Singer-songwriter Melanie Lemesle has released her debut album and is already receiving attention from radio stations in the U.S. and around the world.
It all started in San Antonio for Melanie. A few years ago, she went to a Disney Channel Open Call. “I remember, we were over 2000 little girls standing in line for hours, feeling so excited and nervous at the same time. After it was my turn, I walked back and happened to run into Judy Taylor, the “big boss” of the audition, in the hallway.
She asked me : “You sing ?” I nodded. She took me alone in a small room : “Ok. Let’s see what you’ve got.”. And I sang “Run to You” by Whitney Houston.”
“After the audition, my mom and I went to Schilo’s. The delicious food there made me forget for a moment how anxious I was about getting that callback”.
“After returning from Schilo’s, I thought I had failed, when suddenly the phone rang : “Would you come tomorrow at 3:25 pm?”, a voice asked.” That evening, she celebrated by dining in a restaurant by the River Walk.
MELANIE LEMESLE, The Oolala Girl
The next morning, the most mysterious thing happened. Melanie was going to Market Plaza Center, only thinking about her 3:25 pm appointment. When suddenly, she looked up at the big clock and noticed something was off : it wasn’t showing the right time, it was showing exactly 3:25 pm !
“I thought that was such a magical sign !”.
At 3:25 pm, only around 30 kids were there, they had been picked out of 2000 who had auditioned. “Ok, I’ll show this tape to my team when I come back to L.A.”, said Judy.
“But after coming home, I realized I wanted to be a songwriter. Not work for Disney. I started to work on the album I had started to write in all-girls boarding school.”
Now that her album is out, Melanie is starting to get some recognition for her music, especially for one song in particular.
“Oolala is a lovely bubblegum song, just love it !”, said the BBC Radio about Melanie’s song. “We selected OOLALA as one of the greatest hits of the year, out of many thousands of tracks”, said Radio Wigwam, after giving Melanie an award.
“This album has one message : simple things in life are the best”, says Melanie, who likes to bake macaroons when she’s not making music.
Melanie’s first steps could easily remind you of another blonde pop singer who made her first steps in the South and started out with Disney as a kid : Britney Spears. There must be something magical in the South.
“San Antonio is where it all began for me. I’ll never forget the view of the River Walk, the Alamo, the movies at the RiverCenter Mall, the breakfasts at Schilo’s, and of course, the Market Plaza clock”
From San Antonio to the stars, Melanie is on the fast train to her dreams.
You can listen to Oolala and get her album here : www.melanielemesle.com
QR code for MELANIE LEMESLE’s official website
MELANIE LEMESLE