Melanie Devaney
Los Angeles, California, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2006 | SELF
Music
Press
An Epworth native has been named to Music Connection's Top 100 Live & Unsigned Acts list.
Melanie Devaney has been pursuing her passion for music for the last six years. The Americana singer/songwriter i says that this new recognition will help increase her exposure and further her aspirations.
"What's very exciting about this is that it comes from fan and venue evaluations," Devaney said. She currently resides in Hollywood, Calif. "When you get something like that, it increases your credibility."
Devaney stated that the bluesy, rock, folk genre that is Americana is suitable to her upbringing. The musician has traveled a lot over the years to several states and countries. When she needs inspiration, she often pulls from her Iowa roots.
"Iowa is very open, very pastoral," she said. "That space allows a lot of creative freedom. The state has been known for being exceptionally honest.
"The people don't put on airs. It's definitely translated in the songs that I write."
Over the years, Devaney has traveled back and forth between California and Iowa, returning home for holidays and playing in concerts. She has already planned an appearance near home for May of this year and is working on a new album.
"This definitely opens doors for more things," she said. "When you get an award, it's not like you're done. You're always looking forward." - Dyersville Commercial
Melanie Devaney and her music are a warm spring wind after a long grueling Midwest winter where you breathe a sigh of relief that life still has some sweetness." - Denny Garcia, Midwest Music Makers
Melanie Devaney and her music are a warm spring wind after a long grueling Midwest winter where you breathe a sigh of relief that life still has some sweetness." - Denny Garcia, Midwest Music Makers
Los Angeles based Melanie Devaney is a real gem. At times country, at times pop, she's like a mix of Carole King and Emmy Lou Harris with confessional lyrics and heartfelt music to spare. - San Diego Kensington News
Last Friday’s show opened with Melanie Devaney, an Iowaborn singer-songwriter who’s now based in Hollywood. Enthusiastic and attractive, Devaney brings a friendly presence to the stage.
Devaney writes from her own personal experiences; her songs cover such topics as the lost art of letter writing (“Waiting Patiently”) and a bittersweet tale of falling in love while accompanying a friend to a family funeral (“Road to Greenville”).
She departed from her own material to sing an effectively folk-flavored version of John Lennon’s Beatles classic “Don’t Let Me Down.” - Thousand Oaks Acorn
Discography
Cadillac Daddy - 2006
Happy, Lucky, Lost & Free, (EP) - 2008
Happy, Lucky, Lost & Free (Full Album), produced by Ted Wulfers - 2011
Single Subject Notebook, produced by Jamie Candiloro - 2014
Photos
Bio
Melanie Devaney's music is like an organic picnic in a city park. A combination of folk-rock, Americana and Pop, her lyrics are heavily influenced by nature images, but her melodies and chord structures invoke a more cosmopolitan flair. In an age when most female singer-songwriters rely on a sense of bitterness and brazenness to get their music across to fans, Devaney is not afraid to wear her heart on her sleeve and show a female tenderness. Dynamic vocals and an incredible ability to communicate to her audience, however, demonstrate her internal strength and commitment to her art. She has entertained audiences at Tucson Folk Festival, Cheyenne Frontier Days, the Midwest Old Threshers Reunion, Kimball Arts Festival and the Sturgis, South Dakota Black Hills Bike Rally.
"An Iowa native who lives in Los Angeles, Melanie Devaney is a small-town girl with a flair for writing and singing earthy songs that smartly draw from folk, country and rock. Armed with a degree in creative writing and years of classical piano training, she’s a promising young artist whose unaffected music is delivered with a welcome absence of fuss. If her live shows match her arresting new album, “Single Subject Notebook” (which was expertly produced by Ryan Adams veteran Jamie Candiloro), Devaney should be worth catching."
George Varga ~ San Diego Tribune
Band Members
Links
