Alexandria, VA – Right now, for one exceptional DC-area musician, it looks like her time has come. And most people would hope that would happen to her and many musicians like her, given all they go through to make it work, especially what they have dealt with these last three years.
For Pittsburgh native and Purcellville, VA, resident Melissa Quinn Fox, who, like many, has been sincerely hoping for an upturn after years of musical journeying, it looks like her time has come. This is clearly because of her talent, persistence, and consistently magical songwriting. All the hard work she has put toward her deeply sought-after musical and other goals seems to have been very worth her while.
For this Country/Americana rising star, the surge in her musical presence amid her potent songwriting has been palpable, with live appearances on WUSA9 and FOX5 TV’s morning shows, a soon-to-be cover on Purcellville Living magazine, multiple summer gigs including opening for country star Brad Paisley, and sweeping the Country/Americana category at the Wammie (Washington Area Music) awards in April, winning best song, album, and group. It was her second year to garner one or more Wammies.
“It’s a huge honor to be recognized in the industry in this city,” said Quinn Fox on a recent episode of Living On Music With Steve Houk after her Wammie wins. “The area is full of amazing musicians, producers, writers, and venues. And since I was little, all I wanted to do was write good songs that people wanted to hear, and that people could connect with, and also be able to perform them. So I’m living the dream that has come true to win three this year after winning one last year. I’m just really blown away.”
Although she has been writing music for a long time, Quinn Fox only started releasing her music in 2021. Since then, her momentum has been rolling ahead fervently with the combination of her talent and those alongside her.
“I just feel like I got a fire in my soul that was like, I can do this, and I don’t have to wait anymore,” Quinn Fox said. “Plus, it was the right place, right time when I met (revered area singer-songwriter-producer) Todd Wright. It took off from there, along with my Nashville experiences recording and playing. I’ve had some fantastic experiences in the recording studio, finally releasing a bunch of songs I wrote years ago and creating new songs with Todd. So, yes, it’s been fantastic.”
She initially derived the idea for “Dear Self Doubt,” which just won her the Wammie for Best Country/Americana song, and then collaborated with Wright to round it out into a stellar, meaningful, and award-winning song. A slew of more of her dynamic tunes will be released in coming months.
“I came to him with this idea that everybody struggles with that little voice inside your head that tells you that you can’t do something or makes you hesitate. I wrote down that idea, that title ‘Dear Self Doubt,’ on a whiteboard, and I was looking at it, and then I took it to Todd, and we wrote this song together last year.”
Quinn Fox has also begun creating a series of videos for her songs. The first is for her latest single, “Slow Down,” which will be released this spring. The core of the music also includes a very close part of her life, her husband, Steve Fox.
“Steve was in the music video with me. It tells our love story, where we met, and little stories of us while we were dating. It’s a romantic tribute to us and to him. And it’s kind of funny because none of my songs are really about him so far because I wrote a lot of them before I met him. But this video is really about him and our story.”
Like many seasoned musicians, as she ascends her musical staircase, Quinn Fox would love to use her knowledge and talent to mentor younger music up-and-comers, giving both those who contribute and receive it a tremendous amount of gratification.
“It’s been many years that I’ve been doing this since I was little, and it’s about not letting anything get in your way, so that’s what I would go back and tell myself at that age that you can do it, you can sound like yourself and like nobody else. And also, don’t worry about comparing yourself to anyone else. If you have a gift, you should share it with everyone. I have a lot of past experience, so I think I have a lot that can help.”
Follow Melissa Quinn Fox at melissaquinnfox.com. Follow Living On Music With Steve Houk at facebook.com/groups/livingonmusic & youtube.com/@livingonmusicwithstevehouk.
