Melanie Dyer's rise to the top is fuelled by the power of love

A country singer-songwriter with roots embedded in the Australian countryside, Melanie's journey from her family farm near Inverell to the global stage is a tale of passion, persistence, and the pursuit of genuine expression.

"There wasn't too much to do out there to pass the time out on the farm," she told the Leader.

"So I picked up mum's guitar and I started learning chords and writing music based on my experience livin' in the country."

The commitment to her craft manifested early on.

With her mum's support, Dyer quickly found herself on the road to Tamworth, participating in talent quests and pub jams.

"I've spent a long time in Tamworth, and being in the country capital, doing more country music made sense," she said.

Inspired by icons like Kasey Chambers and Troy Cassar-Daley, the singer-songwriter cherishes the authenticity of country music and the art of storytelling it encapsulates.

But as her journey unfolded, Dyer experienced the harsh demands of the industry on struggling artists.

She spent about seven years in Sydney grinding out music while holding down two to three jobs at a time to make ends meet while investing in her dream.

Dyer spent this time building her fan base while trying to juggle her authentic storytelling alongside maintaining her marketing and branding.

She experienced varying levels of success, but her career trajectory has skyrocketed in recent years following a COVID-enforced return to her roots.

The pandemic-era lockdowns sent her back to her parents' farm on Mount Russell in northern NSW.

Dyer says the break allowed her to reconsider her priorities, and also led an "unexpected" romance to bloom.

She started dating her partner, Jackson James, and the two are now nearly inseparable.

"He's an artist in his own right, and we're always either working on music for me, or he's playing as a guitarist in my band, or we're writing songs for him as well," Dyer said.

"It's a great partnership, but we also find it hard to turn off and just chill."

When asked what she loves most about her partner, the country musician said it's the fun the two of them have together as they support one another in pursuit of their goals.

Now Dyer is up for a Golden Guitar award for Female Artist of the Year for the second year in a row.

She also just released her newest single, Honeymooning, which came out of a whirlwind adventure in Nashville, USA, with two of her "favourite collaborators" Karen Kosowski and Emma-Lee.

"It comes from the phrase, the honeymoon phase, in relationships. The song's about that new and exciting bubble and just trying to keep things there, keep it fresh and exciting," Dyer said.

But despite having a huge couple of years, she says she's got plenty more still to come, with more music set to be released in 2024.

Before that though, Melanie Dyer will take centre stage of the Tamworth country music festival on Friday, January 26, performing on the Toyota FanZone stage on Peel Street from 12:30pm.

Her newest single, Honeymooning, is available on all major streaming platforms.