Melissa McClelland Canadian singer and songwriter Date of Birth: 01.01.1979 Country: Canada

1. American-Born Canadian Singer-Songwriter
2. Early Life and Career
3. Collaborative Performances
4. Album Releases
5. Continued Success and "Victoria Day"

American-Born Canadian Singer-Songwriter

Melissa McClelland is an American-born Canadian singer-songwriter who spent her teenage years in Hamilton, Ontario, and is now based in Toronto. Her music is heavily influenced by blues and traditional American roots music.

Early Life and Career

McClelland was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1979. She spent her early childhood in Burlington, Ontario, before her career took her to Toronto. On June 24, 2006, she married Canadian musician Luke Doucet, lead singer and guitarist for the band Furnitureroom. They have frequently shared the stage, including at the 2003 Calgary Folk Music Festival. Doucet has produced three of McClelland's releases: "Stranded in Suburbia," "Thumbelina's One Night Stand," and "Victoria Day."

Collaborative Performances

In 2006, McClelland opened for Matthew Good's solo acoustic tour, and the two artists performed a duet cover of Nine Inch Nails' "Hurt" during the tour. The following year, McClelland opened for Jesse Cook and sang backing vocals on his rendition of Bob Dylan's "It Ain't Me Babe" for his 2007 album "Frontiers." The duet peaked at number one on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart for three weeks. Also in 2007, McClelland's song "Passenger 24" won the award for Best Americana Song at the 6th Annual Independent Music Awards. She has also provided backing vocals for Sarah McLachlan's live shows, and McLachlan appeared on the track "Go Down Matthew" from McClelland's album "Thumbelina's One Night Stand."

Album Releases

McClelland released "Stranded in Suburbia" on the Orange Record Label in 2004, followed by a live album "Ladybird Sideshow Live at the Orange Lounge" with her band Ladybird Sideshow in the same year. Her next album, "Thumbelina's One Night Stand," was released in 2006. Critics noted its eclectic and genre-hopping nature, incorporating country ("Taxi Ride"), folk ("Dayton Ohio"), blues ("Go Down Matthew"), and baroque pop ("Solitary Life").

Continued Success and "Victoria Day"

In late 2008, McClelland began working on her fourth album, "Victoria Day," her first for the Six Shooter Records label. It was released on April 14, 2009, and recorded at Canterbury Music with Jeremy Darby and again produced by Luke Doucet. "Victoria Day" features a vintage 1950s sound with elements of Dixieland. The song "Seasoned Lovers" from the album includes a guest appearance from Canadian singer-songwriter Ron Sexsmith.