Singer/songwriter brings Girl Power to Whanganui for La Fiesta

Melissa Cox is playing at La Fiesta. Photo / Pete Redel

Melissa Cox performed La Fiesta four years ago with a show packed full of originals to an enthusiastic sell-out audience. She's happy to be returning to Whanganui with her new one-woman show.

Enjoy an evening of music from the 1990s female folk Renaissance, featuring the best of Sarah McLachlan, Jewel, the Cranberries, Alanis Morissette, and many more, performed by this award-winning singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.

From Sarah McLachlan's heart-wrenching "Angel", to Shawn Colvin's country-crossover hit "Sunny Came Home," to the unforgettable guitar riff of Jewel's "You Were Meant For Me", Melissa uses looping technology, a variety of instruments, and her haunting voice to re-create the defining songs of a generation. Melissa will also perform original songs from across her 11 albums.

"2020 was such a bad year that I felt like this would be a good opportunity to go back in time, reminisce about life from a few decades ago, and relive the music I grew up on," says Melissa.

Hailed as sounding like "a cross between Loreena McKennitt and Jefferson Airplane's Grace Slick" (Sing Out Magazine), the 37-year-old singer/songwriter was born in the US and emigrated to New Zealand in 2014. She now lives in Tauranga with her husband and 2-year-old son and is looking forward to becoming a citizen of New Zealand in the next year.

Melissa's latest release Maiden. Mother. Broken., a four-song EP that deals with the struggles of motherhood and postpartum depression, deals with issues unique to women and mothers, and is a nod to the artists that influence her most — chick power rockers like Tori Amos, Alanis Morissette, and Bjork.

"I really didn't know how powerful, and how fragile, I was until I had a baby," Melissa says.

"The whole experience shattered me, completely. I wasn't ready for it. I've worked in corporate America, driven tens of thousands of miles on tour with my band, written books, and moved all the way around the world with just a suitcase and my guitar. And yet all of that pales in comparison to becoming a mother. I've never experienced anything more difficult, or more rewarding."

The Details
What: Female folk-rock tribute show with Melissa Cox
When: Saturday, February 27, at 7pm, doors open 6.30pm.
Where: Space Studio and Gallery, 18 St Hill St
Tickets: $10 tickets Email: sarah@spacestudiogallery.co.nz