Culture
Songwriter Melanie A. Davis talks with WOUB Culture ahead of November 16 show in Athens
By: Emily Votaw
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ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) – You can hear Melanie A. Davis’ classical training in the warmth and fullness of her voice—but what lingers is the pulse of her precise yet intuitive phrasing. Her lines bend, shift, and release in rhythm with thought itself, unfolding with a satisfying cognitive grace both studied and spontaneous.
It’s a rare ability, one she’s honed across three solo albums and brought fully to life with her band, The Madness, on last year’s Noctalgia. That inventive, genre-defying, folk-inflected indie pop record shows what happens when Davis channels her meticulous craft through the raw energy of a live electric ensemble. This sound spotlights Davis slipping through genre conventions with the inventive ease of Nellie McKay, blending musical sophistication and emotional immediacy in every phrase.
Next Sunday, the Western Kentucky-based singer-songwriter brings her idiosyncratic sound to The Union (18 West Union Street), performing with her band, The Madness, alongside L.A.-based songwriter Sophia Lanuza and Athens’ own piano-driven fantasy rockers, Amethystone.
Ahead of the Athens performance, Davis corresponded via email with WOUB about the making of Noctalgia, how her classical vocal training shapes the music she makes today, and what’s next as she prepares her forthcoming album, It’s a Beautiful Day on the Troll Farm.
Emily Votaw: In your initial email, you described the run of shows with Sophia Lanuza as the “freak femme folk revue.” How do your sounds come together to evoke that?
Melanie A. Davis: The freak femme folk revue felt like the right fit because of the unique but cohesive way our musical styles play off one another. We both exist somewhere under the larger folk umbrella, but Sophia leans more toward alternative pop while I lean more toward midcentury jazz and country. We also both tend to lean into the stranger, more uncomfortable aspects of human existence, especially through the lens of femme-identifying individuals: politics, existentialism, religion, mental health, working-class woes, and so on. Folky, femme-oriented, a little freaky.
Noctalgia is your fourth album and your first with a full band. How did that recording experience differ from your past solo projects?
Davis: All of my albums prior to Noctalgia were recorded instrument by instrument, which was a fun way to dive deeper into each track and really pick it apart with a fine-tooth comb. The band and I tracked Noctalgia live, standing in a circle inside Loud and Clear Studios in Paducah, KY. Doing it that way helped make the performances feel more organic, dynamic, and challenging in a good way. We recorded the album right after a month-long tour to the West Coast, so being able to capture our live set after that time was advantageous and special.
You’re a classically trained vocalist — could you elaborate on that training and how it influences your current music?
Davis: I studied vocal performance at Murray State University for four years and studied privately for six years before that. During that time, I performed musical theatre, opera, and jazz, and sang in several different choirs, from traditional choruses to an a cappella quintet that sang Gregorian chant. All of these experiences helped shape my musical expression, lyrically and instrumentally. But I think one of the most valuable things this training gave me was the ability and willingness to lean into my natural voice, as opposed to forcing it into a more stereotypical pop or country box where it doesn’t quite fit.
Who are five musical artists, past or present, that you feel are underrated, and why?
Davis: Margo Guryan and Jackson C. Frank are two artists from the ’60s who refused to abide by industry expectations and fell out of the mainstream, despite being profound and highly talented songwriters. As for modern artists, I would say Tele Novella, Bedouine, and Madison Cunningham are three acts that deserve even more praise than they’ve already gotten in recent years. Just really incredible and unique writing, arranging, and all-around style.
If you were creating a mix CD for a young woman graduating from high school and entering a new phase of her life, what songs or artists would you include?
Davis: I love this! Disposable Camera by Anna Tivel and Vienna by Billy Joel remind her that she can accomplish her goals on her own schedule and the importance of enjoying her life in the meantime. Stargazer by Nap Eyes to emphasize the dangers of pleasing every other person but yourself. Eggs in One Basket by Tele Novella because of its beautiful defense of following your dreams with integrity and passion. I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor, just because it makes you feel good, breakup or not.
Can you share any details about what is up next for Melanie A. Davis & The Madness? More touring? Future recording plans?
Davis: Our show in Athens is part of a week-long run before we hunker down in the studio to record my next full-length album, It’s a Beautiful Day on the Troll Farm. After the Sunday show at The Union, we’ll be headed to Ypsilanti, MI, Pittsburgh, PA, Annapolis, MD, and New York City. The Madness will also be releasing some revamped versions of older tracks throughout the winter, starting with Honey (from my 2023 album, Honey Locust) in mid-November. Those releases will culminate in an EP, out in March, which will coincide with a spring tour. The full-length album will come out in the summer, and we’ll get out on the road to promote that one, too.