Q&A with Melanie Pierce

Detroit singer songwriter Melanie Pierce released her new single “flame.” earlier this month. Pierce has three years of releasing music in the and this song is the first single off her upcoming EP Stir Crazy.

The song tackles the idea of walking away from what is not meant for you, and the feelings of not being enough.

We chatted with Pierce about the song and the inspiration behind it as well as what she has in store for upcoming music.

Resurget Magazine: Congrats on the release of “flame.”! What inspired you to make this the debut single from the upcoming EP?

Melanie Pierce: This song has always been the debut single off of the EP in my mind. It’s something I felt back when I wrote the song. I could see myself playing this live, and knew that it would resonate a lot with others. I’ve been so excited to share this as well that I wanted it to be first!

RM: You gave us a bit of insight on the theme that the song explores. Are you able to elaborate on those a little bit more for us?

MP: “flame.” is really about letting go and releasing what is not meant for you. I wrote it about 3 years ago when experiencing the hard feelings associated with wanting something to work that just was not ever meant for me. I think ititss such a universal experience to feel that at some point or another throughout our lives.

RM: Sonically this song differs from the pop sound of your 2020 song “Your Grave.” What was the sonic inspiration behind writing this song?

MP: Sonically, a lot of inspiration came from “evermore” by Taylor Swift. I love the eb and flow of that song. When I was writing flame., that happened very naturally. I knew this was not going to be a normal pop song with the structure of a pop song.

RM: How was the writing process for “flame.” different than writing any previous work?

MP: The writing process for “flame.” happened entirely on piano. It was cathartic to write, like many of my other songs. I think the biggest difference in writing is that I wrote a few versions of it before the flow came out in this exact version. As soon as I played this one, I knew this was the one.

RM: Can you tell me about any collaborators on the song?

MP: Collaborators on the song include John Katona and Tom Mihalis. They are amazing producers/musicians and they really helped bring the song into what it is now. They both work and run JKNotKidding Studios. Amazing people.

RM: Is this sound something we can expect for the remainder of the EP tracks or will things switch it up?

MP: This song is different from the others in its own way. I love this EP so much because each song makes a lot of sense together while still holding very strong independent identities. I’m excited to share the rest of the EP! You will understand more so soon! LOL

RM: You’re great at painting a narrative with your lyrics who do you draw lyrical inspiration from who are some other songwriters that you look up to?

MP: Wow thank you so much for saying that! I draw a ton of inspiration from really all music. I know that is a BORING answer. But what I mean is, I love listening to how everyone articulates their feelings and where they are in a particular moment. If I had to give you a few artists, I think Hayley Williams, Taylor Swift, Tonight Alive, A Day To Remember, and I Prevail would be top artists that I draw a ton of inspiration from.

RM: You noted that your EP is set to come out later this year. Are there any more details you can share with us on that?

MP: Absolutely! The EP is coming out on October 13th!! Sooo incredibly excited!

You can stream “flame.” here  and follow Melanie Pierce on Instagram to keep up to date with everything she has in store.

Album cover art by Hannah McWhorter