Melanie Devaney, Epworth, IA
Country girl or City Girl, Devaney is comfortable just about anywhere as long as her environment doesn't include sippy cups, mini-vans or soccer leagues. Equally at home on stage as she is sleeping in her car, Devaney likens herself to a 21st-Century female Jack Keuroac, traversing the country in search of adventure and good music-making. Originally from a small Eastern Iowa town, Devaney initially figured her only choice was to sing about gun racks and rabid dogs, but she soon discovered that with delving into the world of rural came an unfortunate (and smelly) pricetag: namely animal carcasses and manure.
Redefining herself, and drawing on her sophisticated education in Classical Music, English Literature and Creative writing, Devaney has found herself writing more and more songs along the likes of Sheryl Crow, Shelby Lynne and Tift Merritt. Best described as Folk-Rock Americana, Pop (it rolls right off the tongue), the strength of Melanie's music lies in her ability to create melodic twists that stay in your head for weeks. Drawing heavily on poetry techniques and relying on her background in creative writing, Melanie's songs are snippets of stories and images that take listeners to new places. An artist who's not afraid to wear her heart on her sleeve, Melanie often recounts past experiences and relationships in her songs -- something both women and men can relate to. As one listener put it, "Listening to Melanie is like having an organic picnic in an inner city park."
