On Tranic Attack, Mel 4Ever exposes the world to her demons. In pandemic isolation, Mel realized three things about herself she could no longer ignore: A) “I’m a woman”, B) “I’m an entertainer”, and C) “I’m a MF songwriter.” Mel channels her pain into music as she navigates everything from sobriety and early stages of transition, to abuse and trauma in Alabama. Using horror-inspired lyrics and synths, Mel unfolds her brain into melody and shapes her life into hyper pop bangers and unreasonably catchy lyrics.
Focusing on dance music and hyper pop sounds, she wanted Tranic Attack to be an experience for the listener to relate to her struggles, while also feeling like a bad bitch. On the EP’s lead single, “Big Tits (whoopsie””, Mel explores body dysphoria and wanting her body to match her mind. “PUSH” is an upbeat track about overcoming an anxiety attack and on “Ooo Daddy” Mel overcomes ‘the fear of thinking you look stupid during sex’. With “About Fashion” Mel expresses her body is her fashion in response to a photographer expecting her to wear designer looks. Mel said, “I just got a bunch of filler in my face, fake eyelashes and my tits just started growing. My body is what I’m wearing. So I wrote ‘About Fashion.’”
To bring Tranic Attack to life, Mel collaborated with producer Jack Hoffman (BAD the Band). He would listen to Mel’s vision and the noises and colors she would describe. Mel would use her voice to describe a certain sound, and together they would find a match. Mel wrote all lyrics on Tranic Attack, while co-writer Tor Miller would take to the piano to create a melody and edit the original hook.
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What’s your story as an artist?
Ooo girl. My childhood and young adulthood as a closeted alcoholic trans person has led me to a point to where I feel an insatiable need to share and relate to other people. Through songwriting and creating sounds that fulfill that need as well as performing and being able to embody my songs for an audience…that’s what fuels me as an artist. Performance is just as important as the music itself. It’s a ritual. It’s about purging all of your soul into art for me.
What inspired your debut EP, Tranic Attack?
I started writing these songs during the first couple of months of my transition. It was a very sharp, intense time for me and I was experiencing so many vivid emotions. I was also in my first year of sobriety. Tranic Attack is a collection of those emotions, which usually revealed themselves through panic attacks or what I called “tranic attacks.”
What are some sources of inspiration for your storytelling?
A lot of my storytelling is to vindicate my inner child. I definitely feel like it is her time to shine and she has endured a lot of abuse and trauma at an early age. So I’m trying to marry revenge and anger with dance music LOL.
Any funny anecdotes from the time you were recording or writing the album?
I legit wrote a song about mocking men who think they have the best dick in the world and recorded it in front of a group of straight men. That was funny.
Tell us about the upcoming “About Fashion” music video and the idea behind it ?
The song is about looking at all of the parts of you that make you shameful and celebrating them as your fashion. So I want it to be very colorful and happy but also very shocking. I want to be in compromising situations that make me feel uncomfortable in order to convey the feeling in the song. The director Mikey Harmon is building 4 sets from the ground up in his apartment, so it’s very much a collective energy of two broke bitches lol. But it will be stunning!
What’s a record that shaped your creativity?
Slayyyter’s self titled album kinda jump started me into actually making my first EP. The way that she embodied hyperpop and sexuality was very important for my blossoming womanhood. Also Ayesha Erotica, she gets what I feel.
Who is an artist or band you look up to today?
Slayyyter and Ayesha Erotica. I also study pop music all day long. Taylor Swift, Britney Spears, and even Quincy Jones, timeless shit that a lot of people shit on but will never go out of style.
Any future projects?
I have a Hannah Montana cover coming out at the end of this year, a dream come true. After my EP I’m releasing a new era of psycho shit that is more current to my up to date life.
Top 3 dream collaborations?
Sophie, SZA, or Taylor Swift
What does music mean to you?
Everything and nothing.
How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard you?
Trans pop music with razors for lyrics.
