Mariana Bell

Bold, playful, and unmistakably alive on stage, singer-songwriter Mariana Bell brings big hair energy and even bigger heart. Blending pop and cinematic 80s/90s influences with her trademark melodies and passionate vocals, she delivers a live show that feels like a party you don't want to leave. She's hit the dance charts with Sander van Doorn, Dubvision and Mako, and now she's trading in the club for the mixtape you made in 1994. On her 8th studio release, Give it a GO! (out August 16th), Bell leans fully into 80s and 90s pop, channeling the cinematic soundtracks of her youth, with her single "Romcom" already hitting the airwaves. It's her most joyful record yet, and she wants you dancing right along with her.

This is her biggest departure yet from her indie folk roots. For years, Mariana built her name on intimate, literary songwriting, drawing comparisons to a young Joni Mitchell. Give it a GO! trades that introspection for pure joy, backed by a full band that turns every performance into a celebration rather than a listening room.

That range has always been part of her story. Australian-born and Charlottesville-raised, Mariana started singing at age 6. As an alto in the Virginia Consort Youth Choir, she performed at the National Cathedral and the White House. After moving to New York, she became a regular at venues from Rockwood Music Hall to CBGB's and graduated with honors from Tisch School of the Arts at NYU, where she composed music for and performed in numerous productions. One highlight: playing solo alongside some of Broadway's biggest stars and Neil Diamond at the NYU October Festival, where NYU gave away $1 million in tickets to help Broadway recover after 9/11. She then spent years in Los Angeles, forming musical relationships and writing for other artists while continuing to perform and record her own music. More recently, she's hosted, performed at, and organized Harmonia: a benefit for Migrant Children & Families, raising thousands of dollars for families affected by separation and immigration issues.

Along the way, she's shared stages and studios with an impressive roster of musicians, including folk legend Ellis Paul, Ari Hest, guitarist Mike Meadows (Taylor Swift), pianists Vienna Teng and Josh Dodes (Toby Lightman), Rosi Golan, cellist Paul Brantley (Bela Fleck), guitarists Rusty Speidel (Mary Chapin Carpenter's debut album) and Justin Derrico (Pink), Jean Scofield (daughter of jazz legend John Scofield), Andy Waldeck (Scott Stapp, Daughtry), Corey Britz (Bush), Amber Rubarth, and Jared Scharff (SNL), and producer/engineer Eddie Jackson (James Taylor). Her curiosity has taken her outside her own genre too. She's written toplines for Sander van Doorn, Dubvision, Le Castle Vania, East and Young, Starz-Angels, and Mako, work that's landed placements in film and TV, and "Into the Light," her first single with Sander van Doorn, Dubvision and Mako, topped the dance charts in its first weeks.

Recognition & Accolades: 2014 Kerrville Folk Fest NewFolk Finalist, 2014 NewSong LEAF Finalist, 2011 Mountain Stage NewSong Regional Finalist, 2016 ISC Finalist "Avalanche" Adult Contemporary, Finalist 2017 John Lennon Songwriting Contest for "Avalanche," Winner 2018 Best Folk or Country at RIFF. Mariana counts Shawn Colvin, Bruce Cockburn, Dave Matthews, and Ani DiFranco among her own influences. Over the past two decades, she's toured from Nashville to Los Angeles, London to Kathmandu, Germany to Australia, winning over audiences with soulful, unforgettable performances.