Melanie George: All The Way.

Melanie George launches On My Way at The Healer on Friday.

After twelve years of classical piano, Melanie George has honed her pop sensibilities and musical craft for the release of her debut EP On My Way. Coming from a musical family background, and ably backed by members of Gold Coast act Cheezecake, Melanie melds together a wave of influences from Fiona Apple to Portishead to create a distinctive and enticing sound all her own.

You come from a musical background. Do you think that’s been more an inspiration for you, or did you initially feel pushed towards music?

“When I was five, I nagged my parents’ day in and out for a year to buy me a piano. They held off for so long to make sure it was what I really wanted, and it’s always been that way. I think having so much music around me when I was young just made me aware that it’s the language that resonates with what’s going on inside of me.”

What was the first song you learned to play?

“Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. I had to play 4 different versions to rhythms like Busy Busy Stop Stop and How Do You Do Sir?”

What inspires you to write songs?

“Songs serve as a kind of catalyst for me. They come to visit when it’s time for change, either in my own life or in what’s going on around us. That’s why the EP is called On My Way. It’s about moving on, things passing, a sort of seasonal change. There’s so much pain and fear that people live in every day, I think music can offer some kind of understanding or alternative.”

What have been the musical highlights of your career so far?

“Playing the support for Deborah Conway and Diana Ah Naid was a definite highlight, and hearing Quickfix and doing interviews on Triple J and Triple M was pretty cool too. But one of the most awesome moments happened recently at a gig when people were singing along to one of my songs. It’s funny, but sometimes the ‘big’ things that happen come so quickly and can be so overwhelming they’re not as intense as something simple like that.

Beatles or Beethoven?

“Beatles, but this is purely a subjective answer. They both come close, but late classical/romantic music doesn’t do it for me like the earlier or later periods. If you asked me to choose between the Beatles and Bach or Bartok, I’d have a harder time deciding. The thing that strikes me most about the Beatles is their versatility.”