Hello Bella is a local band you can root for! The pop-rock femalelead group, originally from Lambton County, have to posses one of the most dramatic stories I've heard in a long time.

The band has been together for about three years. "Most of us have known each other for most of our lives," said Stephanie Poort, Hello Bella's lead vocalist. Since starting to play music together, tours of small towns in southwestern Ontario have occupied most of their time, and Hello Bella have built an impressive and supportive fan base.

After being a part of MuchMusic's Disband and having the opportunity to perform in front of the show's judges, the band knew they were on the right track. Poort explained, "They were set to use some of the footage in season three, but to be quite honest I haven't had time to follow the show ... so I don't even know if they used it ... but we really did really well, and they had nothing but positive feedback. They loved our set!"

With the reassurance provided by Disband, Hello Bella competed in yet another battle of the bands. They were rewarded a competitive spot on a short list to be considered by other artists as opening acts. It was about a month later when Poort recalls being contacted to open for the Black Eyed Peas. "They're one of my favourite bands. I've actually seen them live in London before and I'm such a big fan of them, so it was kind of a dream come true for me ... and the other thing too, finding out later that Down with Webster was right after us!"

Now, this is the part of Hello Bella's story that would seem to only happen in an episode of Instant Star, or a movie starring Demi Lovato. The same night that Hello Bella was made aware that the biggest gig of their lives was to happen in a mere three weeks, the house where three band members lived caught on fire. Poort remembered, "At like 3:30 in the morning, we were woken up in our sleep by the flames. It was actually right outside my bedroom window. The worst room that was hit in the whole house was the jam space."

Most of the band's instruments were gone, and so was their practice location. "My first reaction was, 'Where are we going to live?' Second reaction: 'What about the show coming up? How are we going to prepare?'"

It was Hello Bella's hometown fans that saved the day. They organized a fundraiser to raise money for new instruments, and provided a place to rehearse. Immediately after the Black Eyed Peas show, Poort said, "I remember us just having a big breath of relief, knowing that we got through it. It really made us kind of grow together, and made us realize that we have a big fan base that supports us."

Hello Bella's new album, Echoes of the Atmosphere, was officially released last week, and was two years in the making. It features 13 songs that range from soft ballads to rock and dance tracks. Poort said Hello Bella's sound has been compared to other female lead groups like Paramore, Metric and even No Doubt, but added, "Our sound is very different at the same time." Synthesizers can be heard in much of the album, and make Echoes of the Atmosphere a very catchy collection of songs.

To hear one of their new singles, you can visit their MySpace at www.myspace.com/hellobellamusic.