FEATURE:
Spotlight
and a 2023 E.P., Introverted Extrovert, to her name, there are a lot of people talking about Bea and Her Business. This is going to be a packed one for Bea Wheeler. I am going to come to some interviews from last year. So that we get to know this artist a little bit better. I would urge people to follow her on social media, as this is someone being tipped for success by multiple sources. I want to get some great and illuminating interviews. First up is a great one from NOTION. I forgot to mention that Bea and Her Business has not long released her second E.P., Me vs. Me, that came out last May. She discussed that E.P. and we got to discover what her upbringing was like:
“It might sound cliché, but 20-year-old Bea Wheeler, AKA Bea and Her Business, always knew she was destined for a life on stage. Being the next princess of pop is a pretty run-of-the-mill fantasy for a nine-year-old. But for Bea, her unbridled determination has made it a reality, and despite scepticism from her older sisters, she’s ultimately had the last laugh.
The unconventional recipe of a family road trip, childhood naivety, and sibling rivalry planted the seeds for Bea’s path into music. “Growing up, both of my sisters were pretty good singers, and we were all very competitive. When I was nine, sitting in the car and listening to my sisters sing, I thought, ‘I need to be better than them at one thing.’ So I was like, I’m gonna be the best at singing. I decided I was gonna be a pop star,” she giggles on a video call from her home in west London. Most of us let go of our childhood dreams pretty fast. Hardly anyone gets to be an astronaut or a superstar in the real world, but Bea is making her dreams come true through resilience. After all, there’s no business like show business.
“I had to follow through with the plan because I refused to back out at that point. They were adamant I couldn’t do it,” she smirks. “And now I can thank my sisters for their character building,” she adds, casually poised in a bright living room, her hair tousled up in a bun. This glowing, candid charm is all part of the mystique that defines Bea as an artist.
With natural talent and compelling lyricism, it’s no fluke that Bea is forging her own path, armed with dramatic melodies and a hefty pinch of irony. “I like to waffle,” she says, having just told me about her plan to give everyone free Ben’s Cookies if she ruled the world for a day – milk chocolate chunk, for those asking. But when it comes down to it, Bea is pretty cutthroat. And her music is far from sickly sweet, as she opens up her wounds and unpicks coming-of-age stories set to a backdrop of beautiful melodies.
Her first track, ‘Born to Be Alive,’ was released just last year. Laced with razor-sharp lines, like “Never been a sucker for a valentine, I’m a holy motherfucker with my head held high,” truly setting the tone for her trademark sound: gut-wrenching, irony-infused, melodic pop ballads and punchy lullabies.
Bea’s sophomore EP, Me Vs Me, comes a year on from this first release. The project is made up of six strong tracks, driven by plosively poetic lyricism which pays tribute to the all-too-relatable pressures of entering your early 20s, unpacking topics like the fear of the unknown and struggles with body image.
Thematically, this project contrasts with her debut, which carries a more stereotypically romantic slant. “Writing the new EP, all my friends had gone to university. And I was in London doing music, which was a really weird transition. This EP marks the beginning of figuring out how I’m gonna do this shit alone.” One constant in Bea’s music, which sets her apart from other artists, is her dynamically fruitful lyricism. Witty, honest, and exquisite, her writing is a real window into her personality, candidly laying her emotions on the table, stripped back with poignant imagery and packing an ironic punch every few lines.
On Me Vs Me, the single ‘Sunburnt Shoulders’ is an ode to the dizzying hurly-burly of entering the adult world. “Wearing dirty clothes and oversleeping, When am I gonna do something with my life? Everyone’s got a thing, oh God, where’s mine?”, is an all-too-relatable rhetorical question for most twenty-somethings. It’s a song aching with honesty, remedied by a beautiful melody. “It’s my favourite song on the EP because it’s very honest about that time of my life. I remember the minute I wrote that song, I had a really special feeling about it. I started with the melody, and then the lyrics came to me, and it felt really special. Getting those feelings is rare, but it’s such a special thing.”
The emotional side of Bea’s writing doesn’t come without the merit of her ability to supercharge her lyricism with a comic edge, adding a layer of down-to-earth camaraderie. “I used to find it hard to express my feelings; I always said things in a funny way so people wouldn’t take them seriously. And still, humour is so important because the world is way too serious; I think putting humour in songs and not taking yourself too seriously is just an important thing generally,” she says. And there’s one influence that’s particularly prevalent if you know where to look.
The catchy hooks and punchy-line-worthy verses feel reminiscent of Lily Allen’s IDGAF energy. “I take a lot from her ability to be so witty and conversational without it feeling cheap; she’s an incredible songwriter. She made me think, this is how I can weave humour into my songs. My songs don’t all have to be about love, and I can take the piss out of deep subjects.”
Next on the agenda, is a massive US tour. Coming out of the internet’s ether, the abyss of touring might seem a little strange to the rising stars of today. “It’s like a constant phase of delirium!”, she says. Having scaled her first EU tour last year, she’s venturing across the Atlantic to make her American debut this autumn, where she’ll play in NYC and LA. “I’m feeling unbelievably excited. The fact that people are buying tickets to come and watch me perform still slightly baffles me and feels very surreal. I’m most excited to see how the new songs go down,” she says.
Along with her beloved bandmates, she’s armed with some impressive culinary skills to pass the time: “I can’t wait to get back to being a master wrap-maker on the bus. I know the band have been missing the ‘Bea special’ – ham, spinach (for health), cheese, tomatoes, and lots of hummus. It sounds basic, but it’s honestly magic.”
As with all things in life, you live and you learn, and the wisdom she’s packing with her for her cross-the-pond shows is crucial “I’m hoping my voice holds up. I have a very bad habit of speaking too loudly for no reason at all and going full throttle on big choruses. I think for this tour, I’m gonna have to rein it in a little!” Far from a cookie cutter, Bea has a unique It Girl appeal and she’s ready to take her business to the road, well and truly proving that a little bit of a sibling feud can push you into making your dreams a reality”.
I am actually going to finish off with another interview from NOTION. I know there will be more interviews online soon as there has been new buzz and excitement around Bea and Her Business. Early last year, the songwriter spoke with DORK about her then-upcoming track, Good Things, and her Me vs. Me E.P. I do think that this is an artist who will be on world tours and commanding big stages before too long:
“The evolution of Bea’s songwriting mirrors her personal and artistic growth. From early attempts that included a humorous yet premature eulogy for her still-living dog, her craft has matured significantly. “The song that forever haunts me at every mealtime,” Bea notes. “My family never fail to humble me and my songwriting efforts after they bring up this one song I wrote at about 9 or 10 years old about my dog dying! Bearing in mind that my dog is still alive… “
“I’d like to hope that my current material has improved a little bit,” she continues. “At least I’m not writing about dying dogs anymore!”
This sense of humour and relatability has helped propel Bea to her current success. Her rise to fame was significantly boosted by her savvy use of social media, particularly during the global lockdowns. With no initial plan but a clear vision for her music, she ventured into the digital space, where she quickly learned the ropes and began attracting attention. “I definitely didn’t have a plan!” she admits. “I knew that I had to do something if I seriously wanted to be an artist. I guess I was lucky that I could consistently film content at home due to lockdown. It was terrifying, though, putting yourself out there for people to potentially destroy you in the comments and let me tell you, they do not hold back!”
PHOTO CREDIT: Saskia Kovandzich
“It was all such a whirlwind at the time; I remember when my videos started to do a little better, people in the industry were reaching out, and I was going into all these big meetings alone as I didn’t have management at the time,” she describes. This period was a crash course in industry dynamics but also a validation of her dreams since childhood. “The whole thing was crazy, but I learnt a hell of a lot from it which I’m grateful for. It was all a big shock, but at the same time, 9-year-old me had wanted that all her life, so I think an element of me was like, ‘Hell yeah, it’s go-time, baby!’.
“I’ve now spent four years building up my platforms, so everything’s felt very gradual since then,” she continues. “Sometimes I really have to pinch myself and go, ‘This is kind of insane!’ I think I particularly get that feeling when I see people singing my songs back to me – the most special feeling in the world!”
Her online presence also led to surprising admirers, including one guitar-slinging Canadian legend. “I’ve heard Bryan Adams is a fan, which is a big one for me as a dream of mine is to sing ‘Heaven’ with Bryan on some big stage one day – aiming high, haha!”
The thrill of live performance is another aspect that has exceeded Bea’s expectations, notably her debut in front of 70,000 festival-goers in Oslo. “It’s definitely living up to the hype,” she states. The energy of live shows and the creative process in the studio remain her favourite aspects of being a musician. “It’s my favourite thing to do just being in the studio, so I guess every studio day feels like a bit of a highlight,” she admits.
PHOTO CREDIT: Saskia Kovandzich
Like so many, Bea’s music is rooted in the every day – stuff that’s happened to her, stories rooted in the here and now. But that doesn’t mean she can’t supercharge the with a bit of fantasy and drama, too. “I love to blow things out of proportion,” she admits. “With all the upbeat songs I have written and released, they’re just slightly silly and very sarcastic! To be honest, a song like ‘Wow’ is very much rooted in my real-life experience – me really fancying this boy – but I don’t think the fancy was reciprocated; he dumped me after three days… but I got the song, nonetheless.”
When it comes to writing, Bea certainly doesn’t lack ideas. “I write hundreds and hundreds of conceptual ideas in my notes,” she reveals, “almost like these poems. I have to process a concept before it’s written into a song and flesh it out before I put melody to it.” She’ll then take twenty or so of them into a session, read them out, and see what sticks. “I start riffing melodies off the words,” she explains, “and eventually, after a lot of back and forth, it will materialise into a song.”
The life of an up-and-coming musician isn’t without its challenges, and Bea is candid about the pressures and the continuous need to prove oneself in the industry. Despite the highs, the difficulty of disconnecting and being present with loved ones remains a struggle. “It can often feel quite overwhelming and tiring,” she explains, “but that’s also the great thing about music. It’s constant, non-stop, and definitely keeps you busy! But the one downside is that it’s hard to switch off and be present, so when I do have the chance to hang with my friends and family, it is probably very annoying for them – my mind is always all over the place.”
Yet, her ultimate goal remains clear and simple: “My biggest dream would be to be playing stadiums filled with people who have connected to my music in various different ways. I just wanna make people feel things,” she says.
Bea’s story is a testament to the power of youthful determination, the democratising force of social media, and the universal language of music. It’s a journey that began with a defiant nine-year-old and has blossomed into a captivating artist commanding the stage. Every note she sings, every lyric she writes, is a step closer to that dream of massive stadium pop. Bea’s business is thriving, and with her infectious energy and relatable music, she’s aiming to conquer the world, one song (and hopefully, a decent Parisian baguette) at a time”.
I am going to end with an August interview from NOTION. A champion of her music, they went deep with an artist who is making big strides. In such a competitive music industry, here is something who has a distinct sound that is translating into a lot of focus and fans. A brilliant young artist who has a lot more to say:
“The power of music is something she’s always been passionate about, but, she says, it’s different when it’s your music. “When you see what [a song] means to other people, it makes you think about your own music in different ways. The lyrics I write are really blunt and direct, and that makes songwriting very vulnerable for me because I’m literally blurting the words in my head onto a page. But seeing [people] come together and sing those words with me, and share those experiences – it makes me feel less lonely.”
It’s not surprising that Bea’s fans find so much to relate to in her music. On her 2024 EP, Me vs. Me, she’s centring complicated experiences – from being the only single one left in her friendship group, to worrying about being too loud and too much, to body-consciousness, and to feeling a bit existential after a party. “I’m terrified of myself / And the loser I might turn out to be / Party’s over and everybody’s leaving”, she sings on ‘Sunburnt Shoulders’. This is songwriting which isn’t afraid to talk about those more difficult feelings – embarrassment, anxiety, loneliness, having a debilitating crush and not knowing what to do about it – and it’s easy to imagine the crowds of young women at her shows this autumn, singing along with tears and smiles on their faces.
PHOTO CREDIT: Saskia Kovandzich
As its title suggests, the EP is very much focused on the self – rather than on a romantic muse or love interest. “The whole EP was about everything apart from love, mainly because I’ve been single for so bloody long!” she laughs, “But it forced me to think about how various other aspects of life made me feel. It’s liberating being able to write about things I’ve struggled with in the past, especially with a few years’ perspective.”
It’s an idea which is key to Bea’s creative process: “If I’m writing about the here and now, I don’t have any perspective” she says. “When I first started, I was writing at seventeen, but from the perspective of my fifteen-year-old self. You’re always older than the self you’re writing about. I found that helps me be able to convey emotion so directly, because you’re writing about something that you’ve lived and understood.”
And given her intensely personal approach to songwriting, is she ever tempted to (as they say on TikTok) ‘do it for the plot’ to gather material? “I’ve tried ‘doing it for the plot’ but I think in ‘doing it for the plot’ and writing about it, you actually need a lot of perspective on the ‘plot’. So ‘do it for the plot’ and then wait six months and you can write about it.” It’s not just a creative lesson, she says – it’s also a life lesson: “I think the consequences of the plot generally have a positive outcome – but they’re really not the one when you’re living in them and it feels like your life is over,” she laughs.
PHOTO CREDIT: Saskia Kovandzich
Raw experience isn’t all she needs to make music, though. “I read a lot of poetry while writing this EP. When you’re living somewhere alone and trying to find friends and figuring out what to do in a big city by yourself, it’s hard to do things for the plot! I started linking poems to past experiences, and that’s how I wrote my songs.”
If poetry isn’t cutting it when it comes to writer’s block, she has a foolproof solution: “Sometimes there’s been points where I’m getting nothing, and when I hit rock bottom I will go on a night out, or I’ll go down to the pub and chat absolute shit with my mates and not think about music. Just letting your hair down makes you realise you don’t have to force your brain to think of something!”
And when the muse does finally strike, she finds songwriting an incredibly healing process. She remembers, when she was younger, feeling uncomfortable sharing her thoughts and feelings with other people: “I used to feel like I was always being so imposing in conversations, that I wasn’t interesting enough or held enough value.” Now, however, music has become “a safe place, an island in the middle of the ocean keeping me warm and protected.” Writing the EP, she says, “made me feel a lot more confident, more assertive, and not afraid to say how I’m feeling.”
At the end of the day, she says, “Everything stems from the music.” When we talk about where she sees herself a year from now, her dreams are big – festivals, meeting fans, touring the world – but it all comes back to writing songs that resonate with people. “If the music’s good, everything else will follow. So my main thing is the music being up to scratch!” If her trajectory so far is anything to go by, that certainly won’t be a problem”.
I am going to leave things there. Last year was a busy one for Bea and Her Business. If you are discovering her just now then do go and listen to her music and follow her on social media as this is someone you cannot afford to miss out on. There is no doubt that the brilliant Bea and the Business has…
A long future ahead.
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