Raised in Maple Ridge, British Columbia near Vancouver, Madeline Merlo spent her childhood riding horses with a natural playground of the ocean, woods, mountains, waterfalls, and glaciers as a backdrop. The setting contributed to her musical influence of Motown, Soul, Rhythm & Blues as well as Country music’s strong female voices, listening to artists like Etta James and Aretha Franklin as well as Shania Twain, Dolly, Martina McBride and Faith Hill.

A lyric-driven artist, Merlo zeroed in on building her own immediately recognizable sound. Blending fresh and cool melodies with catchy, relatable lyrics that’s balanced out with traditional instruments like the steel, dobro, and banjo, her “sound” pays homage to where she grew up, while delicately layering iridescent beats with her classic roots.

After being discovered on YouTube and signed to a record label at only 18, radio success, tour dates and awards quickly followed, and she was honored with the Canadian Country Music Association’s Rising Star Award in 2015. MORE