Today we’d like to introduce you to Melanie Valentine.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was born and raised in Port Arthur, Texas. To put it simply, I had a very rough childhood and was dirt poor. Academics and music were the only things I had going for me, and my dreams of becoming a musician were one of the only things that kept my spirits up. I ended up moving to Houston when I was right out of high school, and never looked back. I love Port Arthur, but I felt like a big fish in a very small pond. I needed to see what life outside of the hood was like.
Not long after I moved to Houston, I met who would become my very abusive ex-husband. He often discouraged me from pursuing music. We were together for almost six years, and, once that relationship ended, I vowed to myself that I would be successful. At the time, I didn’t just want success for myself and my happiness–I wanted to be successful to prove everyone who ever said I wouldn’t make it as a musician wrong.
I started out with a brief stint in the burlesque scene in Houston. I loved burlesque, and it gave me confidence to get on stage again after only performing dance and band throughout school. Then, I began to network and started performing music in early 2018. The alternative scene in Houston was fairly welcoming at the time, and I met people that really helped me understand the difference between being a hobbyist and being a successful music professional. I also did drag for a while, even pet play and adult modeling. I’m very theatrical as an artist, and just one medium isn’t usually enough for me to fully express myself.
From 2018 on, I experimented with different sounds and genres. I eventually started hosting my own events as well and connecting with many great people, one of which would go on to be a mentor for me of sorts.
After some major life changes, I ended up moving to Denton late last year.
Now, as I always have, I make music for people who have been through the ringer. I want my music to be a safe place to feel, to process, and to feel powerful enough to overcome whatever hardships life sends your way. I also am a big advocate for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking, and I want my music to reflect that. Some of my music does.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I would say that life has been about as smooth as Bonnie Brae in Denton is. (If you aren’t familiar, that road is very rough and is always under construction.)
Some of the struggles I’ve had along the way toward becoming a professional musician have been having unsupportive partners and not having the time or resources to dedicate myself to music. It takes money to make money, and when you’re too busy working in restaurants and retail to even have a healthy work/life balance, it seems impossible to keep walking down the road. Eventually, though, if you want something badly enough, you won’t let tough times keep you away from it forever. My epilepsy does try its best to get in the way of my career and my life, but I keep going.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a musician, visual artist, writer, and entrepreneur.
I specialize in music that’s very heartfelt and at times, aggressive. I would say I’m known for laying myself bare through my art. My art is very honest, and it can be very polarizing at times. Even if you don’t like what I have to say, odds are, you’ll remember it.
I’m most proud of developing a unique sound that I can truly call my own. A lot of alternative rap and rock is amazing, but there is a certain sameness that I hear at times, and I know I bring in something fresh. As for what sets me apart, it isn’t just my music. As grandiose as it sounds, I make my performances a unique experience, from the music to the personal nature of it, to my costuming. I say what others are afraid to say.
What were you like growing up?
As a child, I was very talkative. I often liked talking to adults more than other kids and often heard things like “you’re like a tiny 30-year-old,” which is really strange to say to a ten-year-old or a teenager. I was put in those gifted and talented programs, and they tried to skip me grades ahead based on these tests they would make us take. I guess you could say I was wise beyond my years, but I feel really pretentious even saying that. I was kind of odd and socially awkward, but I loved music, horror movies, reading, learning, art, and getting lost in media to try and escape my life at home. I always loved singing, writing, and drawing, and those were three hobbies that I carried into adulthood and turned into a career.
Once I entered my teen years, things became a lot worse at home, and I became very introverted. It took a few years for me to be sociable again after that time.
I was very hard-working in school and very studious.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/melanievalentine713
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/melanievalentine713?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/xoxomelanievalentineoxox/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/user/panecitaxbeso
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.app.goo.gl/pzNh6
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/album/3YB01CC1BSqetEjF4a7pmf?si=zZYpjXz3TnmnereIw1YG_Q&utm_source=copy-link
Image Credits
Wolfsink Photography
Salem Valentine
James Marshall Dolly
