Melissa & the Dr

Melissa & The Dr is the musical pairing of Melissa Partridge and Hyram Twang, both veteran performers in the Country and Folk genres respectively with a truck load of gigs under their hats (that is if they wore hats.) In 2017 they decided to work together as a duo after performing together in a couple of country music club shows where they recognised each other’s talents and love for good, honest, down-to-earth country music. Melissa’s voice is beautiful, clear and pure without affectation, and she sings with poise, full of emotional depth. Hyram adds harmony and lead vocals soft and intimate or with a gravelly edge, their voices blending together reminiscent of Emmylou and Gram, Dolly and Porter, Tammy and George. Melissa plays solid rhythm guitar and mandolin while Hyram’s sensitive and at times wild work on guitar, mandolin and steel guitar allow them to cover a wide range of musical landscape - from bittersweet songs of hurtin’ and flirtin’, loss and longing, to rocking honky tonk dance tunes (kick those tables out of the way!)

Last year Melissa went down to Gore for the 2021 MLT Gold Guitar Awards. She competed in nine sections, made the finals in seven (along with Hyram in the Duet), won five and took out the Overall win. Later this year she will be releasing her self-penned single "Feels Like Home", which is being recorded in Sydney and Dunedin, along with a music video to go with it.