Press release - Unexpected

International Singer Songwriter Composer Clara Bellino is releasing her fifth album: “Unexpected”. A thought-out contribution to a field Ms. Bellino has always been passionate about, and for which she has traveled the world, “Unexpected” is unexpected in more ways than one.

The research for “Unexpected” started with Clara sorting through dozens of songs and deciding on the themes of her album: Love and Distance, Lost Love, The Power of Dreams, Kids and Innocence, Unbreakable Spiritual Bonds, Trust, Seduction and Karma.  Like most creative adventures the recording of “Unexpected” took some ..unexpected turns. The goal was to make an album, and do it right. A successful crowd funding campaign funded the first half at Fantasy Studios in Emeryville, California. With producers Greg Sankovich and Lincoln Adler and mix engineer Adam Muñoz at the helm it involved many über-talented Northern California musicians such as Matthew Charles Heulitt (Narada Michael Walden, Aretha Franklin) on guitar, Paul Eastburn on bass, Michaelle Goerlitz on drums.

The production of the second half of the album moved to Los Angeles; at the Independent Music Conference in 2013 Clara sat on a few panels with producer Lenise Bent. A friendship ensued and they reconnected to record the second half of Unexpected at The Evergreen Stage in Burbank. Pre-production sessions in Kapaa, Hawai, led to including roosters and ocean sounds. As with the first part of the album the criteria for the people involved was that the musicians be talented and nice humans. They were both in droves, and 4 musicians recorded 20 instruments. Richie Onori, Jeff Turmes, Fabrice Vignati and Phil Parlapiano (John Prine, Rod Stewart, Carlene Carter, Alannah Myles, Grant Lee Buffalo).

Some of the vocals returned to Fantasy Studios, under the vocal direction of Rocio Guitard, and back to The Evergreen Stage again to include the beautiful vocal artistry of LZ Love. As well as the bass artistry of legendary bass player Phil Chen (Joan Armatrading, Jeff Beck, Ray Charles, Bob Marley, Rod Stewart) too many to mention. The mastering of the whole epic adventure landed at Gavin Lurssen Mastering in L.A. The album is being released on Clara’s site only: clarabellino.com/Unexpected