Mel Wiggins
Posted on 19th May 09 by Contributor | 
0
One of Northern Irelands best kept secrets is just about to release her debut EP My Brothers Keeper EP on April 26th. The EP has been tipped to be a huge success and Drop-d caught up with Mel to talk about the EP, her influences and what type of music gets under her skin. Mel Wiggins: Yes! Very [...]
One of Northern Irelands best kept secrets is just about to release her debut EP My Brothers Keeper EP on April 26th. The EP has been tipped to be a huge success and Drop-d caught up with Mel to talk about the EP, her influences and what type of music gets under her skin.
Photo by David Wiggins
Mel Wiggins: Yes! Very Excited…things are coming together nicely, and momentum is gathering. The EP is really a labour of love. I’ve been gigging around Belfast for over a year, but the songs have been taking shape for probably 2 or 3, so it really feels like we’ve been on a real journey. The four tracks on the EP are all quite different but hold the same themes of love and hope. We (myself, guitarist John Ryan, bassist Marty Timlin and drummer Peter Comfort – as well as string and brass session instrumentalists) recorded them with Declan Legge, of Big Space Studios in Newry. Declan is a top producers, and has that unique quality of being able to work out the way that an artist can hear the track sounding in their head. It’s been such a great experience working with him…
Drop-d: When you’re writing what do you take inspiration from?
MW: I find it hard to write obscure songs, songs that take a lot of time to work out what they are saying. I like that I am influenced by the writing styles of great folk writers, who are story-tellers. That’s the kind of music that draws me in when I’m listening, so I tend to sway to that type of songwriting really naturally. I love a good story, and I think my main inspiration is being able to convey stories of hope. There’s probably not enough of that going on in the music scene, hopefully I can find myself filling that gap a little bit.
It worries me that anyone can have a top ten hit with the right PR and styling.
Drop-d: Who were your childhood influences, musically? And was there anyone in your family that make you inspired you. I’ve read that you were forced into piano lessons by your folks but you didn’t like it…….
MW: I grew up in church, and was singing from no age, and my church was particularly musical. Most of my week was spent going to activities and lessons and practices revolving around music of some sort, so I got a head start in that way. I have always loved strong melody lines, and being in choirs helped me learn to pick out harmonies. I grew up listening to a lot of The Carpenters, Simon and Garfunkel and lots of motown. Even as a young girl, I was mesmerized by the perfection of Karen Carpenters voice…she was an epic singer, and I loved trying to sing along with her stuff. I tried my hand at piano, 2 or 3 times that I can remember, but I just didn’t have the discipline, although I regret not sticking it out. Although I taught myself chords later on in life, I’d love to be able to play more fluidly and not have to try so hard! It’s handy for writing songs, but I still don’t have the guts to play it at gigs. I tried to play flute in high school, which was a disaster – I couldn’t get my breath control right and almost fainted in class several times!
Drop-d: Who are your influences from current music?
MW: Again, I’m a sucker for a good story-teller, so local artists like Foy Vance have been a big influence. I love the soul in his stuff, his writing is so provocative. I also really love pop/country cross over artists like the Dixie Chicks and Mindy Smith. I have listening to lots of Ray Lamontagne andJohn Mayer lately, I love that artists are so undefined in their genres lately…there’s such a great country/pop/soul fusion going on.
Drop-d: What are the plans for promoting the EP?
MW: Well, I’m booking for gigs at the minute, and hoping to arrange a few collaborations with musician friends. I’d love to tour with the EP, even if it was just a week down south. I also used to live in London and have a lot of support for my music over there, so there are some plans to have a London-based EP launch in the next month or two. I’m going to be getting the EP into the hands of some local radio DJ’s and hopefully get some air-time as well.
Drop-d: Is there a long term plan for you Mel or do you prefer to take things as they come?
MW: Well, music is my moonlighting job at the minute, but it is definitely something I would love to pursue on a full time basis, providing I had the right team around me to help make that happen. I’m happy to keep pushing whatever doors are around and seeing what happens…the EP is a bit of an experiment in that way. 
Drop-d: What kind of music gets under your skin? Is there anything out there at the moment that you just cannot bear to listen to?
MW: I appreciate most music, although it’s hard not to be frustrated when you are breaking your back to write quality songs and have integrity with your music and you hear a lot of songs getting recognised that have very little substance or backbone…I love pop music, but it worries me that anyone can have a top ten hit with the right PR and styling…it kills the mystery of ‘making it’ really.
Drop-d: Are you much of a gig goer? Anyone we should be keeping an eye on? Will you be hitting up any of the festivals over the summer, both as a performer and as a fan?
MW: I am definitely a gig goer…I have made a lot of friends being out and about on the local gig scene. I met Gentry Morris and Eilidh Patterson on a song-writing weekend last year, and they are both fantastic song-writers and really lovely people. I think they are both working on their albums and doing a good bit of gigging at the minute. The band and I are playing at the Forfey Festival in Fermanagh this August, which should be great. We’ve never been before, but I’ve heard only good stuff about it.
Drop-d: What’s next for Mel Wiggins?
MW: Well, we are just going to keep plugging the EP as much as possible. There are a couple of newer tracks that we’ve been working on that are really strong that we might look to record and add to the EP as a 2nd edition at some stage…who knows! I am really loving this at the minute, so as long as I feel that way, I’m going to be around!