With a rich alto voice and a banjo style that bridges old-time tradition with contemporary edge, this Utah-based artist is a storyteller at heart—turning lived-in details into songs that feel both timeless and immediate. Rooted in the honesty of folk, bluegrass, old-time music, and early jazz, her performances pair complex banjo with lyrical narratives that capture the beauty of tradition while carving out new spaces for heartfelt storytelling.
Over the course of multiple albums, she’s carved out a distinct sound: warm and resonant vocals layered over banjos and fiddles that move fluidly between heritage techniques and modern phrasing. Songs reflect her range and story-telling styles, from the love lament of “Could Have Had It All,” to the haunting true legend of “The Blind Miner,” to the small-town campground host of “Hanksville,” a guy who found his small town had gotten too darned popular. Her River Green Sessions album forges a literal bond between her two passions (music and the outdoors), recorded with ambient sounds from a day trip to the mountains, and layered with songs such as “Like a Desert Flower” (written and recorded with David Baker) and the two “River Green” title tracks that feel they’d be at home on either playlist or soundtrack. Her discography reflects both her musicianship and stature, with her self-titled 2025 release and those with band Pompe n’ Honey putting her voice front and center, and the lilt of her trademark harmonies gracing the tracks of numerous other artists.
“Some people in the bluegrass/old time scene spent their childhood’s going to festivals,” she says. “They’ve played fiddle since they were in diapers. Which is so beautiful. But I think finding it organically, because something called to my soul, is also interesting and powerful.” The tug, she says, comes from the folk traditions, the sounds of the mountains where Melissa (a rock climber, avid biker, and farmer with a Master of Soil Science) is especially at home, as well as the unmistakable community vibe.
Melissa remains committed to all those elements, notably the community, for which she created the Trash Moon Collective. Today Salt Lake City’s hub of old-time/bluegrass music, the organization hosts events, workshops, and performances around the area, welcoming people to be at once audience, participant, and community member. “I’m bringing all the components of myself into one unique artistic voice,” she says. “Instead of choosing just one style to play, one identity to sound like, I’m making something new that reflects who I am. It truly feels very poetic to how I feel personally - weaving more pieces of myself into one.”
For her OFOAM mainstage performance, Melissa will be joined by the Hearfolk, a dynamic combination of local, eclectic jazz musicians: Tony Elison (keys), Georgi Petrov (electric guitar and bass), and Taku Ishikawa (percussion). The music will blend jazz, old time, country, and Melissa’s original music into a completely new sound.