Melanie Pain (Nouvelle Vague) showcases her new album 'Bye Bye Manchester' at London's Jazz Cafe.

Mélanie Pain

Delivering confessional folk-pop chansons in English and French with the coy, breathy vocals of an ingénue, Mélanie Pain has the sort of oeuvre and style that inspire descriptions like "sugar and spice", "naughty but nice".

As one of the main voices of Nouvelle Vague since their first album in 2004, she seduced audiences with sassy sweetness on originals and covers like The is Not a Love Song, Teenage Kicks and Dance with Mee.

As a performer, the distinctly chic Mélanie Pain has held her own in both grand spaces (Paris Olympia, Royal Albert Hall) and smaller venues (sold out London Jazz Cafe).

After releasing her debut album My Name (2009) in France, UK, Australia and Asia, and touring internationally for 2 years, Mélanie secluded herself in Manchester to write new material with only an autoharp, miniature Casio keyboard and a ukulele. Back in France she teamed up with renowned producer and composer Albim de La Simone (Vanessa Paradis, Iggy Pop, Keren Ann) to record her forthcoming album, also featuring Ed Harcourt. 

Staying true to her style of retro pop, but pushing further towards a more exuberant, feisty sound with programmed beats and distorted vintage synths, Mélanie is now presenting in the UK her second album: Bye Bye Manchester.