Inspired #139 - Melissa Bel
Rising singer-songwriter angel Melissa Bel shines like a star with new single ‘Can’t Go Home’ - the track combines a unique mix of folk-pop and country to create a landing strip for her powerful vocals to lift off from. She took a moment to talk to us about the power of Aretha Franklin, and the inspirations behind the track.
Who are your top three musical inspirations?
The Beatles - I grew up listening to them and it was the first music I truly fell in love with. I started learning to play their songs on guitar, and some of those chord progressions began making their way into my own songs. I’m inspired by their songwriting, their harmonies, their ingenuity, and they’re still my favourite band now.
Aretha Franklin - Aretha was one of my first introductions to soul music as a young kid. Her voice and songs moved me in a way I hadn’t yet experienced, and she influenced the way I sing. Seeing that she played her own instrument and was a songwriter was also really inspiring for me.
John Mayer - When I first heard Continuum, I felt like it was the soundtrack to my life at that moment, and his next couple of albums felt the same way. I’m a huge fan of his songwriting, his turn of phrase, and how well he does different genres from pop to blues to country.
Is there a certain film that inspires you?
I was quite inspired by A Star is Born and actually wrote a song after I saw it. Emotions run so high throughout that story, and I was really taken by the unconditional, yet tragic love the lead characters have for each other.
What city do you find the most inspiring?
I currently live in the country but I’ve always been drawn to the buzz of big cities and get inspired by almost every one I visit. I fall in love with them in this weird, almost obsessive way. Toronto, London and L.A. in particular.
Who is the most inspiring person to you?
Impossible to pick just one, but my friend Kate comes to mind. She has been one my biggest supporters since we met when we were 14, and she inspires me all the time by being one of the best humans I’ve ever known. No matter what she’s going through or how hard her day has been, she’s always putting others ahead of herself. She’s helped me become a better person and makes me want to keep being better.
What were your inspirations when writing the track?
When I wrote this song years ago, I was a bit lost. My parents had split up a few years earlier and I was still working through the emotions of that. But really I didn’t want to deal with those emotions, I wanted to run from them, so I guess this song is one big metaphor about that.
How would you like to inspire people?
I want to inspire people to persevere, even (especially) when people tell you that you can’t, you shouldn’t. I haven’t yet found the success that I always imagined I’d have by this point in my life, and I think about quitting A LOT, but something always keeps me going.