Photo by: Albert Sanchez - Design by: John Stapleton
Belinda Carlisle, beloved solo artist, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and voice of the Go-Go’s, returns to her roots with the release of a new studio album Once Upon a Time in California, slated for release on 29 August 2025 by the Demon Music label.
Featuring ten new studio tracks including her cover of the Harry Nilsson classic, “One” HERE which premiered today, were recorded in Los Angeles and produced by Gabe Lopez, who worked with Belinda on her 2017 studio album Wilder Shores. Belinda shares – “It was fun covering this song that I always loved. I listened to different versions and we decided to go for more of a jazzy approach which fit with the video concept which is a nod to Bob Fosse. I've never done anything like this before, so I think it might be a surprise for some of my fans.”
The first single from the forthcoming album,“The Air That I Breathe” HERE was released in June with Belinda stating - “This song has always been one of my very favorites growing up. I love the lyrics and the complicated melody. This was on the list I originally made of songs that I wanted to sing if I ever did a cover album. During the pandemic I started performing karaoke style on my Instagram every Saturday and called it “Saturday Serenades.” This one got such a good response that I thought 'This definitely should be a contender for the album'. I'm so happy with the way it turned out and I absolutely love the video as it sort of harkens back to my early solo albums and videos.” In addition, Belinda released her version of The Youngbloods’ “Get Together” HERE and the music video HERE stating “Get Together” was relevant when it was released during the Vietnam war and it’s relevant today with all of the craziness going on in our world. I recorded it firstly because I love it and secondly because I think it is perfect for this time.”
Once Upon a Time in California will be available on CD, vinyl and digital formats and available for pre-order HERE
Following the success of Belinda’s 2023 EP Kismet, Once Upon a Time in California sees Belinda Carlisle take a deeply personal journey through the golden sounds of her youth with this ten-track collection. Steeped in the spirit of her Californian upbringing, the album is a heartfelt tribute to the vintage pop culture that shaped her musical identity.
What sets this album apart is that it’s a celebration of Californian culture that stretches its canvas beyond the familiar evocation of the Laurel Canyon sound. It’s a carefully curated and beautifully realised salute to Belinda’s personal education in pop music, and the magical sounds that arrived in her life from near and far, on the radio and on cherished 45s.
With the assured and distinctive vocal delivery of someone who herself has become one of the Golden State’s greatest exports - initially as frontwoman for the Go-Go’s, who enjoyed Top 10 hits with Our Lips Are Sealed, Vacation and We Got The Beat and as a solo performer with a multitude of hits including Mad About You, Heaven Is A Place on Earth, Circle In the Sand and I Get Weak amongst others, Belinda Carlisle completes this sentimental journey back to her youth with timeless style.
Once Upon a Time in California opens with a stirring remake of the Burt Bacharach & Hal David gem written for Dionne Warwick, Anyone Who Had A Heart. Belinda then pays her respects to such timeless artists as the Carpenters (Superstar), Gordon Lightfoot (If You Could Read My Mind) and Jim Croce (Time In A Bottle) and to songs for the ages including The Air That I Breathe (The Hollies), Everybody’s Talking (Harry Nilsson) and Reflections Of My Life (Marmalade). The result is an entirely different kind of Californian dreaming for a new generation. Although this marks the first time all ten tracks have been available on one album, three of them – Superstar, If You Could Read My Mind and Get Together have been available on previous Belinda Carlisle collections.
Commenting on the album Belinda says, “I was born and raised in California at a time when music was an important part of Californian culture. I lived and breathed music, it was my great escape - a refuge of fantasy and imagination. Every day after school and when it was summer vacation, I would listen and sing along to the music on the radio for the entire day. Always fantasizing about being a singer myself, one day.
This collection of songs is the best representation of what I loved back then that I could think of - listening to it brings back so many memories of a time and a California that doesn't really exist anymore. That’s not meant to sound like a bad thing, it's just different - there was an innocence and energy back then that was unique and magical. Things I doubt will ever be felt in quite the same way again. Here's to the California of my dreams.”
With Once Upon a Time in California, Belinda Carlisle invites fans old and new to join her on a journey through the melodies that defined a generation.
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