REVIEW: Melanie Greggain debut single Ready To Run lands a No1

Melanie Greggain releases debut single Ready To Run (FFO: Miranda Lambert, Carly Pearce, Ashley Monroe)

Multi-award winning singer-songwiter Melanie Greggain surprised her fans with the release of her debut single "Ready to Run"( co-writer Ann Bailey-Simmons aka “Thunderlungs”), which marks a return for the vocalist of award winning country duo Luke & Mel. 

Melanie has spent time honing her craft as a singer and songwriter since she was a young girl and has won an impressive 5 BCMA Awards for her work as one half of British Luke & Mel. 

During that time they supported everyone from Engelbert Humperdinck to Will Hoge and one-third of the Pistol Annies’ Angaleena Presley, while also securing support from the BBC, with a firm champion in Gaby Roslin.

With her skill as a lyricist having shone through in Luke & Mel's material, a tumultuous 18 months in her personal life has lead to her most personal and insightful single to date. With further material to follow early in 2017, and with BBC Introducing championing her material already, Melanie is ready to take the big solo step and move you with her unforgettable melodies and flawless vocals.

‘Lovely. Just lovely!' - Gaby Roslin, BBC Radio London

"Proving that UK Country music can sound both fresh and contemporary whilst retaining a rewardingly traditional feel at its heart"- New Country UK

“Ready to Run’ is a real standout and it puts Mel on the map as the next big thing” — Lyric Magazine

REVIEW

Melanie Greggain - Ready to Run (Single)

Release Date: 22 Nov 2017

Label: Independent (2017 Melanie Greggain)

Time: 4:25

Amazon UK - UK iTunes - CD

Chart run & success: 
Debut: #2 UK iTunes Country Singles (#300 UK iTunes Singles overall) and later peaked at #1 (ahead of John Denver’s Take Me Home, Country Roads”) | Fri Nov 24 #27 (#1486 UK iTunes Singles overall) | Sat Nov 25: #151

Intrigued at the Country To Country 2017 Festival Stages by who Melanie just might be playing the Big Entrance 16:30 slot on Sat March 11th was not to find the renowned American Folk/Pop "Brand New Key singer-songwriter but Melanie Greggain flying solo who was one halve of British Country Music Association multiple award winning Luke & Mel (Luke Thomas & Melanie Greggain). After a tiring long day her set felt somewhat marred by a at times distorted and overamplified performance not helped by a sound engineer who seemed to think the whole of the O2 Arena needed to hear it. He did her no favours but it was evidence that she was on a new musical path as a solo act!

I was first taken aback when I heard this new single when it was showcased on CMR Nashville (Europe’s No.1 Country Station) in early July and was anxious to hear it again!

With its gentle acoustic stirring and a purring plaintive organ Ready to Run unfolds into a wonderfully crafted melodic score with uncompromising honest lyrics where each chosen word holds water as a shuffling beat maintains the fine pleasant-sounding flow.

They say some of best country songs are break up numbers, well this is one of them. Out of confusion and a stormy situation along comes something rather special. It was penned with Melanie’s frequent co-writer Ann “Thunderlungs” Bailey (Ward Thomas, Jess and the Bandits) who also had a hand with the terrific 2015 British Country Music Awards UK Song of the Year “Something About A Woman” for Luke & Mel.

The song references “the face the one who betrayed her” where “her eyes are always giving away what she hides, what hurts her”

She paints on fake smiles that mirror the hollow words from a partner.

They’ll never be enough makeup to hide the situation

Never be enough truth to ease this suffocation

Pictures on the wall “where the history hangs” unexpectedly reveal tell-tale signs of detonation. Times passes, rapport quickly fades she’s at her wits end hanging on by a thread

When the part of you that she holds on to finally breaks

The neat Mark Knofler-esque guitar licks wash over and compliments Melanie’s voice which shines. The lady is ready to “walk on by, pick up her pride and move on”!

She’s ready to run,

She’s ready, she’s ready to run
She’s ready to say goodbye to the wreck inside and move on

Yes, she’s ready to run

Ready to Run Hits the iTunes No.1 Spot!

#myfirstnumber1 #ukcountry #readytorun

Melanie Greggain's debut solo single, Ready to Run, has taken the UK Country iTunes No.1 Spot on release day!

"I literally don’t know how to find the words" explained Melanie. "I just dropped that I would be releasing the single the day before and was hoping to chart for the first time as a solo artist and then all of a sudden here I am with a number one! It’s been a crazy week and it’s been super tense watching the chart updates."

"I would like to thank everyone for the huge amour of support and for all the lovely messages, downloads and shares from my amazing fans, family and friends. Words can’t express my appreciation to you all."

Ready to Run is Greggain's first solo single since the demise of the duo Luke & Mel and has given the country singer her first ever number one!

Posted by Melanie Greggain on Saturday, 25 November 2017

Nabbing her first ever Number One single with further material to follow in 2018. With an abundance of coverage from BBC Introducing, the Cumbrian based country singer looks set to take the New year by storm. More of the same please!

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