Her lead single, Money, piqued the interest of Pandora, with PopDust jumping on the bandwagon for her 2nd single, Taste.  Her 3rd single, Dizzy, was featured on Just Jared Jr.

In this interview spotlight, we chat with Melanie about her influences, the new release, the digital music world and more.

Q&A along with links and streams are available below.

Let’s dive a little deeper into You, Melanie, the artist and your music. What attracted you to this genre or style?

I’ve always been into pop for many reasons. One, I have a huge vision for my career, and there’s something to be said for catchy hooks that do well on the radio being able to reach mass amounts of people. However, this is a little more rock/soulful/alternative than I had ever done before and that was mainly due to my producer Troy “R8DIO” Johnson (who did most of the tracks on this album) taking the time to ask me what kind of music really felt authentic to me. One of the artists I mentioned when we were discussing music we loved was Alanis Morisette, and because of a lot of elements she used in her music back then are similar to what I wanted to recreate now, she was a major influence in my new direction.

What led you into this journey with music? And further, what drives you to push it out to the public?

Ever since I can remember I’ve been singing. My mom said before I could really speak I used to emphatically point to the stereo and say “La La” which meant I wouldn’t give up until she played the music.  I honestly don’t give much thought as to why I do what I do, I just know music is in me and I think I’ve been given the opportunities I have been given for a reason in order to share it.  I think I have a lot of life experience and wisdom to share with people, and the way I express that is through my songs. I also have just always loved entertaining people, and loved the idea that I can be responsible for making someone’s whole night awesome with my show, or with songs that make them feel better and relate.

Who or what influences your creativity? Have your tastes in music changed over time?

I’m always listening to new artists and current top 40, so that’s definitely a factor in writing, and at the same time none of that matters to me if when I’m writing a song it just feels great and I love it.  If I love it, that’s going to come through on the track when I’m singing it, and that energy is what people fall in love with I think, not necessarily a certain vibe or genre. I always listen more to the voice inside than anything else.  My tastes in music haven’t really changed, but I have learned to get more specific about what I personally want to do as an artist and what my voice is best at. For example, I’ll always love house and dance music, and will still continue to do features, but I’ve learned I like a little more raw and soulful kind of performance for my live shows, and so for that my music is going to be more of what this album is starting to show.

Were you trying to accomplish anything specific on your self-titled EP? Creatively or otherwise?

The biggest thing for me on this EP was music that felt good. A couple of the tracks (like Take Me Under, Vices) were meant for more self-expression, but in general it was about lifting people up.

What was the last song you listened to?

I just heard this awesome song called “Dead Man’s Arms” by Bishop Briggs on a TV show I was watching, and it was so captivating I had to look it up! That’s what I think music should do, move you to feel something so much you have no choice but to be present.

Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?

I love the accessibility of MP3s. I want to be able to listen to my music no matter where I am!

How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?

Spotify all the way! I actually have tried all of them and for me, Spotify does the best job of highlighting new artists and music before anyone else.  I usually love their playlists, and love that it’s based on mood.

Other than the digital era overwhelming us with access to an abundance of music, what is the biggest challenge you face when trying to connect with or find new fans?

The saturated market is definitely the hardest part about being an artist in this day and age, but it’s also the saturated social media platforms and ways of finding new music.  Personally I feel most like myself when I’m just performing or doing something creative, and sometimes all the social media at a computer or my phone can feel like a job if I don’t just do it in the moment because there are so many sites to keep up on! I probably should do it more, but I also don’t want to be inauthentic. That being said I do love snapchat, mainly because it forces you to take a picture/video when it’s live.

Where is the best place to connect with you online? Discover more music?

I’m on Spotify / iTunes / Bandcamp / YouTube – Melanie Taylor Music. My Snapchat is @Calisun44 and all my other social media handles are @MelanieTaylorMusic 🙂 My website is www.melanietaylorofficial.com

Anything else you’d like to add before signing off?

I perform a lot in LA if you’re in the area and will soon be organizing a So-Cal Tour so stay tuned! Lots of new music and videos coming as well 😉

Take a listen to my EP here!