Published by Cel Manero from Global One Media Inc.
White told PEOPLE that the songwriting process had a soft, calm energy, as she began immersing herself in the worlds of the songs.
Bella White explores themes of change, reflection, and emotional transition on her new album A Sign in the Weather, which she discusses while speaking with PEOPLE at The Basement East in Nashville.
The 25-year-old Canadian-American singer-songwriter explains that she did not initially set out to create a concept album. Instead, the songs emerged naturally as she processed heartbreak, new beginnings, and the experience of learning to sit with her own thoughts in the aftermath of personal shifts.
White describes the period as one marked by quieter emotional movement rather than dramatic upheaval. She says she was going through major life changes, but experiencing them in a soft and measured way.
Before realizing the project had taken on a cohesive form, she noticed a shared mood running through the songs she was writing. She recalls that there was a calm, delicate energy to the material as she began to inhabit the worlds she was creating through music, noting that it ultimately reflected where she was in life at the time.
During this period of transition, White experienced several significant changes, including the end of a relationship, moving to a different city, and entering a new romance. These overlapping experiences subtly shaped the emotional tone of the record.
She explains that rather than focusing on major turning points, she became more interested in the smaller emotional shifts that accumulate over time. In her words, “all of my big feelings are made up of a million little feelings,” reflecting the quieter, in-between moments of longing and adjustment that influenced her writing.
Throughout the album, a sense of searching remains central. White also explores different musical approaches, resisting the idea of being confined to a single genre identity. She emphasizes her desire for creative freedom rather than being labeled strictly as a country or bluegrass artist.
This openness also influenced her vocal delivery, which she intentionally softened compared to earlier work as part of a more restrained and reflective approach.
At its core, A Sign in the Weather returns repeatedly to themes of solitude and self-understanding. White describes embracing isolation even as she initially resisted it, acknowledging that she had to become more comfortable being alone while navigating personal change.
Looking back on the project, she reflects on her song “Better,” noting that one lyric stood out to her as a marker of growth. The line, “Twenty-four years it took for me to see that things can change and that does not mean they have to leave,” led her to consider how her understanding of change has evolved. She describes the realization simply as a moment of personal growth.