Merril Bainbridge's simple melodies with profound lyrics follow a recently-established trend.
Since Sheryl Crow, Alains Morissette and Tori Amos popularised down-to-earth music, new opportunities are waiting for guitar-playing, singer/songwriters.
'I guess that a lot of my writing is about emotions - people's feelings and their reaction. I find it interesting that everyone reacts very differently to different emotional states,' said the Australian who lives in Melbourne.
At the Hard Rock Cafe recently, her melodies and profound observations about relationships won over local audiences.
Her most notable single, Mouth, undoubtedly deserves some serious attention.
'It's not just a song about kissing. It's about relationships in the '90s. If you listen through the lyrics you'll see there's a back-and-forth situation where you're vulnerable and then feeling superior.' It topped the Aussie singles chart for six weeks and is believed to have made history as the first debut No 1 single self-penned by a female singer. To capitalise on her success, she followed up with her debut album, The Garden which shows that her songwriting is not limited to one genre. Garden in My Room, Under the Water, State of Mind and Julie show the variety of pop, ballad and moody tunes that she is capable of.