Clouds of the West

Clouds of the West is a Seattle orchestral rock band built around the songwriting partnership of cellist Rose Bellini and guitarist/vocalist Quentin Ertel. Backed by an expansive ensemble that includes bass (Rebecca Young), drums (Zeke Keeble), viola (Erin Wight), Hammond B3 (Dan Walker), vibraphone (Erin Jorgensen), and a brass section, the band draws on rock, vintage soul, and composed concert music, folding strings, horns, and rhythm section into a powerful, expansive whole. The result is cinematic and open, music built for wide horizons, at home on a long drive through open country or late at night down the interstate. Ertel’s voice brings warmth and grit, with lyrics that feel intimate and yet sweeping, floating over shifting textures that move from noir reverb to country-tinged strum to soul-inflected groove. Bellini’s classical training shapes the band’s harmonic language and arrangements, giving the group a style that moves fluidly between rock energy and something closer to chamber music. The band’s 2026 debut record, Glass Radio, was described by Seattle Magazine as having “a widescreen quality that feels transportive.” “Like tearing through a short story and wishing for more.” - Seattle Magazine