Canadian-born and UK-based artist Melissa Bel has released her new folk-pop single “Can’t Go Home.” The track focuses on trying to find one’s place in an at-times disappointing world, while life and circumstances inevitably change. Written by Melissa and produced by Joseph Cross (The Courteeners), “Can’t Go Home” effortlessly combines sensitive relatability and engaging narration with a catchy, new-vintage sound. From the release of her four albums to opening for artists such as Grammy award-winner Kylie Minogue, JUNO award-winners Matthew Good and Joey Landreth, and English-Irish artist Maverick Sabre, Melissa continues to rise as an acclaimed artist and songwriter. We had the pleasure of speaking to her about her flourishing career.
Hi Melissa, thank you for granting the interview. Congratulations on your career to date. Please share with our readers how you got into music.
I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember and I think music has just always been in my blood. I started playing guitar when I was 14 so that I could write songs and accompany myself, and I made my first album when I was 18 – instead of going to university. I’m really lucky to have parents who supported me in following my dream of making a career out of music because otherwise, I may have ended up on a totally different path.
You’re now living in West Sussex, UK. What caused the move from Canada?
It’s a good story: In 2015 I went to Las Vegas for my good friend’s wedding. On our first night there we had the bachelorette party and ended up in a Margaritaville at 3:30 am for “one last drink”, where I met an English guy who turned out to be the love of my life. It was his last night there so basically we spent 8 hours together in Vegas before he flew home, and less than 4 months later I moved in with him in England. And we got engaged over lockdown! I never believed in love at first sight or “the one”…until I was looking at him. My song “Real Tonight” from my last EP is all about that fateful night in Vegas, so check it out for more of the story!
Congratulations and best wishes! Your latest track “Can’t Go Home” focuses on the notion of trying to find one’s place in an at-times disappointing world. What inspired you to write it?
My parents had split up a few years earlier and I still had a lot of emotions about it bottled up that I wasn’t quite ready to deal with. So I wrote this song imagining that I could just outrun all of the sadness and resentment and that eventually, it would go away. Deep down I knew that avoiding these feelings wasn’t the answer, but writing this song was a bit of therapy for me anyway.
What has been your greatest challenge as a musician and songwriter?
My greatest challenge as an artist has been finding what truly feels like me musically and stylistically. I love and am influenced by a lot of different genres, so the songs I’ve released over the years range from blues to rock to pop, and this latest single was on the iTunes Country chart. So a bit all over the map. For the most part, everything I’ve released has felt like me at the time, but I went through a period where I was too heavily influenced by what other people thought I should sound and look like. Now I feel like I’m more tuned-in to myself and my artistry than I’ve ever been. Luckily, though, as a songwriter being versatile and the ability to write in different genres is an asset. My biggest challenge as a songwriter is getting the opportunities to get my songs cut by other artists or synched to tv, film, etc. It’s all about getting in the right rooms.
You co-wrote Avril Lavinge’s single “Tell Me It’s Over” which reached #1 Worldwide on iTunes? Please share your experience working on this track and your response to its success.
I listened to Avril Lavigne growing up, as so many of us did, and “Tell Me It’s Over” was my first cut which is still kind of surreal. When I first posted about having co-written the song the response was pretty overwhelming as I’d never been involved in anything close to that big before. It’s what prompted me to want to be a songwriter for projects other than my own artist career, and it gave me the much-needed confidence that I really could succeed at this.
Recent accolades also include supporting Kylie Minogue at Hampton Court Palace Festival in 2019 (UK) and JUNO award-winners Matthew Good and Joey Landreth. To date, what has been your most fulfilling episode in your career to date and why?
When my little nieces ask to hear my songs and I see they know pretty much all the words, it doesn’t get much better than that. I’ve also been doing live stream concerts during the lockdown and there’s a core group of people who show up every time and request my songs. It almost feels like we’re in the same room and we’re still connecting through the music even though we’re miles and miles apart. Those moments make me feel like no matter how big I make it in my career, it’s all worthwhile.
Who would you love to collaborate with next in the music industry and why?
The Teskey Brothers’ new vintage, country-soul sound really influenced the production of this new batch of songs I’ve been working on (including “Can’t Go Home”) and I’d love to get to write and/or perform with them. I’m also a big fan of Celeste; she’s so authentic and her songs feel like instant classics. I’d love to collaborate with her at some point.
What other projects should we look forward to seeing you involved in?
I’ll be releasing more new music this year with a single coming at the end of summer, so look out for that!
Where will we find out more information about you?
Any follows on socials and/or Spotify are greatly appreciated 🙂 You can find me at:
Spotify – www.instagram.com/melissabelmusic
www.facebook.com/melissabelmusic
www.twitter.com/melissabelmusic
Images courtesy of VOCAB Communications
About Author
