A Conversation with Bella Fiske: Crafting Nostalgia and Navigating Growth Through Indie Folk Storytelling

Bella Fiske is quickly making a name for herself in the indie and indie folk music scenes with her deeply personal lyrics and heartfelt melodies. Drawing inspiration from 70s folk icons like Joni Mitchell and Stevie Nicks, as well as modern favourites like Bon Iver and Kate Bollinger, Bella’s music blends timeless influences with contemporary sensibilities. Her debut EP, Eliot Street, which has garnered over 100,000 streams, captures the bittersweet transition from childhood to adulthood, resonating with listeners who see their own stories reflected in her work.

From writing her first song at age 10 to performing at Boston open mic nights by 12, Bella’s early experiences shaped her into the artist she is today—someone who approaches songwriting as both a personal outlet and a way to connect with others. Currently balancing her music career with academics as a sophomore at Syracuse University, Bella continues to evolve, finding inspiration in the world around her and the vibrant music community she’s become a part of.

In this interview, Bella shares insights into her songwriting process, the themes of reflection and self-discovery woven throughout her music, and how her debut project served as a love letter to her childhood. She also discusses her influences, the challenges of balancing school and music, and what’s next for her as she builds her career.

Read on as Bella Fiske opens up about growing up, finding her voice, and turning life’s fleeting moments into timeless songs.

Nicolle: Hi, Bella, first things first, could you introduce yourself and the kind of music you make to our readers?

Bella: Hi! My name is Bella Fiske. I write and release indie and indie folk music. 

Nicolle: What are some of the most recurring themes in your songs?

Bella: I tend to discuss a lot of thematics around growing up, relationship dynamics, and self-reflection. A lot of my songs read like a memory of an event that happened in the past, and reflect on the way it impacted me. 

Nicolle: What are your biggest influences? Do you listen to old stuff from, let’s say, the 80s, or do you prefer contemporary music?

Bella: I have so many. I’m a huge Joni Mitchell fan and have also been loving Stevie Nicks lately. 70s folk and rock music for the win, seriously. I also grew up on quintessential 2000s singer/songwriters, like Norah Jones, early Ed Sheeran, and Sara Bareilles, who definitely had a huge impact on my melody and structure knowledge today. Some artists that I’ve just been loving in general lately are Dora Jar, Bon Iver, and Kate Bollinger. 

Nicolle: At what age did you write your first song? What was it about?

Bella: I have a really clear memory of this. I was on vacation in the Carolinas somewhere with my family in 5th grade…so I was 10-11 years old, and I was looking at the ocean and was just singing to myself, and wrote the chorus of this song “Candle.” It’s a really corny song looking back at it, but also just a cute story. That melody really just came to me and I’m pretty sure it was a sign I needed to keep writing. 

Nicolle: What song made you fall in love with music and want to be an artist?

Bella: It was definitely ‘Re:Stacks’ by Bon Iver. It’s such a simple song but those lyrics hit you in your chest every time you listen to them. It was so inspiring and made me want to be able to write like that. 

Nicolle: My favourite song from you must be ‘Long Gone/ Think About It’. Could you tell us more about the meaning and process behind this song?

Bella: I wrote that song about the memory of being with someone in a romantic context kind of for the first real time in my life, and wondering if it had mattered to them the way it did to me. It’s kind of this question you want to ask them but know you never can. It’s my simplest song, but I think it does its job really well with simple harmonies and fingerpicked guitar. It means a lot to me. 

Nicolle: Currently, you're a sophomore at Syracuse University. How do you balance your academic responsibilities with your music career, and in what ways has your university experience influenced your artistry?

Bella: At school, I’m majoring in communications and not in tons of music classes. I’ve honestly found being on a different academic track than my music has supplemented me in lots of ways.

My classes help me to think about the world around me and separate my music as its venture, which tends to motivate me to work on it more. Syracuse also has a thriving music scene and has provided me with so much live experience. I’ve met so many amazing, talented people just because of school. I’ve grown so much because of the scene and my classes and am so grateful. 

Nicolle: At 17, you released your debut EP, Eliot Street, which has garnered over 100,000 streams. Can you share the inspiration behind this project and what you hoped listeners would take away from it?

Bella: When I released the project, I wanted it to be understood as a homage to my childhood neighbourhood and maturing within that space. It’s a pretty universal experience, especially if you grew up in suburbia and find yourself becoming a teenager/adult in the same places where you used to play when you were 5 years old.

Releasing it was incredibly cathartic because it felt like closing a chapter on that part of my life as I left for college, and I still think of it that way. It’s about first experiences, reflection, and truly just the concept of growing up. I always hope people who listen to it can at least sense some of that and find comfort that someone else out there gets how weird and hard it is to be in that stage of your life.

Nicolle: You began performing at open mic nights in Boston at the age of 12. How did these early experiences shape your development as an artist?

Bella: They were everything honestly. I’ve always loved performing, whether that be in plays or school chorus, but those early open mics showed me that that’s where I belonged. It was serious exposure therapy to performance, live audiences, and putting your material out there. All the adults at the open mics were so supportive and encouraged me to keep going. It just makes me so happy to know that this is something I’ve wanted since I was 12, and I’ve been working for it since that age. 

Thank you to Bella Fiske for sharing her journey, inspirations, and insights into her music with us. With her heartfelt storytelling and timeless sound, Bella continues to capture what it means to grow, reflect, and embrace change. Be sure to stream her debut EP, Eliot Street, and stay tuned for what’s next from this rising artist.

Stream Eliot Street or follow Bella’s journey on Instagram,  TikTok and Soundcloud.

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Nicolle Knapova is a little bit of everything. She is a freelance translator, content creator and social media executive for The C Word Mag. She loves indie music and is always browsing through Spotify to find the next amazing artist to obsess over. Her love for storytelling means she’s always writing something and she’s not afraid of any genre. Her biggest dream is to be a published author. If she’s not writing her fan fiction, she’s writing her poetry and sharing it on her Instagram @elisecaverly.