Melanie Herrera recently released her self-written new single Whatever’s Left, which was produced by her long-time collaborator Tiger Darrow, having released her debut single Do You Ever in 2022. On Sunday 26th April, Melanie will be performing her Delco Hometown Show followed by a show in New York City on Thursday 4th June, and will be releasing a full 12-song album. Alongside her husband, Melanie uploads the viral social media series Nepo Baby Vocal Warm-Ups on Instagram and TikTok, which has amassed millions of views, which has seen her film a video with Kate Hudson and Hugh Jackman. We spoke to Melanie about her new single release Whatever’s Left, her upcoming Delco Hometown Show and the social media series Nepo Baby Vocal Warm-Ups.
Can you tell us about your new single Whatever’s Left and where has the inspiration come from for the lyrics?
Whatever’s Left is about the experience of being a child of divorce. It’s something that deeply shaped me, and as I grew older, I wished I’d had words for those emotions. The lyrics use the metaphor of a family like a painting left out in the rain – something that was supposed to be a final, finished work… but when the colours bleed, it’s never quite the same.
When did you start working on Whatever’s Left, and how much did the song change over time?
I began working on Whatever’s Left in the summer of 2024. Initially, it had a different working title – Garden Wall (when I’m recording a song in my voice memos, I always pick a random lyric that will remind me of it). Before that, I had explored the theme in different ways, even in poetry, but it didn’t fully come together. When I finally sat down with the idea, the song came to life in about two days.
With the track produced by your longtime collaborator Tiger Darrow, what do you enjoy most about working with Tiger and how was it hearing the completed song for the first time?
I love this question because I love Tiger. What I love most about working with her is how intuitively she understands my vision. I rarely have to explain what I’m imagining – she just gets it. Even when we adjust things, she knows exactly what I mean. We have similar tastes, and it helps us be great collaborators. She is also just an amazingly kind and gracious person, especially in a session, and we’ve become great friends.
Hearing the completed song was really fun. She added subtle elements inspired by our references, and when I first heard her final touch, I was thrilled.
We understand you have a music release upcoming, is there anything you can tell us about it?
It’s actually a full LP – a 12-song album! I’m keeping details under wraps for now, as I’ll be making an official announcement in a few weeks.
Do you remember how you felt releasing your debut single Do You Ever in 2022, and how would you say your music has evolved over the past four years?
When I released Do You Ever in 2022, I was both terrified and excited. I had struggled with self-doubt for years, so putting it out made me feel like I’d overcome something huge. Over the past four years, my music has evolved. Early on, I just needed to start and learn as I went. Now, my sound has grown more cinematic, my songwriting has strengthened, and I’m proud to have written many songs solo. I think my style has become more clear… that’s what I call it “storybook pop” 🙂
You announced that you will be performing your Delco Hometown Show on Sunday 26th April, what are you looking forward to for this show?
Honestly, what I’m most excited about is that my grandma will finally get to see me perform my music! She’s 96 and can’t travel to New York, so bringing the show home means the world. Growing up, I had a wonderful artistic community, so returning to perform songs I’ve written – and feeling like I’ve come full circle – is deeply meaningful, especially for my community and my family.
Can you tell us about your viral social media series – Nepo Baby Vocal Warm-Ups – that you started with your husband, and how did it come about?
My husband and I are members of SAG… and about two years ago, he had gone to a screening for the Wicked movie. When I asked him how it was, he was like, “It was good! Ariana (Grande) was there… Cynthia (Erivo) was there… Marc Platt”. I said, “Marc Platt, Ben Platt’s dad,” and he said, “Marc Platt, Ben Platt’s dad,” and then we just started jokingly saying it back and forth. We were like – wouldn’t it be so funny if we made vocal warm-ups out of the names of nepo babies? Because there are SO many. So we made one video, and people went wild. After that, we kept going – expanding into longer formats with famous families, TV shows, popular books and current events.
With the videos having amassed millions of views online, how is it seeing the response to your content and what do you enjoy most about filming the videos?
Honestly, what we enjoy most is just being silly together. My husband and I are strong collaborators (we actually met playing romantic leads in a musical) and we worked together many times in college. Making these is really just us making each other laugh the whole time. But seeing the response is genuinely meaningful because every idea is something we create ourselves. It’s incredibly rewarding to make something people connect with, no matter how unserious it is. It’s also helped me reach a larger audience and share my music and more. It’s been a huge blessing.
How do you come up with the ideas for Nepo Baby Vocal Warm-Ups, and how was it collaborating on a video with Kate Hudson and Hugh Jackman?
The ideas started with a long list of nepo babies. We began with short, one-off videos and then expanded into famous families and other topics. Now, we often involve our audience through polls and comments, and sometimes pull from current events or things we personally find funny or enjoy.
Working with Kate Hudson and Hugh Jackman was so fun!! They are truly two of the nicest people I have ever encountered at that calibre in a working environment. Kate was so gracious and joyful. She kept cracking up, and saying her own family’s names over and over. Hugh was having a blast and giving it 100%, like a true theatre kid.
Where does your love of music come from and how did you get into singing and songwriting?
I’ve loved singing for as long as I can remember. My mom says I was vocalising in the hospital the day I was born, haha. My dad was a Latin jazz musician, so music was always part of my life, but I didn’t realise songwriting was something I could do until I discovered Sara Bareilles in my teens, and then Taylor Swift. They showed me that songwriting was an art form I could step into. I’m a big feeler, and I love how songwriting creates a container for a moment or emotion in a way that nothing else really can.
What are some of your stand-out highlights of your music career so far?
One stand-out moment was when my early single Playing House was organically placed on Spotify’s Fresh Finds Pop playlist – that felt like a huge win without a label. Another was creating the music video for Without Me, which involved a full crew and choreography – it’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve made. Honestly, just having a catalogue of songs out is something I’m really proud of. It’s shown me that I’m more capable than I once believed. Also, the response to my songs Shouldn’t the Flowers Stop Growing, about grief, has been incredibly meaningful. I get messages multiple times a week about that song.
Do you have any favourite music artists to listen to?
I’m always listening to Taylor Swift… always. And I’m eagerly awaiting a new Sara Bareilles album! I love Oh Wonder; I just saw them perform in NYC and they were amazing. Lately, I’ve been listening to a lot of Rosalía and Bad Bunny, and I’m really into Erin LeCount right now. I also love Googly Eyes and listen to her a lot, along with Gracie Abrams and Holly Humberstone.
How do you like to spend your free time?
I love going out for a cute dinner, and I watch TV and movies with my husband. I’m also really into audiobooks (I run an audiobook club on Discord with around 4,000 members – my ultimate side quest). I also am a big fan of Love Island UK!! I’ve been enjoying Love Island: All Stars lately while doing embroidery or knitting. I also recently got back into ballet after about 10 years, which I’m loving. I also do a lot of Pilates! Shoutout to BodyROK, and also my old friend Tara Bethune, who is one of the best instructors in the city.
What are you hoping 2026 brings you and do you have any upcoming career plans that you can share?
My husband and I have chosen the word “expansion” for this year, so we’re hoping to see growth in everything we’re building. I’m really excited about my upcoming full-length project, and I have a couple of shows this spring – including one in Delco and another in New York City on June 4th, with tickets coming soon. Overall, I’m just looking forward to continuing to expand and seeing where it all leads!
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