Singer Melissa Roach From The Band Dragonfly: Interview
Singer Melissa Roach from the Band DragonFly has a voice to die for. Read on and find out more information on a great local band in Lynchburg Virginia.
I was very fortunate to have attended a concert featuring Jamey Johnson at Cattle Annie's Restaurant and Entertainment Club in Lynchburg Virginia. The opening band for this concert was Dragonfly featuring lead singer Melissa Roach. I had heard of this band but never saw them perform until that night. Friends had told me this was a great band to see and hear. They were telling the truth, Dragonfly is a band that holds their own during a concert. When Melissa starts to sing the whole crowd is at her mercy. Melissa sings the songs as great as the original singers themselves do. This was the best band I had ever seen open for a concert. Dragonfly made you want more and got you ready for the main performer. It was money well spent that night.
I emailed Melissa and asked her if I could ask a few questions for an interview and she agreed to answer them.
1- What are the band member's names and what do they do within the band?
Melissa: Myself (Melissa Roach), Lead vocals and occasional rhythm guitar.
Chris Cheatham, Lead guitar.
Eddie Wood, Bass
Jeff Routon, drums.
2- When did you first realize music is what you wanted to do?
Melissa: Well, I have always loved music; my parents had music playing in the house a lot growing up. Dad would take a wooden spoon from the kitchen as his microphone and sing some old Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings and Bob Sager. Mom did not really have the voice, but she had the moves! We would dance around the kitchen to that "Old Time rock & Roll". She played a lot of Beatles and Simon and Garfunkel and loved Neil diamond. I guess my first memory of realizing that I could actually carry a good tune was singing along with the first Judd's tape. I would blare it and sing to the top of my lungs. My sister is five years older and she actually was the singer growing up. In chorus and special occasions, she would be asked to sing. My brother was also in chorus. I was in chorus too but mainly because it was an easy class. My sister and I took piano lessons for a while, but nothing really become of that. Then my parents bought me a guitar for my 15th birthday. I had not asked for one, but nonetheless it was cool. I was dating a guy that played, he taught me the basic chords, and I finally got the hang of singing as I played and the first song I learned to do that with is one that Dragonfly does today. "What's Going On" by Four Non Blonds. Still one of my favorites to perform because it usually gets a good response from the audience. I think I was 16 or 17 at the time, but I guess really taking it serious in performing for an audience was not until my early 20's. Turning 21 and hanging at the bars, I got to see and hear local musicians. I was really inspired by Brian Hall who was an excellent musician who I haven't seen in years, but he would invite me up to sing occasionally. In addition, another performer, Horton would invite me to sing with him. I married an aspiring stunt man who wanted to move to LA and seek out a stunt career and so that is what we did. While I was there, I met a girl from Alaska, Leslie Rostron, who was an aspiring singer/songwriter. We became a duet named "Two's day and we performed a few times in LA (which by the way is extremely hard to get a gig out there, much less one that actually pays.), but things did not work out in my marriage and I came back home to Virginia. My brother was excited for me to be coming home because he said I inspired him to learn guitar, he was starting up a band out here, and he wanted me to be a part of it. Therefore, "New Moon Magic" was born. We played around locally for about a year, then I got pregnant. Therefore, I quit that scene for quite some time, had my baby girl, Olivia (the joy of my life), and really did not think about doing the band thing again until my brother told me a guy that he worked with was in a band that wanted a female singer. At first, I was not interested, weekends, late nights, but he was quite persistent and so I said OK I would meet with them and consider it, and from there "Dragonfly" was born. We are going on our 2nd year and all is well.
3- What music singer or singers inspired you the most?
Melissa: I guess from early years it was the Judd's and then Guns N Roses, huge difference there. I have a wide variety of taste. I love Bonnie Rait, The Indigo Girls, Alanis Moreseete, Melissa Ethridge, Poe, Dido, Susan Tadeski, Natalie Merchant, Jewel, Sheryl crow, David Gray, U2, Pink Floyd, Tracy Chapman, and Sarah McGlaughlin. The list goes on.
4- What types of music do you sing?
Melissa: Dragonfly does a wide variety of songs. From Janis Joplin to Prince. I like to choose songs that I can feel, that I can put passion into.
5- What music singers have you been the opening performer?
Melissa: We have had the honor of opening up for Jeff Bates, Bucky Covington, Rodney Adkins, Jamey Johnson and Jimmy Wayne.
6- What is your best performance memory?
Melissa: Wow1 I don't know. Whenever the crowd is into it, that's the best. It is so cool to connect with people you have never even seen before through the passion of a song.
7- If someone wants to book you for a show, how would he or she contact you?
Melissa: Our website. http://www.thedragonflyband.com Our guitarist Chris usually handles all of our bookings.
8- What is the furthest you are willing to travel for a booking?
Melissa: Well, that depends. We all have full time day jobs that keep us fed and I am a single mom as well, so life is busy. However, we will consider whatever opportunity knocks!
9- What advice can you give someone wanting to get into the music business?
Melissa: Advice, I do not know. I need some advice myself. I guess as a performer who otherwise is pretty much an introvert "sing like nobody's listening and dance like nobody's watching." If you are passionate about what you are doing, it will be worth the while.
10- What are some upcoming shows?
Melissa: Actually, our upcoming shows will be us (Dragonfly) exclusive. Cattle Annie's is renovating and having local bands play while this is going on, which is great exposure. Therefore, our upcoming shows there are November 14, and December 19. We will be bringing in the New Year at Benjamin's at Smith Mountain Lake, you can always check our website for shows and we have a Face-book page as well as a My-space.
Thank you so much Melissa.
Melissa: Thank you.
Written by jennifermoore
Professional writer, school bus driver and mother to four wonderful children.