Melanie Garside
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Melanie Garside is an artist and musician, currently a member of the Mediaeval Baebes, and the duo, Huski, as well as a solo artist. She is also the younger sister of Queenadreena singer KatieJane Garside.
She began her musical career in the early-1990s fronting a band named Tabitha Zu. Punky in a glittery sort of way, they were an indicator of things to come. Although largely tipped for the top and even playing the Reading Festival in 1992, they only released one EP, titled On Reality, before morphing into the simply named Zu. As Zu, again, only one EP, The Apart, was released, before they disbanded.
Melanie Garside re-emerged in 1996 with her hair cut short and dyed orange, and with her first solo album, Fossil. At this stage, she was frequently described as "The indie scene's Shania Twain". Two singles were released from the album; Big White Room, and She Knows.
This stage did not last long, with Mel re-appearing once again, this time fronting a three-piece band, calling themselves Our Lady Of Miracles. Under this guise, Melanie dropped the indie label and returned to making quirky rock music. After playing a few gigs they changed their name to The Vertigo Angels and released their only album Eradicate Apathy in 2003. Two singles; 'Burned' (Hijack)' and 'Firefly', were also released. Although the album was met with critical acclaim, The Vertigo Angels appear to have disbanded. This is also around the time Melanie became Maple Bee (sometimes Maplebee), being credited this way on the Eradicate Apathy album.
It was around this time that Melanie, as Maple Bee, joined the Mediaeval Baebes. She has sung on their latest albums, Mirabilis - as well as arranging and performing lead vocal on All For Love Of One - and the soundtrack to the 2005 BBC television series The Virgin Queen.
She has also released one album as Maple Bee to date, Chasing Eva. Chasing Eva was originally released in 2003 as a single album, but was re-released with all new artwork as a double CD in 2004. The album is penned entirely by Melanie except two tracks written in collaboration with other musicians, and a cover of Doris Day's Perhaps, Perhaps. Melanie, a talented guitarist, plays almost all the instruments as well as singing. Mel has also stated on her website that she is currently working on a new MapleBee record.
From 2004 to 2005, she played bass in her sister, KatieJane Garside's band, Queenadreena, and appeared on their latest album, The Butcher and the Butterfly. She toured with them for a short time, before leaving to focus on her other projects.
MapleBee and writer/producer Pike Galloway are currently working together as a duo under the name of Huski, and released an album, entitled Love, Peace, Pain on July 17th 2006, following the three track single Make Me Your Picture (iTunes exclusive), which was released on May 22nd.
[edit] Trivia
- According to her official biography, she also spent her childhood travelling the world's oceans on a small yacht named 'Rosie' and lived in the middle east with her family. [1]
- Melanie is currently studying Psychology at University in London.
- In interviews, Mel has stated that although she is a talented guitar, bass, keyboard and recorder player, she has "little or no musical theory".
