Melanie Meriney is a Rising Star

Melanie Meriney was born in California but grew up in Pittsburgh, PA. Growing up she and her siblings played on travel hockey teams, but hockey was not her only passion. Once she saw Shania Twain perform, her love for music was undeniable. Melanie thought Shania “had the most incredible job in the world.” Melanie began writing songs, taking voice lessons, and learning to play guitar. The dream for Melanie was always Nashville, so in 2009 she moved town and enrolled at Belmont University. She earned a Bachelors degree and a Master’s Degree from Belmont.

Melanie describes herself as a “workaholic,” but she had to learn how to channel that enthusiasm when she first moved to Nashville. She had to learn the business and how to collaborate with others. I asked her what motivates her to keep going in the face of so much competition striving for the same goals. Melanie said, “When I see so much talent in Nashville, it makes me want to up my game.” That is one of the remarkable things about the Nashville music scene is how everyone helps boost everyone else, and it is not cutthroat like you might imagine. If you are at a writer’s round, watch how the other writers will video everyone else and promote it on their social media accounts.

I am always curious what interest singer/songwriters have other than music. If they were not in Nashville chasing their dreams, what would they be doing? In Melanie’s case, she would be working in “some creative career.” “I would still want to be working around the music business in some manner.” She also enjoys reading and painting, specifically watercolors, when she has time. We also talked about the inspiration behind her songwriting. Melanie said, “My songwriting is fifty percent my life stories and fifty percent stories of my friends.” She also likes to create a story in her songs centered around an idea, much like her song “Lifeboat,” which is on her “Up in Lights” EP.

Other than releasing new music in 2019, Melanie is working on a promotional push to increase her exposure to fans. She is also working to put together a tour this summer. While I have seen Melanie play around town several times, I would pay money to see a Melanie Meriney concert. Melanie and her friend, Krista Angelucci will continue building their WomenCrushIt site, which they started in October 2017, to give a voice to women in country music. Long term she, of course, wants to get a record deal, play a show at the Ryman, but she also wants her legacy to be the “gift of music to affect people’s lives.”

On Friday, February 8, 2019, Melanie releases her new single, “Sober You.” She wrote this song with AJ Kross and Krista Angelucci. Of all of Melanie’s songs, this one is my favorite. It’s about a couple who are struggling because the guy cannot get over a heartbreak. He drinks to drown the pain, and so she will never get him sober. It is a beautiful, but incredibly real song. It made me think of my struggles during my divorce. The song helped me realize that unless I could get over what happened, I could never be happy with anyone else. Thankfully, I have been able to leave that baggage behind. I think I can speak for Melanie when I say; I hope this song may help you as it helped me. Happy Listening!