Melanie Gray is a singer-songwriter from Darwin, NT, who recently released the single ‘Drive Slow’, which debuted at number 4 on the iTunes Country songs chart. Although Gray has songwriting accolades on her own – with shortlistings in the Australian Songwriting Competition – this country-pop track was written with the ever-popular Gina Jeffreys and newcomer Max Jackson. It was produced by Rod and Jeff McCormack, with Rod playing all the instruments on the track.
The accompanying video was filmed in the Northern Territory. ‘I want to do my bit for Territory Tourism, with the film clip,’ says Gary. ‘I’m a cheerleader for the Territory and I want people to wonder where that place is and to want to come visit.’
While the song is intended to be a great addition to a road-trip playlist, it also has a more serious message: ‘The song is also about taking your relationship slow,’ says Gray. ‘Even just dating people in this day and age comes with certain conventions you’re supposed to follow. We live in a world where everyone wants everything right now and has access to whatever they want over apps. It’s hard enough navigating it all as adult let alone the pressures often felt by teenagers to be liked and accepted. The song is about stepping out of the formalities of best behaviours, dinner dates and hook-ups to taking your time to get to know someone within a healthy comfort zone – why not take off on an amazing adventure together and explore the great outdoors?’
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