Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Meli is carving out an unforgettable name for herself. Having shared stages with the likes of Brandi Carlile, Amy Ray (Indigo Girls), Eric McFadden and Bitch, her ability to enchant and engage a live audience is undeniable. Skillfully uniting boldness and delicacy across a rapidly expanding repertoire, artist and songwriter Meli Levi (Mehl-Lee Lee-Vigh) has hit the scene with unrivaled impact. 

While mastering live performance, Meli’s professionalism in the studio has also granted her the opportunity to work with Seattle-based producer and co-owner of London Bridge Studios Jonathan Plum  (Brandi Carlile, Pearl Jam) and Seattle production legend Jack Endino (Nirvana, Mudhoney). Meli’s debut EP ‘Crowned’ was launched to vast critical acclaim and she quickly asserted herself as a naturally captivating modern artist – the depths of her writing and the faultless swing and soul of her sound united across four uniquely poetic and memorable songs. The title-track guided listeners into a full-band groove that brought both movement and contemplation, while the following track ‘Until her’ showcased a divine similarity to the likes of Jeff Buckley – a trait that has been noted in a glowing review from Seattle Sound Magazine; "Levi's erratic vocal style has the prairie-dog cuteness of Brandi Carlile...but can crescendo like Jeff Buckley...".

Delivering a unique blend of seductive soul and infectious indie folk rock/alternative rock, Meli's fearlessly honest portrayal of uniquely human qualities has drawn attention from fans and critics alike. Meli has been likened to artists such as Jeff Buckley, Brandi Carlile, Angel Olsen, Tracy Chapman and Radiohead, but with a style and flavor all her own. The unwavering honesty and comforting embrace of Meli’s music delivers a balanced and welcoming sound - enchanting in its depth, confronting at its core, and sublime in its musical accomplishment. 

Born in Tennessee to a Jewish Northern-born father and Christian Southern-born mother – a pair who met in a hippy commune - diversity and freedom would appear to fall in line with Meli’s roots. However, Meli’s life was turned upside down when she was kicked out of her home at the young age of fifteen after she was outed as queer to her stepmom. Driven by sheer determination and grit, Meli continued through her high school years, living rough between a handful of houses, and in the process learned a whole lot about independence and passion as unparalleled tools for success.  From age 10 Meli was singing in choirs ranging from Jazz to Madrigals. She picked up the guitar and wrote music to her poems at 17, and at 20 moved her band ‘Seeing Blind’ from Ann Arbor, MI, all the way to Seattle, WA. 

Fast-forward through years of touring up and down the West Coast to the present, where her recent entry for the globally renowned Tiny Desk Contest was named one of KALW 91.7 FM San Francisco's local favorites.  Her songwriting also gained significant recognition, winning her second place in the Alternative Category of the West Coast Songwriters International Songwriting Contest, and fourth place at the annual Seattle Wave Radio Contest.  Amidst these growing accolades, however, Meli’s inner voice ultimately drew her to take a few years away from touring and music, to study advanced meditation techniques in the high mountain deserts of Eastern California. This experience had a profound and powerful influence on the music Meli is now creating. It presented an opportunity to question things about herself and the world, to move through discomfort and uncover a deeper connection to creativity. Her time spent studying the depths of meditation ignited an unprecedented fire, pushing forth brazenly honest writing and melodically euphoric progressions. Full-band arrangements elevate the singer-songwriter purity and soul-kissed versatility of Meli’s voice and writing in an addictively bold, bright, and beautiful way.

Unconfined by genre, driven by the underlying emotions of each song, Meli’s catalogue depicts subtle traits from Pop and Americana in line with those of Jazz, Soul, Rock and Folk. Eclecticism is key; shared freedom in diversity and integrity to inspire and uplift audiences across the board.  Now armed with her brand new EP ‘Crowned’, recorded with Grammy winning, multi-platinum engineer Isha Erskine (Maroon 5, Jeff Beck), and already back in the studio again working on the next album set to release in the Spring of 2024 - Meli’s accomplished sound is reaching greater plains than ever before. 

Boasting live shows in over 50 cities across 15 states including festivals such as SXSW, Portland Pride Festival and Railroad Square Music Festival, this is far from the beginning of her journey, but 2024 will undoubtedly mark the start of an unmissable new chapter.