Pop-noir singer-songwriter and harpist Lucinda Belle has strutted through the traditional notions of the harp as a classical or orchestral instrument. In her path, she’s paved the way for a signature artistry that melds the white-gloved elegance of classic Hollywood with smart hooks and playful pan-genre appropriation. “The girl with the harp is who I made her,” affirms Lucinda Belle. “I want to present a different perspective of what can be done with the instrument.” And the UK-based artist has. Lucinda’s music is a portal into a seductive and anachronistic world where jazz, soul, R&B, gypsy jazz, blues, hip-hop, reggae, and rock collide and reside. Here, you’ll find referential signposts as diverse as Peggy Lee, Keely Smith, Ella Fitzgerald, Harpo Marx, Dorothy Ashby, Etta James, Verdi, Ravel, Adele, Jobim, Amy Winehouse, Dr. Dre, Wu-Tang Clan, 1950s MGM movies, and The Great American Songbook. Her commitment to exploring the melodic and harmonic possibilities of the harp outside of classical and orchestra settings has sent her on a wild fishtailing adventure. Lucinda has composed music for film and television, and written songs for other artists. She has been nominated for an Oscar for the song “Going Nowhere” from the 2014 film For No Good Reason, a Johnny Depp-starring film documentary on the life of artist Ralph Steadman. Currently, Lucinda holds an assistant composer position for the BBC’s Death in Paradise. Her appearance as Dixie Darling in Punch’s Drunks’ Sleep No More and her after-dinner chats have enriched her public profile. Lucinda’s journey thus far – from being the first child harp player to be awarded a scholarship for the National Children’s Orchestra in England to time spent in Nashville exploring the jazz harp style – has led to Think Big : Like Me. “This album is a reflection of my life. There’s heartache, lessons learned, and sentimentality,” she reveals. This body of work whisks the listeners away to a bygone era where these torch ballads, playful swinging pop numbers, and Dixieland jazz compositions could be entries into the American Songbook. Within this seemingly traditional context, Lucinda sneaks in profound signifiers of her artistry. She gets away with tucking in subtle hip-hop and reggae flourishes, among other brilliantly warped genre bending forays. From orchestras to jazz to hip-hop sessions, and finally to creating her own irresistible pop-noir aesthetic, Lucinda has embarked on a profound artistic continuum. “It’s been a winding road,” she says. “The biggest reward of this adventure has been making a record that I can present that is true to me. It reflects who I am—I’m that girl with the harp.”