It’s been about a full year since I started writing for Lyrical Lemonade and since then, I’ve had the chance to bring some pretty great artists to our pages; but after taking the time to reflect, I can honestly say that none quite compare to the artist I’m about to introduce. If you haven’t heard of Melanie Faye, this serves as your formal invitation to familiarize yourself with this star in the making. I stumbled upon the Nashville native back in 2017 after her viral guitar covers were making their rounds on social media platforms. Instantly, it was clear to see that she was special.
I got the chance to talk to Melanie on the phone for a bit and she explained to me that her musical endeavors first started when she was in the 6th grade. For most guitar prodigies, the skill was usually taught in home or passed down from a musical relative; For Melanie though, her passion for guitar stemmed from playing the hit game Guitar Hero 3. After that, she began to get really comfortable with the instrument while learning basic mechanics and chords. From then on, her musical development consisted of many lessons, self teaching and eventually learning musical theory from the Nashville School of The Arts. Sine then, Melanie has garnered national attention and a stellar following that will continue to grow as time goes on.
Today, the 21 year old is making her much deserved Lyrical Lemonade debut for her latest song entitled, “Super Sad Always”. I could try, but there aren’t enough words to truly encapsulate how good this song is. From the moment I turned it on, I knew I had to get a hold of Melanie and hear how she was able to create such a beautiful ballad like this one. She informed me that the song was actually made 3 years ago when she was a freshman at Middle Tennessee State University. It was a personal song about a personal experience she had. Once you listen and take into account the lyrical structure, you’ll be thoroughly impressed by the way she’s able to make you feel her emotions through subtle word play. “In a sense, you’re innocent…But your inner sense is fading”. This first line right here sets the tone for all of the clever nuances Melanie incorporates with these lyrics. I’m a huge sucker for production, but the way Melanie uses these words to create cohesive ideas is the real game changer.
All in all though, what I love most about this track is the evolution of it. On the phone, Melanie explained that the finished track sounded much different in the initial phases. There is actually a whole video on youtube where you can hear what “Super Sad Always” sounded like back in 2016. Another cool aspect of this piece is the fact that Melanie received help from Lyrical Lemonade regular, Heavy Mellow when it came to the structure of the song. The whole encounter was by chance though, as Melanie told me that Heavy Mellow just so happened to be in the same studio as she was that night. He peaked his end into her session and ended up adding some of his expertise to round out the track in a really cool way. When ranking the best guitarists in the industry right now, I definitely believe that Heavy Mellow and Melanie are at the top, so the fact that these two were able to collaborate on this one is a treat in itself.
This song is amazing in every sense of the word. I could go on and on about it, but I want y’all to experience it for the first time like I was able to. Melanie has a sound that’s so unique, it will make you want to come back for more each time. I can’t stress how important it is to identify Melanie as one of the top artists to watch in 2020. She’s got all that it takes to be a star and I’m so excited to see it all unfold. I’ve attached the Spotify link down below to “Super Sad Always”, so give it a listen and let us know what you think! Also, be sure to follow Melanie on her social accounts here and here to stay up to date with her future releases. Enjoy!