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For her latest release San Francisco based Melissa Rapp (vocals, guitar, keys) teamed up with Bay Area producer/bassist Jon Evans (Tori Amos, Paula Cole) to record "The Other Side," now available exclusively through trueAnthem.com's digital music widgets. One listen to the title track and you are hooked--part velvet, part grit, Melissa's voice has a quality to it that penetrates.

The upcoming album showcases Melissa's voice matched with an engrossing production vibe. Evans took a minimalist approach to highlight the strong songwriting. Featured musicians include drummer Allison Miller (Natalie Merchant, Ani DiFranco) and keyboardist Julie Wolf (Indigo Girls, Dar Williams), and guitarist Betsy Adams (Under).

Melissa's live stage presence is spellbinding, and has led her to showcase at Austin's South-by-Southwest festival for the past two years, as well as headline such events as San Francisco's Union Street Festival and the Solano County Fair (opening for Gladys Knight). She's shared the stage with national acts such as ALO, Chuck Prophet, and Sara Bareilles, and been featured on San Francisco's top tastemaker radio stations, including KFOG 104.5 and KUSF 90.3.

Born and raised in Hawaii, Melissa grew up playing piano and discovered songwriting in high school, when the lively Mr. Troutner (her choir director) offered a free after-school guitar lesson for anyone interested. He told the group to pick up some Fender thins and get going with a few basic chords. Melissa went straight home afterwards. With her borrowed pick in hand, she snuck into her stepdad's closet to borrow his dusty classical guitar. Sitting in the grass in the front yard, she wrote her first song.

A brilliant combination...of pure lack of inhibition paired with an adorable shyness...Melissa looks forward to sharing her live show and debut album with the world. The songs and vibe will ring true for many, as they are inspired by universal wonders and experience--ocean and rivers, fire and wind, new love, broken love, simple love...lies, loss, pain, and forgiveness.