Sister act: Duo Bella and Lily break into the music scene

By Louisa Goldman, Freshman, MICDS High School

The daily routine for many teenagers usually consists of the unwelcome buzzing of an alarm clock, followed by a long day of school. Upon returning home, they are greeted by a pile of homework, which takes hours to complete, forcing them to stay up long past the rest of their family’s bedtime. Then, they finally crawl into bed, go to sleep and start the cycle again in the morning. The majority of teens can barely handle this, but imagine managing a band at the same time. This is a challenge that local Jewish sister-duo Bella and Lily Ibur have undertaken, and have found great success.

Their indie-pop band, appropriately called Bella and Lily, draws inspiration from artists such as Nelly Furtado, Coldplay, Amy Winehouse and even Beyoncé. With both girls playing a variety of instruments and singing vocals, Bella and Lily have opened for numerous bands and artists including The GoGos, Ellie Goulding and Regina Spektor. The sisters have recently come out with their first original album, titled, “Count to Ten.”

The daughters of Webster Groves School District teacher Ted Ibur and artist Anne Ibur, and attendees of Central Reform Congregation, Bella, 18, and Lily, 15, have had a passion for music since an early age.

“I started singing before I started talking. I actually sang everything,” said Bella, who is deferring enrollment at Berklee College of Music in Boston for a year in order to work on her music.

Both girls have been playing instruments for quite some time as well. Bella took up piano when she was 3 and started guitar during sixth grade, while Lily, a sophomore at Clayton High School, started drumming at 2 years old. She later took up the guitar, mandolin and ukulele.  

The real origin of the band started when Bella was in fifth grade.  She would write songs in order to express her feelings, at a time when she was experiencing harsh bullying. One of her biggest inspirations, and a source of strength at that time, was her connection to Judaism.

“I actually skipped school one day because I was really feeling like there was no hope, and went to temple with my mom,” Bella said. “Every time I return from temple, I feel completely rejuvenated, and it always gives me inspiration to write — I feel like this was what gave me the strength to write and overcome the bullies.”

Soon after, Bella began performing as a solo artist at numerous venues around St. Louis. It didn’t occur to her to include Lily until early 2012, when Bella was presented with the opportunity to compete in a teen Battle of the Bands contest. Winners of this event would earn a spot in the annual LouFest lineup, but the one requirement was that every band had to have at least two members. Bella looked no further than Lily. The girls won the competition, and performed at LouFest later that summer.

“We instantly vibed,” Lily said. “We got such a great response from people, so we decided to keep doing it.”

Their band immediately took off. Bella and Lily were quickly contacted to play at venues such as The Pageant and Blueberry Hill, and, as a result, managed to book more gigs. Last year, after connecting on a family Facebook group, the girls chose distant family member and music producer Henry Hirsch to record their first album.

Hirsch is a producer in New York, and has recorded artists including Lenny Kravitz, Madonna and Mick Jagger. Hirsch is known for creating an organic, unedited sound when recording, much like the feel of Bella and Lily’s music. His production company, Waterfront Studios, is uncommon among many other studios.

“The vision behind Waterfront is to provide a very relaxed setting by which different pieces of historic equipment are available to create sounds unlike any other studio,” Hirsch said.

After a successful Kickstarter campaign, Bella and Lily headed to New York for three weeks to record “Count to Ten.” This six-song EP (or short album) contains all original songs that cover diverse subject matter. Song titles include “Messed Up Avenue,” “Chase the Moon,” and title song “Count to Ten.” 

Recording at Waterfront was the most intense, fun, and rewarding experience they have ever had, according to both girls.

Possibly the most exciting and “cool” aspect of the entire process, for the girls and for Hirsch, was that they were recording with family. This added a whole layer of connections to their family tree.

“Working in music with family is what’s most unique about the whole thing,” said Hirsch, adding that the album was released Oct. 1. It is now available on iTunes and in select stores. 

As for the future of the band, Bella and Lily have just signed to Tinderbox, a music company that distributes songs to local and college radio stations.

“I have recorded many musicians in my career, some of which have had major success in the unsteady ways of the music business,” Hirsch said. “Bella and Lily fit right into place as very talented, and dedicated to learning their craft, and letting me guide them through.”

Visit http://bellaandlily.com for more information on Bella and Lily and their album.