Melanie Dyer is a rising star in Australian country music, captivating audiences with her irresistible blend of country and pop. In a recent interview, she opened up about her creative process, the inspiration behind her latest single ‘Had to Be There’, and the exciting plans for her upcoming East Coast tour.
Dyer’s musical journey has been marked by a series of accolades, including Golden Guitar nominations and an APRA Professional Development Award, all of which have contributed to her growing fanbase across the country.
Her single ‘Had to Be There’ gives its name to her upcoming tour, and in our interview she shares the story behind the track.
‘It stemmed from me not being able to explain a funny story and me being like, “You had to be there”. And then it just evolved into more of a relationship in the song, but it’s able to be fleshed out in different ways to different people, for their had-to-be-there moments.’
We also talk about Dyer as a co-writer for other artists – and the breadth of her work as such can be found in the Spotify playlist she made just for her co-writes. Of co-writing she says, ‘It’s great because I can avoid all my emotions and just tap into someone else’s!’
It will be Dyer’s songs for herself, however, that will be on the set list for her upcoming tour. Says Dyer, ‘It’s just going to be myself and my partner, Jackson. We’re doing it as a duo format, but with a twist. You think of duo acoustic and you think it’s just going to be like a couple of guitars or whatever. But this is actually a fully fleshed-out show and it’s got other elements that are layered in there … it’s quite a big show, even though it’s able to be performed in intimate venues.’
Dyer’s craft as a songwriter is at the core of everything she does, and the reason why her songs can be adapted to any sort of performance – including the Gympie Music Muster, where she plays on 25 August to kick off her tour. The rest of the dates are below – grab your tickets to see this masterful artist at work. You can watch our chat on YouTube (above), watch a snippet (also above) or listen on the podcast. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
Listen to Melanie Dyer on Apple Music
