Melanie Baker is a rising indie artist newcomer based in the North East of England. Her direct and honest lyricism capture themes such as queer identity, self-reflection and the anxieties of modern life. Her songs will take you on an emotional and confusing rollercoaster with her unapologetic and sometimes uncomfortably honest lyrics paired with a sonically alluring, irreverent, grungy grit. 

 

She has supported the likes of dodie, Tessa Violet, Maisie Peters,  

Will Varley, Jen Cloher, Jesca Hoop and runnner.​ Her self-released music so far has received radio support from

BBC Introducing, BBC Radio , BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 6Music.​

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BURNOUT BABY EP

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Baker's latest EP "Burnout Baby", released on DuBlonde's cult indie label "Daemon TV" has caught the attention of 6Music's, Steve Lamacq, and has featured in DORK, Atwood Magazine, Crack Magazine, Narc Magazine,

New Age Magazine.

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​She wrote the songs on this EP about the process of struggling with intense burnout: the texts from friends waiting endlessly for a reply, the days lost to endless scrolling, the dying plants that just remind you that you’re not succeeding at taking care of anything. Amid real, raw pathos, there’s also a sense of lightness to Baker’s newly rocky full-band arrangements. These are songs that may never have existed had Baker not found a way to make music that excited her again, and that gives them a tangible spark.

 

The anthemic “Double Decker Death Machine” is perhaps the EP’s most memorable track, giving it its title and providing its most singalong chorus. It unfolds with a measured emotional weight, yet it’s infused with a wry sense of humour too. “All My Plants Have Died”, meanwhile, employs a grungy Courtney Barnett-esque stomp, while “Waiting List” is a mournful Phoebe Bridgers-recalling ballad. The bridge’s feverish violin culminates in a truly gorgeous ending section. 

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​Baker’s whole approach to art changed when she watched an interview with Patti Smith on Youtube, a six-minute cut of an open-air talk from the 2012 Louisiana Literature Festival. “A writer or any artist can’t expect to be embraced by the people,” Patti says in it. “You just keep doing your work because you have to, because it’s your calling. But it’s beautiful to be embraced by the people. You don’t do your work and say, ‘I only want the cool people to read it.’ You want everyone to be transported, or hopefully inspired, by it.”

Burnout Baby is a kind of rebirth for Baker, a flame re-ignited which for a time had been lost. “It’s an evolution of me trying to stop caring what people think of me, and just owning it,” she says. “I think all of these songs are just messages and reminders for me to do what I want and be who I wanna be. They’re all almost mantras to me now. When I perform them, it’s like getting to hear the words that I really wanna believe and live.” That’s all Melanie Baker needs from these songs, but just like Patti said — if you need it too, that’s something beautiful.