Charlie Belle

Charlie Belle is an American indie pop duo from Austin, Texas composed of siblings Jendayi and Gyasi Bonds.^[1]

Early Life

Jendayi and Gyasi Bonds grew up just outside Philadelphia in Wynnewood PA. In 2004, when they were seven and four years old, their parents enrolled them in The Paul Green School of Rock in Philadelphia, the music school that the movie School of Rock was based. After relocating to Austin Texas in 2008, the pair first began performing as Rank & File without realizing that a local punk band had the same name. They eventually changed their name to Charlie Belle, which is their paternal great-grandmother's name. They have cited the Arctic Monkeys, The Roots,^[2] The Strokes, and Esperanza Spalding as their favorite artists and influences.^[3] Jendayi attended the Ann Richards School^[4] and graduated from Anderson High School in 2016.^[5]

History

Early Years and Formation

Originally from the Philadelphia area, Jendayi and Gyasi, along with their parents moved to Austin in 2008, and officially formed Charlie Belle. The band's name is derived from the duo's great grandmother's name. Since 2009 the band has played at national festivals such as Austin City Limits Music Festival and SXSW Music Festival. Additionally, the pair's paternal grandparents who are classically trained professional singers and retired educators of The Duke Ellington School of the Arts. Their grandfather, Samuel Bonds, Sr., founded The Duke Ellington Show Choir, and has worked with world renowned opera singers like Jessye Norman and Denyce Graves. ^[6]

2015-Present

In 2015, Charlie Belle released an EP titled "Get to Know," which garnered acclaim from NPR,^[7] Nylon Magazine, and The Guardian.^[8] This spurred their signing to NYC boutique label, Fanatic Records, a subset of Caroline Records. In late 2015, the duo released a second EP, the first with their new label, titled, "I Don't Want to Be Alone," which garnered similar acclaim.

Discography

Studio EPs

• Get To Know [EP] (2014)
• I Don't Want To Be Alone [EP] (2015)

References