewel, it blew my mind that you could tell stories through songs. I quickly became obsessed with songwriting after writing my first one at eleven, and the passion just grew from then on. Coming from the coastal state of Sabah in Malaysia, there was no shortage of amazing singers and karaoke (it's a very, very popular pastime), so I believe I was in the right environment for my newfound love of music to thrive.
What themes do you tend to interrogate in your work?
My recent releases all have an underlying current of feminine rage, and what it feels like to tackle the modern world as a woman. I think that with age, I've gotten a little bit more cynical in terms of my worldview, and my music is essentially a call to arms to other people (women or otherwise) who feel the same.
What is your favourite project you’ve ever worked on and why?
I can't possibly pick a favourite, because all of them are my precious babies! But if I have to choose one that I'm proudest of, I'd have to say my first album, 'Promised Land', which was actually released under the stage name, MAYABAYU. Before moving to Scotland, I was performing under a pseudonym as a tribal-pop artist, and the music from Promised Land features the rapidly diminishing indigenous language and traditional instruments from the Kadazan tribe, of which I am a part of. The experience I had working to bring that album to life, along with my producers Simmy and Angie Farr, is one that I will cherish forever, because it's my personal effort in preserving the culture of my people through music.
What advice would you have for creatives of colour looking to get into music?
Be true to yourselves, but most of all, be kind. Music is a tough industry I'm still trying to figure out to this day, but I've learnt that if you embrace your roots, you're bound to find listeners who will connect to the authenticity of your craft.
What are you currently working on and what are your plans for 2024?
I'm actually working on an EP that is nearing completion, so hopefully I'll have a release date sometime in the middle of 2024! I've also started writing (novels) again, and I think I will be exploring that avenue more seriously this year.
DISCOVER MORE
AMPLIFI takes place Wednesday, 31 January at Edinburgh’s Queen’s Hall. For tickets, visit HERE