When we last spoke with Bella Gate three months ago, she told us that her debut album was a gateway from her past to her present. Among the twelve tracks included in the project, we highlighted her single Drink With Me, whose live version is being released today. With the vulnerable emotion of the original and the added rawness of the live version, Drink With Me (Live) is a powerful exploration of the self and inner psyche that blends personal struggle with the hope found in human connection.
“I wrote the song when I was fifteen and in it, I took apart my own character and the predicament I found myself in. The chorus, on one level, is about underage drinking and falling in love,” says the twenty-three-year-old London-based artist when asked about the creative process and meaning behind this single, which she admits is her favourite of all of her songs. Stressing how connecting with others can provide strength during vulnerable times, the live version of Drink With Me adds an extra dose of emotion and sensitivity. “On another level, it’s about being together, with or without a drink in hand, and finding community in a partnership, friendship, or family/chosen family,” she comments.
Alberto Pérez, the Latin Grammy Award-winning engineer who owns the Sol de Sants studio, wrote the string arrangements with Juanjo Fernandez and pulled together a wonderful string quartet for the live session, which adds to the tenderness of the original release. This latest release shows the talent of Bella Gate, whose musical journey began at the age of nine when she started writing and continued at sixteen with her first recordings, as well as her ability to tell stories and connect with emotions through music.
