Melissa Trinchere never imagined pursuing a career in music. She grew up in a time where someone would have to be “discovered” in order to find a manager or record label willing to take a chance.

As times have changed, so has the music industry. Being an independent artist is more achievable than ever, and success can come in many different forms. She knew it was time to take a chance and pursue something she has always loved.

“It's the only thing that brings me deep joy and satisfaction,” she said.

After years of releasing music under her birth name, taking a break to enter motherhood and finding her way back to her passion, she decided to take a different approach. Adopting the moniker Sloe Honey started with the suggestion of a name change. Her branding coach knew about her love of Fiona Apple and the song “Slow Like Honey”, and suggested that. She also found the symbolism in her name, Melissa, meaning “honey bee”.

“I am heavy into symbolism and etymology so I thought I would customize the name to suit me even more,” she said. “Taking it one step further, I thought of spelling slow like: Sloe, the berry. This is related to the Rose - which is also my birth flower! And I love the idea of bees being represented in my new musical persona. The Melissae were Bee Nymphs that nursed the infant Zeus. I mean, how cool is that?! I nursed my two sons, and I've always believed that it was a superpower! I couldn't resist all this mythological magick!”

The magic is equally alive in her music. Her fifth studio album, and debut album as Sloe Honey, is something she took her time with in order to really get her vision to a place she was content with.

Many of the songs were ones she had been holding onto for quite some time, “waiting for their time in the sparkling sunlight.” There was one, however, that she couldn’t get to work and ended up writing an entirely new song to replace it. The song? The title track, “Lovesick”.

“Writing a new song from scratch to replace a different song that wasn't working, was incredibly thrilling and rewarding,” she said. “Wrapping up the project turned out to be quite challenging, but it's definitely something I will learn from.”

She joked that she is the type of person that has to make the same mistake a few times in order to really learn the lesson, but in all seriousness, she did learn the importance of patience in the creation and recording process.

“There is still so much I have yet to learn,” she said. “I could be even more patient and take even more time, care and attention to my future recordings.”

She admits that previous recordings involved rushed processes, but this time her experience left her feeling satisfied. She said that Lovesick is a mix of pop-driven, genre-bending alternative/soul with singer-songwriter roots. She is proud of the final piece, and may even have a hidden gem for listeners to find.

Melissa Trinchere never imagined pursuing a career in music. But instead of being discovered, she discovered herself. Her love for music, her passion for songwriting and her ability to find success in her own way.