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BIOGRAPHY
Raised in Maple Ridge, British Columbia near Vancouver, Madeline Merlo spent her childhood riding horses with a natural playground of the ocean, woods, mountains, waterfalls, and glaciers as a backdrop. The setting contributed to her musical influence of Motown, Soul, Rhythm & Blues as well as Country music’s strong female voices, listening to artists like Etta James and Aretha Franklin as well as Shania Twain, Dolly, Martina McBride and Faith Hill.
A lyric-driven artist, Merlo zeroed in on building her own immediately recognizable sound. Blending fresh and cool melodies with catchy, relatable lyrics that’s balanced out with traditional instruments like the steel, dobro, and banjo, her “sound” pays homage to where she grew up, while delicately layering iridescent beats with her classic roots.
After being discovered on YouTube and signed to a record label at only 18, radio success, tour dates and awards quickly followed, and she was honored with the Canadian Country Music Association’s Rising Star Award in 2015.
Then in 2020, she won the season two premiere episode of the NBC songwriting reality series Songland, penning the upbeat and infectious “Champagne Night” for Lady A. The song was a three-week No. 1 that opened doors in Nashville, led to a record deal with BBR Music Group and won Merlo (along with her “Champagne Night” co-writers) the 2021 Canadian Country Music Association Award for Songwriter of the Year.
“Growing up, I never won any competitions,” the award-winning singer/songwriter recalls smiling. “I was always cast in the chorus, so when I won Songland, I was floored! But I think that has a lot to do with my work ethic. It wasn’t all on a platter for me. I’ve always had that spirit of something to prove. Even when things are going great, I still have that fire – I always have.”
Following her monumental win - and fast forward to 2022 – Merlo has signed a record deal with BBR Music Group and will release her vibrant four-track EP Slide on September 23.
Wanting to be a source of light in a dark world, Merlo’s upcoming new music doesn’t come without a deeper message. “I’m really passionate about the female characters in my songs,” Merlo explained. “I want her to be strong, brave, and honest. More importantly, I want her to be powerful.”
Produced by Zach Crowell, who has written and/or produced numerous hits for Carrie Underwood, Sam Hunt and Dustin Lynch as well as Keith Urban, Luke Bryan and Dierks Bentley, the EP captivates with songs that pluck emotional chords with traditional instruments layered over beguiling arrangements.
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