Unsigned Female Artist of the Month for May 2014!

Article by: Dasein

Melany ‘Lani’ Pascal (StarCentral Magazine’s Unsigned Female Artist of the Month for May 2014) grew up with music all around her. It is an important part of her life, and now, she shares her love for music with everyone. She almost gave up on her ability to make amazing tunes, but fortunately, this girl is here to stay and serenade us all with her compositions.

Music has always been in Lani’s blood and has played a crucial role in making her who she is now. Before her exposure on The X Factor, Australia last year, she had her first taste of performing live when she was 10 years old with her father’s band at a Mauritian dance. She remembers that while it was a nerve-wracking experience, it was also an amazing one and she loved every moment of it.

However much she loved music, Lani shelved her dreams of becoming a singer when she was in high school and became interested in another artistic craft – film. She pursued that art form, completed a degree in screen production, and has been involved in film industry before she singing again caught her attention.

The film maker and singer shares that one of her major sources of inspiration is Welsh singer/songwriter, Marina & the Diamonds. She explains that the talented musician has helped her realize just how much she adores music, and helped her believe in herself.

Her family has played a crucial part in her decision to pursue her musical career. Seeing her father happy and contented, and still playing with his band at 65, convinced her to follow her heart’s yearning. She shares that her family supports whichever path she takes, and Lani knows she can always count on them whenever she needs encouragement.

The aspiring musician, who is also a skilled Sega dancer and choreographer, is married to her husband Jarryd, She reveals that Jarryd has been there for her every step of her career, and has never missed a show. “His love and support really gets me through tough times”, she expresses.

Her choice to trudge the path of music has brought her so many great memories, and allowed her to meet a lot of interesting people. The experience with The X Factor for one, has led her to a bunch of cool and talented young musicians like her, which includes the show’s judges, Ronan Keating, Natalie Bassingthwaighte, Dannii Minogue and LMFAO frontman, Redfoo.

All throughout her journey as an artist, she learned that nothing comes to those who wait. She tells us that she kept waiting for the right moment, and told herself ‘If it’s meant to be it’ll happen’. However, after a very long time, nothing came to pass, and she finally decided to take the first step to her dreams. She shook off her fears, and focused on what mattered most: her happiness and her passion. She thought, “I need to be my number one fan and truly believe in myself if I want to be in the music industry because it’s a harsh and intimidating world.”

And with a determined heart, she pushed against adversity and competition, and found that it is not so bad after all. Currently, Lani is prepping for the release of her first EP on June 17, 2014, which includes four of her original songs. She is also heading to Canada and America to distribute her EP to labels. She plans to do an EP launch party when she gets back, and invite a few industry professionals. She is taking charge of her destiny, and great things in the future are waiting for Lani.