Prepare to be captivated by the haunting soundscapes of Nashville-based artist Mel Denisse. Her music blends raw guitar grit with left-field pop, drifting between shoegaze and dream-pop to craft an ethereal experience for listeners in search of something truly out of the ordinary.
She picked up her father’s acoustic guitar at ten, started recording demos with simple home software, and by eighteen, had already joined a Myspace-era tour. Growing up between Florida and Turkey shaped both her sound and her sense of purpose, helping her define a unique style and follow her musical calling.
Mel cites Deftones, Tori Amos, and Failure as key influences. She pursues what she calls a “controlled collision.” “I like to Frankenstein a track,” she says. “If a heavy riff and a delicate melody look wrong together on paper, that’s exactly what pulls me in.”
Her previous releases have been featured on BBC Radio 1’s Alternative Show. In the studio, she has worked with Carlos de la Garza (Paramore, Best Coast), Ken Andrews (Paramore, M83), Micah Tawlks (Hayley Williams, Noah Kahan, Ashe), and her longtime producer, Stephen Laurenson. When she’s not making music, Mel can usually be found playing World of Warcraft or getting lost in fantasy novels.
Blurring the line between fantasy and emotion, Mel’s latest release, “Going Nowhere,” draws inspiration from Carissa Broadbent’s The Serpent & the Wings of Night. The song carries a nostalgic, reflective tone, delving into themes of survival through invisibility, loyalty versus self-preservation, and the uncertainty of moving forward without a clear destination.
Sonically, “Going Nowhere” unfolds over a steady yet hypnotic rhythm, revealing clear influences from Deftones and Garbage. Mel’s ethereal vocals glide through the track, lending it a dreamlike, almost ghostly presence. The drums deepen the atmosphere, resulting in something otherworldly, rare, and deeply personal.
Mel also released a stunning visualizer to accompany the song. The video mirrors the track’s otherworldly essence, bathed in moody blue tones and marked by inventive camera angles that capture its emotional depth. We see Mel singing inside a house, like a ghost longing for the life she once had, a lingering sense of sadness and solitude that perfectly mirrors the song’s message and mood.
Fantasy has always been woven into Mel Denisse’s music, a central force in her songwriting, particularly on her upcoming, highly anticipated EP, set for release in early 2026. For now, all we can do is wait to see what she conjures next.
