3 More Days!

For the past month, I've been enlisting the help of fans, friends & family through Kickstarter to shoot my 1st music video. The month has flown by & we've got 3 more days to reach the goal of $6,500! We're close, but not quite there yet... 


I'm abundantly blessed by the outpouring of support I've received. I'm humbled. I'm grateful. I'm blown away.


If you can rub a few pennies together (100 to be exact), I'd LOVE your support. Every single dollar makes a HUGE difference. I'm a believer in "death by a thousand cuts" - $1, $5, $15 increments really add up! I'd also LOVE to send you digital downloads of my new music just for pledging. Check out the great "backer rewards" below and please Pledge Here by March 31st! 

PLEDGE $5 OR MORE

Pre-released digital download of the single, "Money, Money, Money" just for pledging!

 2 BACKERS

PLEDGE $15 OR MORE

Digital download of Melissa's EP, Crazy Dream, once it's released + pre-released digital download of the single, "Money, Money, Money!"

 7 BACKERS

PLEDGE $25 OR MORE

Pre-released digital download of Melissa's EP, Crazy Dream!

 8 BACKERS

PLEDGE $50 OR MORE

Pre-released digital download of Melissa's EP, Crazy Dream + 3 bonus tracks (not available to the public)!

 8 BACKERS

PLEDGE $75 OR MORE

Unlock a special section of Melissa's website & watch the music video before it's released + get access to behind-the-scenes clips from the making of the EP & the music video! You'll also get the pre-released digital download of Melissa's EP, Crazy Dream + 3 bonus tracks (not available to the public)!

 0 BACKERS

PLEDGE $100 OR MORE

Personalized & autographed CD + DVD of the music video & behind-the-scenes footage! You can unlock a special section of Melissa's website & watch the music video before it's released + get access to behind-the-scenes clips from the making of the EP & the music video! You'll also get the pre-released digital download of Melissa's EP, Crazy Dream + 3 bonus tracks (not available to the public)!

 6 BACKERS

PLEDGE $250 OR MORE

LIMITED REWARD     7 of 10 remaining

You & a guest are invited to an exclusive VIP party at a gorgeous estate outside of Nashville!* The night will be filled with great food & drinks, an acoustic concert by Melissa & the premiere of the music video! You can unlock a special section of Melissa's website & watch the music video before it's released (after the premiere party) + get access to behind-the-scenes clips from the making of the EP & the music video! You'll receive a personalized & autographed CD + DVD of the music video & the pre-released digital download of Melissa's EP, Crazy Dream + 3 bonus tracks (not available to the public)! *Travel and/or transportation is not included.

 3 BACKERS

PLEDGE $500 OR MORE

LIMITED REWARD     1 of 5 remaining

Star in the music video!* We'll create a character just for you! Make your film debut + you'll get a customized "deleted scenes" segment featuring you & Melissa. Hey, it's not everyday you get to be in a music video! You & a guest are also invited to an exclusive VIP party at a gorgeous estate outside of Nashville!* The night will be filled with great food & drinks, an acoustic concert by Melissa & the premiere of the music video! You can unlock a special section of Melissa's website & watch the music video before it's released (after the premiere party) + get access to behind-the-scenes clips from the making of the EP & the music video! You'll receive a personalized & autographed CD + DVD of the music video & the pre-released digital download of Melissa's EP, Crazy Dream with 3 bonus tracks (not available to the public)! *Travel and/or transportation is not included.

 4 BACKERS

    
Pretty Please & Thank You... with a cherry on top :)

Money, Money, Money: The Music Video for Cube Dwellers

You can learn more about my music video at Kickstarter. I hope you'll consider supporting this project! In exchange for donations, the backer rewards are cool - pre-released digital download of my EP, passes to a VIP premiere party, you can even star in the video! Every dollar helps! 


I can't wait to share my new music with each of you!

Beautiful Girl

It’s always been interesting to me how situations or topics have a way of weaving themselves through life. Call it serendipity or even fate but I believe there is reason why these reoccurring themes evolve into a thread that binds our story together. A good friend, songwriter and teacher, Kris Bergsnes, gave me an unforgettable analogy once. He was comparing the notion of “practice makes perfect” to art of crafting a song. He said that life happens and as songwriters, we write about it – but sometimes in the moment of the emotion, no matter how passionate we feel about the topic, the song doesn’t manifest into the masterpiece we’d envisioned. So, we move on and keep writing. The idea becomes buried in the recesses of our mind. Weeks, months, even years can go by and eventually, if its significant, the idea and the emotion surrounding it surfaces. Practice makes perfect because when the time is right, when our perspective has shifted just enough, we take that idea or the line or the concept and turn into something greater.

A few months ago, my sister called to tell me that a close family friend had been hospitalized. We headed to Vanderbilt that evening and much to our surprise learned that our friend hadn’t eaten for almost 3 weeks. She’d been anorexic for most of her teenage years and we never knew it. She told us how angry she was that her life had been displaced because of her eating disorder – how it had controlled her and ruined her “best years.” She’d bounced from hospital to treatment facility to private school to home school and just when she thought life was finally “normal” again, she relapsed. She laid in that hospital bed, hooked to a feeding tube, unable to change her situation.

My heart broke. I climbed into her story – replaying the things we’d talked about, trying to figure out why or how this could happen to such a sweet, kind-hearted and beautiful girl. I think most women can relate to the pressures we internalize about our bodies, image, and self-esteem. In one way or another, we never quite feel pretty enough or thin enough or perfect enough to just accept the way we’ve been created and be happy.

Being skinny had always been an inconvenience for me – an open wound that became easily irritated by a snide remark or someone trying to give me a compliment in a backward kind of way. I didn’t weigh 100 lbs until I was a senior in high school and had been accused of being anorexic or bulimic since the 1^st grade. In Jr. High, my mom would pick me up for lunch so I didn’t have to deal with the taunting. She’d take me to Dairy Queen and I’d order malted milkshakes in a futile attempt to bulk-up. It didn’t work. To add insult to injury, I was so small and my legs were so long that the only two options for pants were Wranglers (the kind without pockets) and the homemade kind.

It’s all quite comical in retrospect but I spent too much of my adolescence crying and wishing I could gain weight or be beautiful like the other girls. I didn’t comprehend the devastating affects of an actual eating disorder until much later in life. As bad as I thought having a high metabolism was, I was far too naïve to understand what the pressure to be thin had caused women around the world (and some of the dearest women in my life) to do to their bodies.

When I moved to Nashville, the church I was attending had a special section of pews for a group of girls from Mercy Ministries. I took an interest in the non-profit and read the founders memoir, Echoes of Mercy. The book detailed the lives of several young women who’d endured years of sexual abuse or drug addiction or an eating disorder and often times, all the above. However, each of the women overcame their darkest realities. Through faith, they came to believe there was a purpose for their lives and that they were beautiful. I was deeply moved by their stories – for the first time, I could grasp the emotional complexity and severity of an eating disorder. It broke my heart. So, I wrote about it. The song never materialized but the sentiment never left me.

My friend was transferred from Vanderbilt to a treatment facility specializing in eating disorders. A few days before she left, I was writing with JP Williams and told him her story. My perspective had shifted just enough to take the idea – a thread that had been woven through my life – and with JP’s help, turn it into something greater. We wrote this for Elise and for all of the beautiful girls in the world. 

New Bio (Minus the Brag)

My entire life I’ve hated to talk about myself – you know, the shameless promotion kind of conversations – “I do this and I’ve done that and you might recognize me from…” gag. It’s safe to admit that I’ve pretty much despised every bio I’ve ever had because of the general concept – pack as much self-exploiting content that screams ME, ME, ME, into the fewest amount of paragraphs possible. This isn’t that kind of story.


I like chronology & organized thoughts, so I put together a Get To Know Me in 5 Bullet Points or Less introduction (adapted from a previous feature on this blog):

1. My name is Melissa. Hi. I’m an artist (the musical kind), songwriter, cowgirl hippie, Martha Stewart wanna be, Wyoming native (hopefully the cowgirl hippie part makes sense now), self-proclaimed gourmet chef (only when I follow the recipe), gardener, fashionista, bookworm & I find most children, dogs and costume parties irresistible.
2. I live in Nashville. I create music I love – it’s my job.
3. My family is amazing & they introduced me to practically every type of music (expect for the “inappropriate” kinds) growing up. More on that later. Yes, I’m foreshadowing.
4. I spent my summers as a teenager traveling around the western fair & rodeo circuit performing. I had the privilege of opening for several incredible artists & bands that I admire. They shaped me, stretched me & inspired me to do what I do. Even more, I love genuine, honest, hardworking people & if you’re not sure they still exist, go to a county fair. They’re there.
5. I’ve recently recorded an EP. It’s been over 3 years in the making. I’ve had the awesome privilege of working with Chad Carlson (home boy’s got skillz) & we’ve created something REALLY exciting & different & completely me!

At a young age, I knew I wanted to be a singer & live in Nashville when I grew up. Coming from Wyoming, the thought of sharing a zip code with Garth Brooks & signing my first record deal while wearing a diamond studded belt-buckle the size of a license plate was really exciting. Fast-forward a decade; I’m in Nashville and interning for a big-time producers publishing company. But all that glitters is not gold. I was living out Paula Coles' song, “Where Have All the Cowboys Gone.” It was complete hypocrisy. I was 99% more “country” than anyone getting a record deal but because my voice sounds more like melted butter than trailer tin, I kept hearing, “you’re stuff is really pop” or “if you’re from Wyoming, why don’t have an accent?” News flash: Only people from the South have Southern accents. The rest of em' are fakin' it. What a concept, y'all.


As confused and frustrated that the “not country enough” notion made me, it also pushed me out of my comfort zone. Just because I’d been playing and writing country music for the last 7 years didn’t necessarily mean it was what defined me. I grew up singing in church which parlayed into voice lessons and jazz music and national competitions and rodeo gigs. The more I thought about it, just because I was from the ol’ west didn’t mean I was destined to sound like it. I had such a rich upbringing of incredible music – everything from the Glenn Miller Orchestra to Nat King Cole, ZZ Top to Chris LeDoux, Bonnie Raitt, Elton John, Queen and the list goes on.


I hated the notion of being locked up in a musical box. It’s been liberating to not care if I fit into the “radio” mold, sound like what’s popular right now, or if my lyrics are too sophisticated for the audience. In my post-dream haze, Nashville has blossomed into an incredible, stylistically open & creative incubator. I’d never of met the co-writers, musicians and friends that have helped shaped my music anywhere else. So, I’ll let you decide what stylistic box to put me in. In the meantime, I’ll keep writing, playing out & doing my thing.

Vote for your favorite picture!

I'm guilty of assuming that everyone in the world is on facebook. In case you didn't know, I've got a facebook fan page & my day to day updates, pictures & videos live there. Almost a week ago, I posted 5 pictures from my latest photo shoot. I asked all of my fans to vote for best image by "liking" their favorite picture. The winning shot will be used to promote my first single off the EP!


If this is news to you, I want your help too! If you're on facebook & we're not friends, please change that! You can find me at www.facebook.com/themelissafuller. Click "like" to become a fan of my page and then check out the photo gallery or just go to this link to vote:


Vote now by "liking" your favorite image!


If you're not on facebook, that's okay too. Go to the link above & look through the pictures. Pick your favorite & leave a comment (describing the picture) here. Or, ask a friend that's already on facebook to vote for you! I'll be announcing the winning picture after the holidays! Thanks for your help & Merry Christmas!

Just for fun - one of the many B-roll shots from the photo shoot!

Decisions Decisions

Have you ever had a really tough decision to make? Each day, you stumble upon a conflicting conclusion. As the opinions pile in, you feel like a pinball machine – like that metal ball bouncing off the obstacles. I’ve felt like that lately. Between picking out pictures from the photo shoot to taking the 6 incredible songs on my EP and choosing a single, I'm going crazy! We’re less than a month away from releasing the first single and shooting a music video. Selecting 1 song is like choosing a favorite flavor of ice cream & having to eat it for the rest of my life. Not to mention the fact that so much is riding on this decision…like my future, the forward projection of my career, if I’ll “make it” as an artist. Okay, I’ll admit, I’m a bit dramatic. 

I had a completely surreal & once in a lifetime experience a few years ago. I was with a dear friend, Billy Joe Shaver, taking him from appointment to appointment while he was in Nashville promoting his latest record “Everybody’s Brother.” Billy wanted to stop by Cowboy Jack Clement's studio and catch up. When we arrived at the studio, Cowboy was nowhere to be found but through the speakers in his office we heard what sounded like a duet with Johnny Cash. We stood there in silence, just listening. I was completely blown away & wishing I had some internal device to record the moment. A few minutes went by & Cowboy Jack appeared. “Do you remember this, Billy?” Billy did. Long story short, Cowboy had unearthed a reel of forgotten recordings that were tucked away in a closet. They were from a session that Billy and Johnny worked on together years ago. We stood there, song after song, and I felt magically transported back to the 1960’s as we listened to the tracks for the first time since they'd been created. As if that wasn’t cool enough, what struck me most was what Cowboy said next. “I remember recording these & thinking they weren’t good enough.”

It's not that I'm doubting my project - I know it's good enough, it's incredible & I'm in love with it! I just wish I could fast-forward 40 or 50 years and look back at this moment with more clarity. Isn’t it ironic that two of the most brilliant musicians in the world and their producer can dismiss some of their greatest work in the heat of a decision; under the pressure of taking their careers to the next level? I hope they release those recording some day soon. I also hope I can get to a point where I feel undeniably confident about my choice – no regrets. In the grand scheme of me, this is probably just a molehill disguised as a mountain. It could be worse, right? I could accidentally bury the EP in a closet & forget about it. Just kidding! I can guarantee that’s not going to happen!

CMT Crossroads – Me & Natalie Cole

I was daydreaming when a major revelation hit me today. If I’m ever invited to be on CMT Crossroads, I would be honored to share the stage with Natalie Cole. We could do “Unforgettable” as a duet, share lines from “Pink Cadillac” and get into a scatting war on “Paper Moon.” Why was I was I thinking about this? Well…2 main reasons. My iPod needed a serious musical facelift. I started going through my cabinet of CD’s only to realize that I’d never put most them into iTunes. I came across my favorite Natalie Cole record of all time, “Unforgettable with Love.” It was literally too worn out to copy into iTunes. I’m sure you can guess what I grew up listening to.

Plus, I was fortunate enough to be in the audience for the taping of Martina McBride & Train’s episode of Crossroads last Saturday (airing November 20) as well as Joss Stone & LeAnn Rimes episode. It’s truly a brilliant show. Occasionally the guest artist sings the begeebees out of the host artists material – not going to name names – but that’s enjoyable too!

I’ve got a few friends at CMT. Hopefully they’re reading this. Yep, put Natalie up on the top shelf, she’s all mine! It's a crazy dream. I know.