Tele Novella has announced their sophomore album Merlynn Belle due out February 5, 2021, their first release with Kill Rock Stars. It is a collection that respites in country meshed with a sentimental indie-folk shimmer. The dizzying collection is a homespun bricolage pulling from influences as diverse as cowboy troubadours and folk baroque. As frontwoman Natalie Ribbons’ voice ranges from candlelit whispers to coyote howls, there’s an honesty and vulnerability that underlies every word. “This is the first time I just let the songs be about real life… real people,” she says.

Tele Novella came together when Natalie Ribbons, who owns a vintage shop, and Jason Chronis, who collects rare records, were each making music in separate projects at the time (Agent Ribbons, Voxtrot, Belaire). Self-described as “medieval outsider country”, today they release lead single “Technicolor Town,” putting their vintage twangy touch on a longing love song. 

It can be easy to lose sight of real people, whether out on an endless highway, or confronted with the endless possibilities of making music today. Painstakingly assembled using a blend of hi-fi and lo-fi recording gear, Tele Novella have crafted a cohesive pop record that feels equal parts mysterious, evocative, heartfelt, and sincere. The band has carved out their own unique pop-infused medieval-tonk style that sounds at times like the Old West possessed by the spirit of the Old World.