Written by ∆³
Six degrees of separation denotes the idea that six or fewer connections intertwine us all. With that in mind, those detailed sincere, storied, in the moment feelings sensationally somber the latest single from Callaghan Belle, “Dear Detroit.”
Callaghan, the Detroit raised singer and songwriter, who started writing around the age of eight, does some rather staggering songwriting in her latest single. The piece is accompanied by one of the most distinctive voices to hit the airwaves. She was signed by Ken Caillat, the father of the Grammy-award winning Colbie Caillat, and has written songs for R&B artist JoJo with tracks featured on Netflix’s “Extinction” and STX Entertainment’s “Bye Bye Man.” Callaghan’s new Single “Dear Detroit” along with her song featured on “Extinction” can be streamed on Apple Music, and she’s catalogued quite a few underground recordings that can be heard on YouTube.
“Dear Detroit” is pretty much a sonic structured open letter to all that Callaghan Belle has left behind amid what Billboard’s Neill Frazer describes as the “pressure of trying to fit into a new city (Los Angeles) and the solitude of leaving the familiarity (of Detroit) behind.” The song is as brilliant as it is telling of the balance of exchanges that accompany the journey of success in Hollywood. Lines like, “The people lay around and lie about their life,” as well as, “The more money you make, the more therapy you crave,” offers sincerity and honesty. The songwriting throughout the piece showcases Callaghan Belle songwriting skills, something comparable to one of my favorite Grammy Award winning songwriters, John Mayer.
“I wrote “Dear Detroit” after a meeting at The Beverly Hills Hotel. It was one of those meetings where a guy in a suit is telling you who you are and who you should be instead. He sat there in an entirely privileged environment and told me my music needed to be “more about guns.” It took me a bit to heal from that meeting if I’m honest. But eventually, I ended up writing this song,” says Callaghan.
Belle reminds me of a more coursed cross between a Colbie Caillat and a Meghan
“It’s about the internal battle we feel when we leave home. When I first moved to Los Angeles, Detroit was still my home. I didn’t feel like I fully fit in either place. So, this is a song about feeling homesick for a sense of belonging,” says Callaghan. “In terms of the production, “Dear Detroit” was one of the first songs I produced entirely on my own. The vocal has that raw, relaxed emotion because most of it is actually the demo vocal. A producer friend of mine did a few tweaks, it was mixed, mastered and that’s it. Looking back, it’s hard to believe that all happened in my parents’ basement before I moved to Los Angeles.”
Callaghan Belle is gifted with a harmonious resonance that could dexterously cross genres of Folk, Pop, Alternative R&B and back to perhaps even Country. All signs show that Callahan Belle is indeed a mellifluous force to reckon with.
Follow Callaghan Belle