Known on stage as her alter ego Melotika, Mel Yelle is redefining what it is to be an electro-pop artist. Also referred to as non-commercial Retro Pop, her sound is heavily influenced by artists such as Tool’s Maynard James Keenan, Madonna, Evanescence, Metric, Portishead, Silversun Pickups, and music of the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Blending eclectic and stimulating sounds with carefully crafted, infectious, dance-able tunes, she stands for self-confidence and embraces individuality. Her lyrics are always laced with a deeper meaning, and her music offers a form of escapism for anyone who feels confused or alone.
In the past four years Melotika performed several live shows in Toronto, and toured Canada’s East Coast, Montreal, Ottawa, and British Columbia. She performed in popular Toronto venues including The Mod Club, The Hideout, The Piston and Hard Luck Bar and performed on radio stations such as 105.9 FM the Region in Ontario and 101.5 FM The Wolf in Peterborough.
Currently, she is focused on promoting her upcoming EP Dancing Without You, which has been released in several singles throughout 2021: 'Beautiful Disguise,’ ‘Crazy,’ ‘Dancing Without You’ and ‘Tangled Hearts.’ The full concept EP is expected for an official release on September 17th. 2021.
M: This question is always so hard to answer because as far as I can remember, music has always been a big part of my life. When I look back at my childhood and adolescence, the memories that stand out the most to me are what my favorite tunes were at the time, and which artists inspired me throughout the years. Through my most difficult times, music was my only escape and place where I felt sane. It just made sense.
M: This year I released 4 Retro, Synth-Pop and Disco inspired singles along with 2 B-sides that lead up to a New-Retro Pop EP called "Dancing Without You" (Out Sep 17). Each of these new releases express true turbulent emotions I've felt in my late teens and early 20's and what brought me into making music. It is sort of like my open diary letting my fans get to know me. The latest single is "Tangled Hearts", released on August 3rd, and it has a more Bubble Gum Pop sound. The song reminds us of youth, turbulent love, and femininity. It is inspired by a poem I wrote called "Flowers" which ended up as the B-side for Tangled Hearts. The music video featured a Melotika universe with invented quirky characters and some throwbacks from some of my older music videos.