A pandemic and breakup help inspire Clovis singer BEL’s debut single

There was a sudden breakup just out of the blue and then the coronavirus quarantine, which can be tough when taken together, and one night toward the end of March when Isabel Whelan was getting past one and into the other she talked to a friend who hit on the flip side, the bright side.

At least you know you’re not going to run into him anywhere right now, she told her, and with that Whelan stopped and thought and started to put pen to paper, thinking about silver linings.

Two months later, the San Joaquin Memorial High and UCLA graduate from Clovis, who has played shows with friends in Los Angeles as BEL and co-wrote the song “Fake Love” with Aaron Lindt, has released an acclaimed debut single, “Silver Line,” that is available on the music streaming services Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, Amazon Music and Deezer.

“It was my way of processing everything that was happening and trying to piece it together and figure out how it all fits,” the 23-year-old Whelan said.

“It’s a hopeful reminder that we will be alright and that we will get through this. I think it’s important to maintain hope when it feels like everything can fall apart. That can apply to heartbreak. That can apply to this COVID-19 situation. The thing that’s special about the song is it’s just a reminder of hope and it can apply to a lot of situations that people might be going through, especially right now.”

That the song is even out is proof of that, given the number of moving pieces that had to fit together with shelter in place in effect and a global pandemic that has shuttered much of the country and the music industry.

Whelan was working toward the release of a debut EP in April, looking forward to getting into the recording studio. But when the coronavirus pandemic shuttered non-essential businesses in Los Angeles, she returned home to Clovis with her acoustic guitar, some basic recording equipment and a plan.

“Silver Line” at that point was a work in progress, but she reached out to friends who recorded different tracks from their homes scattered around LA and sent them in to go with Whelan’s guitar work and her lyrics and vocals that touch on persevering through some tough times.

“I’m really happy with the way we were able to make it work despite being in isolation and being in separate cities and everything,” she said. “A lot of different parts came together. I was worried that we would come across a lot of road blocks, but it went surprisingly smoothly.

“Everyone, they just did one pass at it and it was perfect. They really did a great job with it and helped bring it to life.”

Sean Lee provided guitar. Kyle Frankhuizen played bass. Nate Schwartz played the mandolin. It was mixed and mastered by Jeremie Inhaber, and Whelan put it all together with Jimmy Keeley, who also provided mellotron and vibes.

“The thing that felt special about this, to be able to connect with musicians and my friends and to feel less alone while making this, that brought me a lot of joy and helped me heal, for sure,” Whelan said.

“That’s something that has been a theme throughout this pandemic for a lot of people – people may be isolated physically but have been able to connect virtually with family or with friends. People have been trying to find a way to stay connected and support each other. That’s definitely something that has been a silver lining through all of this, even though everything has been very difficult for a lot of people.”