Toronto based singer and songwriter Melissa Lauren has smoothly made the transition from veteran swing “crooness” to songwriter. The music – her own brand of old school jazz,  Doo-wop and blues mixed with indie pop inflections and sounds....very much a product of her early musical training meeting her adult musical encounters.

The singer’s love for swing and jazz music began when she started performing with the Toronto All-Star Big Band; she continued singing with them until 2004. She had the opportunity to work with and open for many wonderful musicians; Jeff Healey, Gordon Lightfoot, Renee Lee, Henry Questa, Tommy Ambrose, Peter Appleyard, Buddy DiFranco, Jackie Richardson, and Clark Terry to name a few.

Melissa’s debut album, The Other Side, was released in March 2012 to great review. A collection of original compositions, the music was produced by Eric St-Laurent, paying tribute to the jazz and swing sounds that shaped the singer’s musical style.

Melissa’s latest album, Your Mess was released in October 2016 to quick charting and radio play across Canada. Melissa debuts a slightly edgier and mature sound on the new project. After spending early adulthood immersed in the Toronto club scene, and working with DJs, producers and different Indie pop bands, Melissa widened her repertoire venturing into non-jazz territory in her songwriting.  Her music has taken her on several cross-Canada tours and she is gearing up for a Europe tour in 2017.

The album also debuted Melissa as a producer and worked in conjunction with the band to create a vibe. The outcome is a quirky, more playful sound that tests an interesting balance of darker harmonies and more theatrical grooves, coupled with the singer’s signature delicate word inflections. 

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