by Runs Nov. 7-11th.
Madeline Merlo (born in 1994 in Maple Ridge, British Columbia is a Canadian country music singer-songwriter. Merlo was discovered by Vancouver writer/producer Dan Swinimer at age 17.
When Maple Ridge, BC-based Madeline Merlo signed to RGK Management and Open Road Recordings in February 2013 it was a dream come true for the 20-year-old Country singer/songwriter, and the realization of an ambition she’s had since she first took the stage as a child. “My father was a musician and I think it’s in my DNA to be an artist,” Merlo says. “I remember always knowing that was what I wanted to do. It’s always been music for me.”
Merlo’s first single “Sinking Like A Stone” hit iTunes worldwide, Tuesday, February 18th, 2014, and will be released to Canadian country radio Tuesday, February 25th. CMT Canada will premiere the video exclusively on Tuesday, March 4th, as part of a two-week “Fresh Face” artist campaign.
Merlo first played in a band and began gigging in high school and continued to hone her vocal chops by performing in musical theatre productions and taking every opportunity she could to further her skills as a performer, recording artist and songwriter. “From a very young age I did commercials, sang in competitions and took advantage of any chance I got to let my creative energy out.”
Her early attraction to country music was instinctual, she continues: “The first concert I went to was Shania Twain. The first song I performed in a competition was a Carolyn Dawn Johnson song and country has just always worked for me. I love the instrumentation, the intricate musical details, and the fact that the songs so often tell the kind of stories you can take positive messages from.”
Madeline Merlo has always had an eclectic taste in music, but her sound and style are grounded in the music she grew up on, the classic country of artists like Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline, R&B greats Etta James and Billy Holiday and modern superstars such as Miranda Lambert. But although you can hear shades of those artists in her voice, she has a style all her own, chops, spirit and soul to spare, and a unique sound she hopes will set her apart from the pack when she releases her first recordings in early 2014.
For Canadian country music darling Madeline Merlo, 2016 is shaping up to be a big year. Following a 2015 CCMA Award win for Rising Star of the Year, Merlo was nominated for Female Artist of the Year in 2016, and offered a much-coveted, in-show performance slot at the 2016 CCMA Awards in London ON.
After the success of “Honey Jack,” Merlo opened for country royalty Keith Urban and went on to scoop up 2015’s Rising Star award at the Canadian Country Music Association Awards and Female Vocalist of the Year at the British Columbia Country Music Association Awards. Then she rounded out 2015 touring with heavyweights Dean Brody and Paul Brandt.
Closer to home Merlo is a champion of local artisans and is passionate about promoting new designers. She’s an ambassador for Wear Your Label, a conscious clothing line that creates conversations about mental health. Her boho, free-spirited style as unique as her sound.
