French chanteuse MELANIE PAIN (pronounced pan as in panda) is playing a special one-off summertime show in East London on her way from Paris to Sheffield for the Tramlines Festival. That East London show looks something like this:

THURSDAY JULY 18TH 2013
DALSTON SERVANT JAZZ QUARTERS
(10a Bradbury Street, London E8. 020 7684 8411)
+ special guest Albert Gold
www.alt-tickets.co.uk/alttickets/home_melanie_pain.html

The Dalston show follows hot on the high heels of the 'Just A Girl' digital EP which sees Melanie deliver ravishing indiepop chansons in both English (the title track) and French ('7 Ou 8 Fois') and features exclusive non-album tune 'Je Suis Revenue'. To launch the EP Melanie headlined Camden Jazz Caf?ɬ©, while her last visit to London was on May 4th when she helped say au revoir to the Bull & Gate by playing the final night at the venue with songwriting soulmate Ed Harcourt

Shes got flamboyant form, has Melanie: as a leading light in acclaimed French collective Nouvelle Vague, she has seduced audiences across the world with sassy sweetness both on originals and via cover versions of 'This Is Not A Love Song', 'Teenage Kicks', 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' and similarly classic alternative hits given a gently sugary makeover. The good burghers of Turkey and Hungary have been the most recent recipients of Nouvelle Vagues indiepop love.

Its a mellow method she continues to use to this day. After releasing her debut solo album 'My Name' in 2009 and touring internationally for two years Melanie secluded herself in second spiritual home Manchester - Morrissey is a draw for young Parisiennes, too - to write new material armed with only an autoharp, a ukelele and a miniature Casio keyboard. Staying true to her style of retro pop she pushed further towards a more exuberant, feisty sound with programmed beats and vintage synths. Eight weeks later she left town. Bye bye, Manchester indeed.

Back in France she teamed up with renowned producer and composer Albin De La Simone, who has worked with Vanessa Paradis, to record the album. Taking the fragile skeletons created in the North West, Melanies songs were fleshed out with exotic twangs, taut basslines and cutely knowing '60s musical references. The album sees Melanie singing of running away in 'Ailleurs', of a desire for a fresh start in 'Bye Bye Manchester', the fear of failure on '7 Ou 8 Fois' and the wickedness of bereavement in the terrifically dark 'Black Widow', a murderous duet with Ed Harcourt. Somewhere between the spirit of Serge Gainsbourg and a surge of pure pop excitement, it all adds up to a classy sophomore effort shot through with a witty, vintage cinematic feel.

The Bye Bye Manchester album will be released on fierce panda on September 23rd.

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