Melissa Greene

Writing for Melissa Greene’s solo effort is certainly a different journey than what she’s used to. The long-time Avalon vocalist is used to singing songs of praise and stories of God’s love. Yet with her upcoming album, Next Step, it’s been a difficult journey involving the loss of her brother-in-law to cancer and three of four grandparents all within the last year.

In dealing with such tragedy, the 29-year-old says she’s learned so much about what it means to be honest and how she can express feelings in a brand new way. In this interview, she discusses what it means to finally be real and authentic within the church and how refreshing that can be for everyone involved.

Soul-Audio: When you’re writing out of these difficult times, does that tap into something differently for you as an artist?

Melissa Greene: I think the difference with this record or this time was going in with this authenticity. I was in the heat of the moment, so to speak. God was encouraging me that I didn’t have to ignore what was going on around me, but instead that I could write from this. I didn’t have to only write about the happy times. I knew that God was still in it all, so I had to figure out how to portray the authenticity of my own pain and how God is in that. I found a way to encourage people in that and that’s been such a blessing for me.

SA: Do you think that people don’t have the freedom to be authentic a lot of times?

Melissa: Yes. [Laughs] Yes, definitely. I think that’s a struggle for the church as a whole, not only for Christian artists. I think so many times, I grew up in church and being in pain with divorce in my family and yet when someone asks, you just tell them you’re doing great. And that’s not the case in those times. But that tends to be what we do in the church. We think people won’t want to hear about it so we pretend. We’re called to be honest with each other – not only to rejoice with each other, but to grieve with each other, to comfort and mourn with one another. That’s what the fellowship is about. I think everyone wants to know that someone else is going through something, too.

We’re all going through something at some point and so I think I commented from a whole different viewpoint all together with this record that I did when writing just a few years ago. I’m a more authentic person period. It’s not that I unload all of my feelings on someone who asks how I am doing, but it’s also learning that I don’t have to put on a happy face. That’s not what God wants me to do. Somehow we’ve gotten confused over the years that Christians are all supposed to be happy. Sure, we’re supposed to have the joy of the Lord, but we can also be honest about the trials and tribulations of this world.

SA: It seems that when you do that, you give permission to people around you to be the same way.

Melissa: Yes! The record isn’t even out yet, but I’ve been able to sing a couple songs in some solo concerts that I’ve done or there’s also the streaming songs on the website and the response is overwhelming. I think the title track has been a huge help. People have written, ‘Thank you for writing this song that has been so encouraging to me in this moment of my life and let me tell you the story.’ I think it’s because God allowed me, along with some other great writers because I didn’t write all of these songs on my own, to tell what was truly going on and there’s also that encouragement there. I feel so honored and privileged to be a part of this process.

SA: I wanted to ask about the solo career. Is there complete freedom for everyone to do what they want or is there tension there with Avalon? How do you balance?

Melissa: Well, there’s not complete freedom, but there is complete support on all sides. The freedom isn’t free on either side, because we have to call each other to make sure there’s room on all sides. As my solo career continues to take off or as ministry gets larger, then there’s things to think about. Being a part of Avalon has obviously been the forefront of my priority for six years now and I’m so thankful for the chance to be there still. Being in that group has opened doors for me that I cannot even comprehend and I love the times we’ve had together.

I think we’re still feeling it out about how it all will work out. All I know is that God is still working through Avalon and we can see that at the concerts we do. We don’t feel the door is ready to be closed there, but then again it’s also fully open for me in my solo ministry. And I’m not talking about gold records or anything like that. If God wants to do that, that’s great. But I am talking about the ministry side of it – the e-mails and messages you get to know you’re impacting people. So with that said, we’re all trying to figure out how this works.

Also, Greg [Long] has a solo ministry and Janna [Long] is looking to do another record. We have a new guy, Jeremy, who leads worship in other places when he’s not singing with us. So I think we’re all balancing double lives at the moment. Plus we’re all parents and mothers and fathers and husbands and wives. So we have no idea how it all works. Every week something comes up and we just have to call each other and figure it out, but it’s great to work together and know they’re in great support of what I do. It’s interesting to say the least. [Laughs]

SA: Have you seen the ministry or focus of Avalon change at all in your time with the group?

Melissa: I was told when I joined the group was that their mission was to be a healing place, because that’s what the word means. The band has been around for 13 years now and they wanted their ministry or concerts to be that healing place. I don’t know if that ever lost course along the way but when I joined the group, I knew they had come full circle. They had all the radio hits. They’d won the Dove Awards and had the number one songs. I joined the group at the apex. They said then that they wanted to still be about that ministry and that’s what made me want to join the group. I didn’t want to be a part of the contemporary Christian world because I had seen some negatives from several other places.

So when I knew their heart and ministry, even with all the success they enjoyed, that was fresh and exciting for me to join with them. My heart was for the church and that’s been so refreshing. That’s definitely what I walked into. It continues to be about that and obviously the members have changed since I’ve been there, but even the current configuration are amazing. Janna and Greg are amazing people and if I had an idol, Janna would be it. I loved her when I was in high school and I love her still. Their hearts and voices are just amazing.

Jeremy is also a new amazing talent and we never thought we’d have another Jody McBrayer because he was amazingly, freakishly talented himself. When he moved on, we thought it was over. But then we found Jeremy and he just fits right in there. He has the perfect personality to fit with the group, so it’s a great place to be still and we’re seeing the ministry, especially in the concerts and how they are touched by the songs. We know the door isn’t shut yet when you see what takes place there.

SA: What do you think it is about Avalon that has allowed such a long-term ministry to take place there?

Melissa: I think it’s the songs. We’ve been so blessed with amazing songs, so that even with the member changes, because our hearts and focus have stayed the same, we’re still singing the big hits and mixing in the new songs and being able to minister to people. We have a running joke that you could get four dogs up there singing and they don’t care as long as they hear those songs because they are so good. [Laughs]

SA: Well, tell us the tangible details around your own album.

Melissa: The release date is March 10. Touring-wise, I’m still with Avalon, but there’s one week a month where I’m out doing my own stuff. I also lead worship every Tuesday night that I’m home in Nashville. I’m still figuring out how this will all work together, but I enjoy my plate being full. My mom said my middle name was ‘go’ when I was little. I don’t like to sit still, so I feel God says, ‘Okay, here’s lots to do then.’

• www.melissagreenemusic.com
• www.myspace.com/melissagreenemusic

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