Lucy Fitzgerald 
If you haven’t been keeping up with what Michellar has been putting out lately, this is a good place to start. Michelle Bond, the San Francisco-based singer-songwriter and visual artist behind the Michellar name, has been releasing music with a consistency and sincerity that’s hard to ignore. Her latest single, “Don’t Lie to Me”, is another reminder of why she keeps building a following. Out on May 15, 2026, the track sits in singer-songwriter and alternative rock territory, written and composed by Bond herself. It’s rooted in something real, the kind of situation where romantic attraction and honesty stop pointing in the same direction. There’s a restless quality to the writing, the feeling of wanting to get close to someone while running straight into the walls they put up. Rather than brushing past that discomfort, the song plants itself right in the middle of it.
Michellar has never been the type to keep her music at arm’s length from real life, and “Don’t Lie to Me” is no exception. The energy moves between something playful and something with a sharper edge, a dynamic that mirrors the push and pull of love when trust starts to wear thin. Musically, the track draws on Teddy Swims’ style, picking up that soulful, engaging quality and pressing it against heavier lyrical ground. It’s the kind of song that gets you nodding along while something in the lyrics catches you off guard. Produced by Lloyd Miller at Spirit Song Studio in Austin, Texas, the track continues a working relationship that started with “California Fields” and has played a real part in shaping Michellar’s sound, finding that middle ground between raw feeling and clean, considered production. That balance holds up here. The music serves the story rather than competing with it.
Honestly, “Don’t Lie to Me” sounds like an artist who knows exactly where she stands. The rhythm pulls you in, the lyrics keep you there, and the whole thing has a confidence that feels earned. For a song about the messiness of love, it’s remarkably focused. With over 140 original songs written, dozens of singles, and a growing catalog that keeps expanding, Michellar is one of those artists who reward people who pay attention early. Do yourself a favor and follow her on all platforms, add “Don’t Lie to Me” to your playlist, and pass it along to anyone who appreciates songwriting that actually says something. She performs regularly at open mic nights across San Francisco, stays active online, and releases music at a pace that never feels careless. Keep her on your radar, because if “Don’t Lie to Me” is where she’s at right now, everything coming next is worth waiting for.
Listening to songs so you don’t have to! Just kidding :D, you totally should. Music blogger by day, nurse by night
