“There’s no place like home” sings Juno Award winning
singer-songwriter Melanie Doane on “Ruby Slippers”, the opening track
from her new album THE EMERALD CITY, out March 1 on iTunes
internationally. While a Wizard of Oz theme is apparent, Melanie isn’t
channeling her inner Dorothy on this fresh set of pop-rock gems. “The
Emerald City is an image we all know,” says Doane. “It means different
things to different people, but ultimately it's the only image I know of
that embodies disenchantment and hope at the same time. It's the
shattering of something you believe in, but somehow optimism remains.
That’s where I’m coming from with these songs.”
THE EMERALD CITY follows 2008’s critically-acclaimed A THOUSAND
NIGHTS, an album inspired by Melanie’s experiences with motherhood and
featuring an assortment of original tunes and classic covers re-arranged
as lullabies. That album generated prominent song placements in hit
shows like CBC’s Being Erica and CBS’s Flashpoint, and celebrated
Melanie’s softer side musically and lyrically. In contrast, THE EMERALD
CITY feels like a return to form, recalling the edgier style of her
breakthrough Gold-selling record ADAM’S RIB while tactfully showcasing
Melanie’s multifaceted skills as a vocalist, songwriter, and
multi-instrumentalist (she plays guitar, violin, piano, ukulele,
mandolin, and bass). “I had more to say this time around, so it's nice
to have a place to say it,” affirms Doane.
The “more” she’s referring to are the changes she’s faced over the
past few years. Having embarked on a new side project as a music
educator while continuing to tour and write songs, the recently
separated mom is busier than ever and putting it all into her creative
work. “My life has been changing considerably, and like all moms, it's a
bit of a balancing act. Nevertheless, music still remains at the centre
of everything I do and [I feel] this album showcases that. I'm grateful
to continue to have my music as an outlet.”
Artfully produced by her drummer and brother Creighton Doane, THE
EMERALD CITY is an emotional journey, chronicling love lost and an
understanding of self gained. A witty songwriter who skillfully employs a
“less is more” approach to her craft, Doane finds new and interesting
ways to incorporate familiar images and phrases into her most personal
work to date. The verses of “The Stupider I Am” recount the simple
things we learn growing up (“Eat when you’re hungry/When you’re tired,
close your eyes”), while its chorus cleverly asserts ownership of one’s
missteps (“The more I know, the stupider I am”). “Disaster Waiting to
Happen” finds Melanie comparing personal crisis with that of famous
tragedies (“I’m the Titanic, just before the ice/I’m Romeo and
Juliet/I’m a disaster waiting to happen/But I can’t see it yet”), while
the album closer “Make God Laugh” is about relinquishing attempts to
control fate and accepting the present as reality. (“My only sorrow/My
only true regret/Living for tomorrow/One day I’ll never get”)
The product of a musical family, Halifax-born Doane has spent a large
portion of the last fifteen years on the road supporting her numerous
solo albums. While her debut album SHAKESPEAREAN FISH received critical
praise and garnered a loyal following, the release of ADAM’S RIB in 1998
brought Melanie's music to a mainstream audience. With a running theme
that is best described as a “delving dichotomy”, ADAM’S RIB brilliantly
showcases Melanie’s flair as both an instrumentalist and songwriter,
featuring punchy-relevant lyrics laced with strong musical wit. What
followed the albums release is nothing short of extraordinary: multiple
top 40 singles, a Juno Award for Best New Artist, a Canadian Radio Award
for Most Charted Rock Artist, over 200 shows in Canada and the U.S.
with the likes of Jann Arden, Sarah McLachlan's "Lilith Fair", and Great
Big Sea, and a Gold record award.
Since ADAM’S RIB, Melanie has pursued her career independent of the
label system. In 2001, she recorded and released the fan cherished
MELVIN LIVE, an album showcasing her energetic and diverse live show.
Her third studio album YOU ARE WHAT YOU LOVE followed in 2003, preceded
by the lead single “Still Desire You”, which spanned multiple formats
and eventually went Top 5. A THOUSAND NIGHTS followed in 2008, preceded
by the albums lead single "Songbird" with Jim Cuddy which reached Top 5
on the iTunes Country singles chart. To date, Doane has written seven
chart topping singles across various formats in Canada.
Between raising kids and making records, Melanie has managed to tour
in support of each album, write songs for various artists, play as a
side man on several albums, have her music featured on hit television
shows like Brothers and Sisters, Being Erica, Flashpoint, and Buffy the
Vampire Slayer, and travel across Canada and the U.S. (in 2007, 2008,
and 2010) on the CPR Holiday train - playing 60 shows in less than a
month while raising money for local food banks. She was also recently
commissioned by Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton to write and record a song
celebrating 20 years of Women’s Bobsleigh in Canada and was invited to
perform the song (“Here on Top of the World”) at the F.I.B.T World Cup
in November.
With the release of THE EMERALD CITY, Melanie will continue doing
what she loves – making great music. “I'm in a better place creatively
than I have been for a long time. I'm excited to be promoting this new
album and I'm looking forward to writing and planning for the next one.”