In the modern age, music often seems to compete for our attention through shear volume and catchy hooks, regardless of the lyrics or message of the piece. However, independent singer-songwriter Adrielle Bow Belle has bucked that trend and proven that the quietest voice in the room can still carry the sharpest message – reminding me very much of the intimacy of Tori Amos’ debut record, Little Earthquakes. We discussed her brand new album FREEZE – check out our latest review of Freeze here too.

By Jane Howkins

How have you been doing over the last couple of months? Good year so far I hope?

It has been a full year in every sense. FREEZE came out on July 6th, and since then I have been moving between the creative world and the real world at the same time. I have been reflecting, building and listening. The response to the album has kept me grounded and grateful. It has been a good year, but also a very human one.

You released a new album at the start of June titled FREEZE. What can you tell our readers about the record and how has the reception been so far?

FREEZE actually came out on July 6th. It is a project I wrote across six years of escalating tension – personal, national and global. It is quiet on the surface, but it carries a lot underneath. The reception has been meaningful. People have reached out to say certain movements mirrored things they have lived through, and that is the part that stays with me. It is not a loud album, but it seems to be landing in the places I hoped it would.

You described FREEZE as a “seven movement social justice concept project.” Can you tell us a little more about that?

FREEZE is built like a cycle rather than a traditional album. Each movement focuses on a different kind of freeze. National, street level, emotional, societal, childhood, global and existential. I was not trying to make a political statement. I was trying to name the moments where fear settles into the body. The social justice element comes from lived experience rather than intention. These movements grew out of things I saw, things I felt and things I could not ignore.

We reviewed your single Icey Roads earlier this year. The main inspiration for the song was about watching your neighbours working together to repel the ICE forces in Minnesota. Are there any other causes you would like to bring attention to with your music?

I am drawn to moments where ordinary people protect each other. Icey Roads came from watching a community refuse to let fear divide them. There are other issues I care about. Childhood safety, housing insecurity and the way national crises shape private lives. I do not choose causes first. I write from whatever moment feels heavy or complicated or quietly brave. If the music brings attention to something, it is because the truth of the moment demanded it.

Would you like to continue the social justice concept on your future albums and EPs? Have you started writing for your next release or is it too early yet?

I do not know if I will continue it in the same way, but I will always write about the human impact of whatever is happening around us. FREEZE was a very specific chapter. I have started sketching ideas for what comes next, but I am letting it take its time. I do not want to repeat FREEZE. I want the next project to grow from a different part of my life.

Are there any plans to release any further singles from the album in the near future?

I am considering it. FREEZE was not built around singles, but there are movements that could stand on their own in a different light. I am letting the album breathe a little before deciding which direction to take next.

FREEZE is being submitted for GRAMMY and Pulitzer Prize consideration. How does it feel to have written something that important?

It feels surreal and grounding at the same time. I did not write FREEZE with awards in mind. I wrote it because I needed to understand what was happening around me and within my own life. To have it considered at that level means the emotional truth of the project resonated beyond my experience. That is the part that feels important.

Who would you say are your major musical influences? What have you been listening to recently?

Tracey Chapman, Janet Jackson and Mariah Carey are foundational for me. They each taught me something different. Tracey taught me honesty. Janet taught me world building. Mariah taught me emotional precision. I am drawn to artists who treat music like storytelling and who build entire atmospheres rather than singles. Lately I have been revisiting long form work, older soul records and anything that feels intentional. I am drawn to music that takes its time.

Are there any plans to tour in the UK at any point?

I would love to. Nothing is scheduled yet, but it is something I hope to make happen. The UK has always felt like a place where narrative driven music finds a home.

Any last words for the fans?

Thank you for listening closely. FREEZE is a quiet record, and the fact that people have taken the time to sit with it means more than I can say. I am grateful for everyone who has connected with these movements.

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