Mel is an established vocalist based in South East England having recorded and performed live as lead singer and also as backing vocalist with acts such as Gabrielle, Lisa Stansfield, Spirits and D:Ream and working throughout Japan with rock artist Eikichi Yazawa. She has also sung lead vocals on UK dance hits "Addicted" by Plutonic and "Sound of Eden" and "Only You" by Ca$ino. People are often surprised at her vocal power; for someone standing under 5' 3" she may be petite in stature - but she can really make some noise!
After training as a dancer at the Royal Academy in London and then theatre school, she began her career in musical theatre and using this experience she continued by working as a session singer, recording, touring and on tv.Mel is currently writing and recording her own material and you can listen to some extracts here on the music page. Although a fan of a wide variety of music from rock to Rachmaninov, she is influenced primarily by soul and blues, placing iconic singers such as Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight, Chaka Khan and Patti Labelle as her main divas, mixed with the music and lyrical styles of artists such as Sheryl Crow, Bonnie Rait and Steven Tyler. Her voice and music are powerful and emotive, her songs sometimes starkly autobiographical, whilst always remaining listenable and strongly connected to her influences. Through her studio experience, Mel has learnt precisely where her vocal strengths lie and how to use them to put even her most personal lyrics across with the exact intent in which they were written. In addition, by drawing from her extensive ground work in live performance you can put her in front of any band on any stage and she will deliver the goods in her own unique style. Creating music is her passion and performing live is her means of expressing this. "I want people to feel moved in the same way I feel moved when I hear something fantastic!"
It may have been a varied journey to get there but all of Mel's musical background has led her to a point now where her current work puts her right in the centre of her musical niche, so that it can be experienced at its strongest, standing within a highly credible genre rather than compromising her ideals to fit around a superficial style. More than anything, her music represents everything about who Melanie Lewis is, presented with blatant honesty and with just a little glint in her eye.
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Paul Cuddeford |
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Nico Sabatini |
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