Spoken Truth

From her funky, vibrant presence on Idols all those years ago, to today's more sultry woman, Melanie Lowe has paid her dues on the South African music scene. She handles her own career and like many artists these days, is utilizing social networking tools such as Myspace and Facebook to stay close to her fans. She's an incredibly articulate writer - if her lyrics aren't proof enough of that for you, check out her Myspace blog. If you haven't heard her latest CD (Unspoken Truth) yet, visit her Facebook iLike page to listen to loads of song samples. She has an infectiously positive, enthusiastic attitude and seemingly boundless energy.

What was it like supporting Katie Melua? Did you get a chance to hang out with her at all?

It was quite a learning curve for me. It was the first major tour I have had to organize on my own. I started my own company and started managing myself a few months back and, while I know all that's involved in organizing a tour, I'd never had to do the legwork. Being a perfectionist and an entirely practical Virgo; I prefer this route, because at least I know it'll be done to my own specifications. But organizing sponsors and all the logistics was a huge undertaking, especially with no budget (support acts never get paid or reimbursed for transport, accommodation etc). Then there were rehearsals to be organized and songs to perfect! All that was just the "behind the scenes" part. The shows themselves were incredible. They were full to capacity and what was great for me was that they seemed to appreciate my show as much as Katie's! Often the support act feels a bit like an intruder. The crowd is there to see the main act, not you. You're very aware of that and it's a lot of pressure to feel on top of everything else. But it seems her following is my following and it was fantastic. I sold so many CD's and had so much positive feedback. After the Port Elizabeth show we all had a glass of wine backstage and devoured packets of sweets! Sounds bizarre I know, but we were all exhausted and just wanted to chill. My band, her band and the two singers sat and chatted for about an hour or so and swapped stories. I felt quite sorry for her because she was totally exhausted from being on tour for several months but she was very sweet and polite and friendly and it was great that she still took the time to spend some time with us.

Mellow Music is proactive in helping female singer/songwriters, would you tell us a bit about that please?

If you take a look at my list of influences you'll see that they're all female singer/songwriters who are very much alternate to the mainstream. Maybe it's because I relate better to them, being a female singer/songwriter myself! I'm not sure what it is but their songs touch me in ways that other music doesn't. I need to be challenged by music to be able to fall for it and that is my reason for preferring alternate. Generally females achieve the depth I look for because they are, by nature, more open to their emotions. That's like a magnet for me. Cliches bore me. It's so easy to write a cliched song. It doesn't come from a very deep place and I am on a constant quest to find depth and challenges in music. If I find something that I am passionate about you can't hold me back. I will throw myself into it with everything I have. But I am very picky, because it's pointless me trying to promote something I can't relate to. I know there is so much talent out there. I wish I could hear it all. This country has so many Tori Amos/Sarah McLachlan equivalents and I'm just dying to find them because South Africa needs more of them and less girl and boy groups singing guaranteed hits. I have chosen one of the hardest routes musically, especially in this country. But I am managing to do it and that means I can help someone else do it and if I can do that for even one woman, who is passionate about what she does, I will feel like there is still hope for real music!

You're very open about emotions and so on on your Myspace blog - do you find blogging cathartic?

I find writing cathartic, whether it's songwriting or just letting my thoughts meander over a keyboard or plain, old-fashioned pen and paper. It's a way to exorcise my demons and it's helped me through more than one difficult situation. Once something is written down I can put it away. It's found it's place and that's where it will stay, giving me the freedom to carry on until the next situation arises. My CD's are my diary, as is my blog. Nothing can heal you if it's not completely open and honest. I don't see the point of writing if that's the case. I'm very honest in my songs. I don't know how else to write. If people really listened to my lyrics, they'd know me more intimately probably than a partner would. But most people don't listen that hard! I'm not sure whether that's a good or a bad thing.

Fans ... this being a queer site and me being queer and all, I have to ask you - are your concerts good places to spot hot lesbians?

Ha ha! I should imagine you would spot more than a few if you looked hard enough. In fact, there's someone for everyone at my shows! I have fabulous fans from all walks of life. I don't make a habit of asking them their sexual preference so I couldn't say for sure and these days, with people being less conservative, it's very hard to stereotype anyone and I have never been one to do that anyway. So I can't say for sure but there are lots of gorgeous people at my shows.

You're a queer-friendly sort of artist, right? Have you played any queer-specific gigs and if so, how was it?

I like to think I'm a friendly gal. I never saw the point in labels and discrimination of any kind. I despise bigotry, sexism, chauvanism, most "isms" actually. I still don't understand why everyone feels the need to be placed into a category. I do understand wanting to belong, but putting yourself into a box is so limiting to your own personal growth. There is no greater pleasure than singing for an audience that appreciates your music and I will never shut off any corner of the market, for any reason. I have played at many queer-specific venues but the audience is always varied which, I think, is testament to how unimportant a person's sexual preference is, to most people, and how important the music is. Music bridges the gaps between all communities. That's one of the things I love about it.

Got many queer fans?

Well, I don't have great gaydar! But, at the risk of stereotyping, I'd say I do! Gay men always comment on my shoes! And gay women ... well, I'll leave you to decide what it is they comment on.

Would you consider singing a duet with a lesbian?

When I decide to sing a duet with anyone I look only at their voice, their music and their integrity as a person and as an artist. The rest is completely unimportant to me. I have very strong ideas about what makes an artist worthy of being in the limelight and their sexuality doesn't feature anywhere in my list of prerequisites.

Do you think there's any discrimination against gay artists in the music industry?

I haven't really noticed discrimination against gay artists. Celebs seem to take a bit of flack when they come out, Ellen de Generes being an example, but it dies down eventually as the next story comes along. I think there's always going to be discrimination against the unknown, because there will always be people who fear something they don't understand and a natural reaction to fear is to strike out at the object causing their fear. I think, as a female artist, there is discrimination at a higher level because we are not as marketable as our male counterparts. Heterosexual females are more inclined to buy a CD because they think the guy is hot, whereas guys will be more inclined to wait for the artist to do an FHM photoshoot and then buy that rather than the CD! Of course, that's just my opinion!

In your opinion, should celebs come out of the closet or are they entitled to their privacy?

I think it's a personal choice. It always amazes me that nobody expects a celeb to openly admit they're straight. While I will concede that people are more inclined to to assume "the norm" the theory still applies. Why are people forced to categories themselves? It should have nothing to do with who a person is sleeping with and EVERYTHING to do with their art. If people want to put me in a box, they are welcome to and I will leave them to their theories and thoughts on who or what I am but I am just me. I never planned to be public property. The public decided to put me there. No matter what I say, they already have preconceived ideas of who and what I am. I don't think I owe anyone but myself, a private viewing of my life and I should imagine most celebs feel the same. I am entirely comfortable with who I am as a person and I can't spend my life trying to make other's comfortable with me. When you are sitting in your rocking chair at the end of your life, reflecting on all you've done, you are the only person you will have to answer to. Everyone else who ever criticized you, or tried to change you will be sitting in their own rocking chairs, thinking only of themselves as well. You won't feature then, so why feature now. I do think that no-one has the right to judge another person and if someone chooses to keep their private life, private, it's their choice and people should respect that.

If an Idols candidate, for example, was gay; would that be an advantage or a disadvantage?

During the show, there were a lot of stories that came out about all the contestants. The media were looking for scandal, and they found all sorts. A 17 year old had a 2 year old son, one of the guys had a baby he'd never known about until the show. That turned out to be a lie. One of them had been struggling with anorexia for years. The stories lasted a few days and then died out. It's very hard to tell if these stories had any impact on the votes. There were rumors of voting syndicates. There was no way to tell if the voting was a true reflection of what the public thought. I can't say whether a contestant being gay or not is an advantage or disadvantage. The best way to tell is in the CD sales afterwards I guess. In the entertainment industry they do say that no publicity is bad publicity. It's when they're not talking about you that you should be concerned.

Where do your songs come from? Tell us a bit about your process.

I'm not sure where they come from actually! It hits me at the oddest of times, often in the middle of the night when I'm half asleep. If I don't act on the impulse immediately I lose it. I can't force them out. I wish I could! I have to be inspired by something and I can't choose what inspires me either! It usually starts with the first line of the song and sometimes it's the music first and sometimes the lyrics but more often than not they come together and the rest generally tumbles out afterwards in a matter of minutes.

Do you need to hurt in order to write? Can you write when you're happy?

My best songs come when I am chin-deep in angst. It's a terrible thing, because I get criticized for not doing more happy songs, but I write about what touches me on a very deep, emotional level. Relationships gone wrong are an obvious one but people affect me hugely and a lot of my songs are written about people I don't necessarily even know well, but for some reason, something about them touches me. I often sense people's pain. Maybe it's because I keep a lot in, myself. I'm an introvert by nature, more of an observer than a partaker in life and I have always been very sensitive to things and people around me. My output is in the form of writing. When I get that sensation, I sit down and I write and it's always from a buildup of sensory input until I reach a point where it bursts out in some form of writing, and the end result is a song. So, to write a song according to a specific format is very hard for me, as an artist. I could easily sit down and write a catchy, commercial song. But I would never feel comfortable about claiming it as my own and it would never have any place in my heart. I guess I'm a bit of a purist at heart, musically, even though I have made compromises along the way, to try and create awareness of my music. I've always tried to maintain my musical integrity, sometimes at a huge cost. However, as I mature, I am learning how to channel some things more than others and my writing style has changed and grown. I think my newer music is an example of that. For the first time I have a happy, commercial song playing on radio stations and charting well! I guess that just shows that the art has to be slightly compromised if you are going to succeed, sadly.

What motivates you to perform?

Being onstage is my high. I feed off the energy of the audience. My whole body comes alive and I'm bursting with energy, no matter what state of mind I happen to be in at the time. It's the one place I know exactly what I am doing and who I am. I love to sing. I love to tell my stories to people who are willing to listen and if there is even one person in the audience who is "getting" me, then that is enough to keep me going all night!

What is it about jazz and blues that attracts you?

I find jazz and blues very sexy to sing. The odd thing is I don't really listen to it much! But performing it is a whole different story. The thing with jazz and blues is the freedom of it. Vocally you can redo a jazz or a blues song over and over again, and do it differently every time. I find the format of the songs very easy to understand and that gives me the freedom to go where i want to vocally because I can anticipate where the music is going to go. It also gives me the freedom to really feel the music and let go when I perform. I love to make songs my own when I sing them and jazz and blues really allows me to do that.

OK, the soapbox is yours ... you're passionate about green issues ... go for it ...

I mentioned in an earlier question that, if I am passionate about something, it's hard to hold me back and this is something I feel strongly about. I've been recycling for a few years and have been trying to convert all my friends and family but didn't feel I should enforce it because it was my passion, not theirs. But then I had a conversation with a friend who is a scientist who works very closely with the government. We were talking about global warming and I asked her how bad the situation actually was and she basically told me it was better just to not have children! She said we had 5 years at the most, to turn it around. That scared me enough to make the decision that it was time to make my passion everybody else's problem;) So I started with the facebook group, Green Celebrities. And the reason I chose that name is an answer to your question! I do feel that celebs should be responsible. We ARE role models, whether we like it or not. What we do makes a direct impact on the people watching us. I am very aware of that a lot of the people who listen to and support my music, also watch my every move and comment on it at any given time, whether it's positive or negative!! It makes sense then, that if I am setting a good example, people will not only take note, but learn from it. I think anyone in the public eye, who doesn't try and make a positive difference is being more than remiss. My hope is that the more celebrities who live "green" the more people will feel compelled to do the same thing. Bono and Angelina Jolie are good examples of celebs trying to make a difference and it gets people's attention!

It's a powerful position to be in, where you can change lives and one that should never be abused or taken for granted. Society these days is all about "me, me, me" and that is even more evident when something goes wrong! Everybody says "what about me?" There are more important things going on and it's not all about "you" anymore. It's going to take a joint effort to fix things. People only seem to acknowledge a person's importance by how many magazines and tv shows they appear in! So I'm taking advantage of that by getting celebrities to start making a change. The thing is that everyone has a role model and they don't have to be on TV to make a difference to someone's life. We undervalue our own importance all the time. There are unsung heroes in everyone's lives, and what they do will impact directly on those who aspire to be like them.

So to cut a long enough story short, I am living green and I am encouraging not only my fellow celebrities to do the same but for everyone to join the initiative. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

How to join Green Celebrities:

On Facebook

On my Ning social network

Or they can email: greencelebrities@melanielowe.co.za with a request to be added to the group and they will receive updates that way. I know some people are blocked at work with social networks so I made this option available too.