In this interview feature, we get to know the most radicalist up & coming stars on the planet.  

Formerly of the indie-pop duo IYES, Melis quietly embarked on her own terms as a songwriter, vocalist, musician and even producer. It wasn’t until two months ago that we first heard the raw and beguiling sound that this artist had been working on behind the scenes, but she’s already had a major impact on the blogosphere.

That first listen was technically a demo called ‘Love Song Idea’, a fragile piece of music that was salvaged from a damaged hard drive. It introduced us to Melis’ softly-lit vocal and ability to form heart-wrenching songs that tap into one’s deepest honesty. Since its release, ‘Love Song Idea’ has been paired with a video, directed by Jake Ringsell & Robert Chamberlain, that is as unflinching and vulnerable as its sonic foundation. Starring BAFTA award-winning actress Georgia Campbell, the crew bring to life Melis’ statement that “Despite our pain and the problems we have to deal with, if you just take a step back for a second and look at yourself in the mirror, you will be able to find an unharmed strength and beauty. You will find the courage to accept yourself. To be proud of yourself... and to love yourself."

Hope is a cornerstone of Melis’ work as on sophomore track ‘Flower’, which we discuss as “an encouragement to not give up”, and is also the first song we’ve heard from her forthcoming debut EP, titled Parallels, which is due to drop later this year. Once again, we hear Melis’ wonderfully pure vocal at the forefront of minimalist electronics and a romantic guitar arrangement that drives her motivational message home. It’s futuristic pop, not in the way that you expect astronomical synths and aliens to come bursting out at any point, but in that forward-thinking and transparent way the current musical landscape is in desperate need.

Here we ask celestial singer-songwriter Melis some questions about her new solo path, the trouble with inspiration, picking up production skills, plus thoughts on her current and upcoming material.

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TMR: Hey Melis! As we know, your tracks were made between Berlin and Prague, and before that you were based in Brighton, and so our question is where are you now? And what are you up to?

Right now I am visiting my family in Prague for a few days (grandma's birthday celebration) but I am settled in Berlin :) Berlin is my home away from home.

TMR: Where has been your favourite place for creative inspiration?

Each place has brought me something different to write about and taught me various things. Whilst living in Brighton I learned so much about music, the industry and myself. I spent a lot of time alone there which definitely made me write more. It wasn't the best for my social life but it gave me some much needed space to improve my songwriting.

TMR: What else inspires your songwriting?

It depends on what goes on in my life. Usually I write about things I'm unsure or unhappy about. I have very spontaneous spurts of inspiration which sometimes don't appear for long amounts of time. I struggle to force myself to create. If I don’t feel it, I don’t touch the guitar. So I'm either really inspired or not at all. Sometimes I go weeks without writing and then come up with something semi-listenable in the most unexpected place and time.

TMR: Of course, you’ve been writing music for some time now, as one-half of IYES and as Melis, but when did you move into the realm of production?

It was out of necessity. I find it hard to explain to producers how they should make my music sound and what my vision is. When I finish a song, I play it on my guitar and there are many variations as to what the finished thing could sound like. After many missteps, I wanted my solo stuff to be 100% authentic and have my say in everything. I am by no means an actual producer! I just learned the basics and searched for instrumentation that sounded right to me.

TMR: What would your advice be to any production newcomers who are doubting themselves?

Start with learning, YouTube is always good, and be very patient. Just look for the right sounds. You don’t need to do it all by yourself. It’s ok to ask for help. Don’t compromise the music. Whatever serves the song.



TMR: Your song ‘Flower’ deals with moments of doubt - the proverbial bump in the road - but with an overriding message of encouragement. What does ‘Flower’ mean to you?

This song means so much to me. I dedicated it to my dad. It’s exactly what you say it is, an encouragement to not give up. Life will most likely fuck you up at some point, it’s something we all experience. We have to go through shitty stuff to grow and learn a lesson… but in the end things do get better.

TMR: Then there’s your debut ‘Love Song Idea’, which didn’t have the easiest road itself. Why were you so determined to save that track and then share it with the Internet?

Despite it not being perfectly recorded and sung, I thought there was some beauty and rawness in it. And I am not a huge fan of re-recording. It usually loses the magic. So I decided to put it out like this and call it a love song idea. What’s the point in creating something ‘perfect'? Nothing - it’s not relatable.

TMR: The reception of your solo debut has been fantastic with over 70k plays on SoundCloud and close to 126k streams on Spotify. Did this overwhelmingly positive reaction come as a surprise to you or were you confident with this first release?

I am really pleased and grateful for the response, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Although I am happy and confident in my music now. If only one person feels something whilst listening to it, then that’s amazing.

TMR: Right now, we’re two tracks in, with hopefully more to come. How would you describe the sound of your next release?

I cannot wait for everyone to hear the next song. It’s my favorite song from the upcoming EP. It’s a classic sound with contemporary electronic elements. There’s a lot of live instrumentation and then there is a drum machine.

TMR: What else do you have on the cards this year?

As mentioned above, I will be releasing a five-track EP which is called Parallels in autumn. I am also gonna do a couple of live shows. I am very excited and cannot wait to perform my songs live. I have already started writing new songs for EP2. I’m working on visuals too. There’s just so much happening now.

Watch out for Melis’ Parallels EP out later this year.

-Hannah Thacker