Belle And Chain Reveal New Single Laila

LA-based rock duo Belle and Chain have released their new single, ‘Laila‘. The track is the follow-up to their debut single, ‘Don’t You Worry Babe‘, which arrived earlier this year.

Belle and Chain is the project of actor, filmmaker and musician Spencer Grammer and multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Davis IL. Since their debut, the pair have been busy on the road, completing a North American tour supporting British singer-songwriter Barns Courtney and playing festivals across the country.

Courtney, known for songs such as ‘Fire’ and ‘Glitter & Gold’, gave the duo the chance to play to rock audiences night after night, while the festival run introduced Belle and Chain to new crowds around the US.

‘Laila’ is a song about jealousy, desire, betrayal and the complicated truths that come to the surface when love begins to fracture. Musically, it pairs Grammer’s intimate vocals with sweeping strings and the haunting tones of the Martenot.

Also known as the ondes Martenot, the instrument is one of the earliest electronic instruments, invented in France in the late 1920s and known for its eerie, wavering sound. Here it gives the track an unsettling, otherworldly edge that suits its subject.

The song was inspired by a specific experience in Grammer’s life, when another woman came between her and someone she was seeing. Rather than pointing the finger, ‘Laila’ looks beyond the easy lines of blame and instead sits with the uncertainty of what really happened.

Grammer says the song is deliberately open to more than one reading. “‘Laila’ can be interpreted two ways: an obsession with the woman one wishes they were, or a plea to the woman who tempts your partner,” she explains. “It was written about a specific experience with a woman who came and tried to steal the attention of someone I was seeing. Laila is a painful song about love lost, unseen truths between people, and ultimately what we learn from it all.”

It is a candid admission, and one that reflects the honesty running through Belle and Chain’s songwriting so far. By leaving the story open rather than settling on a villain, the song invites listeners to bring their own experiences of heartbreak, suspicion and regret to it.

Belle and Chain began life as a solo project for Grammer before growing into a full collaboration with Davis IL. Together, they have shaped a sound that feels wide open and weather-worn, drawing on the dust, darkness and stark beauty of the American West.

Their music blends elements of alt-country, gothic rock and traditional folk into something distinctly their own, and ‘Laila’ leans into the darker, more atmospheric side of that sound.

It is a combination that places the duo among a growing wave of artists exploring the darker corners of Americana, where country storytelling meets the drama and atmosphere of gothic rock.

Raised between New York City and Los Angeles by a television actor father and a Broadway dancer mother, Spencer Grammer grew up immersed in the performing arts.

She went on to build a career as an actress, director and voice performer, and is best known as the voice of Summer Smith on Adult Swim’s animated series Rick and Morty.

The show has been one of Adult Swim’s biggest hits since it launched in 2013. Earlier in her career, Grammer also starred as Casey Cartwright in the college drama series Greek.

Music took on a new significance for Grammer following a violent attack in 2020 that left lasting damage to her right hand. As part of her recovery, she was encouraged to pick up the guitar, which eventually led her to start writing songs in 2024.

In music, she found a powerful outlet for processing that experience and rebuilding her confidence, and that personal journey sits at the heart of what Belle and Chain have become.

Their debut single made a strong first impression. ‘Don’t You Worry Babe’ earned early support from Entertainment Tonight, Luna Collective Magazine and Buzzbands LA, introducing the duo to listeners well beyond their Los Angeles base.

With ‘Laila’, Belle and Chain continue to build on that momentum, offering another glimpse into a project that is only just beginning to take shape, and a duo whose story is still being written. ‘Laila‘ is out now.