Helen Money

Helen Money is the performing alias of Alison Chesley, a Los Angeles-based cellist and composer who has appeared on recordings by Bob Mould, Broken Social Scene, Japanese band Mono, and dozens of other artists. Her aggressive, highly inventive cello playing utilizes a plethora of transformative effects and is heavily influenced by punk and metal, embracing copious amounts of distorted feedback. Her compositions are brash and cathartic, yet strikingly beautiful, reflecting on a life full of devastating experiences. She typically performs in a rock environment rather than with classical or new music ensembles, and has opened for bands such as Shellac, Earth, and Neurosis. While her earliest, self-released solo efforts focused on cello arrangements, subsequent releases such as 2016's Become Zero featured more expansive, intricate production, incorporating drums, synthesizers, and other instruments. She collaborated with composer Will Thomas on the cinematic Trace in 2023.