Melinda Schneider finds her voice again with Tender tour

SIX-time Golden Guitar winner Melinda Schneider says the happiest chapter of her life has produced the most honest music of her career, and she’s bringing it to the Bellarine this month.

The acclaimed country singer-songwriter will perform at Bellarine Estate on 13 March as part of her Tender album tour, marking her first original studio release in more than a decade.

 

For Schneider, the album represents a deeply personal return to her country roots, shaped by love, resilience and a renewed sense of peace.

“I’ve written this album while in the happiest and most authentic time of my life. Many of my previous albums were written when I was in a real struggle,” she said.

“I was in some unhealthy relationships back then, and it was just a struggle to survive and forge my identity.

“This album came after I’d been in a healthy, happy relationship with Mark [Gable from The Choirboys] – we’ve been together for 17 years – and I became a mum with Sullivan when I was 41, which is the best thing I’ve ever done in my life.”

 

The record has already struck a chord with fans, debuting at No. 1 on the ARIA Australian Country Album Chart and topping the AIR 100% Independent Albums Chart.

“It’s been a while since I’ve had a No. 1 album, so I am very excited,” Schneider said.

“I’ve thrived after a bad bout of depression in 2018.

“There’s been a lot of growth and a lot of learning to trust myself.

“During my first five albums, I was going through a lot of struggles and in the wrong kinds of relationships.

“Writing this album, I’ve been the most at peace and happiest I’ve ever been, and these songs reflect that.”

The album’s title track features a duet with Australian rock icon Diesel, a collaboration Schneider said carried particular meaning.

“He’s just as incredible as ever. Apart from having an amazing voice, he’s such a respectful and sensitive person, which was important for that song,” she said.

Tender also reflects Schneider’s evolution beyond music, with the artist combining songwriting with another long-held creative outlet.

“I’ve always had a side hustle and I’m a fashion designer by trade, so I’ve always been very creative, and then the singing and songwriting took over,” she said.

“I’ve had three exhibitions in the last three years of my paintings, which has been really validating, but this is the first time that I’ve painted my songs, and it’s nice to be bringing my two art forms together.”

Visual artworks inspired by each song will be incorporated into the live show, creating a multi-sensory experience for audiences.

“I’ve painted every song on this album,” Schneider said.

“I’ll be showing some of those artworks on the screen during the show, incorporating a couple of different art forms into the tour.”

While Schneider has built a career spanning more than four decades across music, theatre and television, she said learning to embrace vulnerability had been central to the album’s message.

“As an empath, I feel everything deeply,” she said. “My tenderness used to feel like a burden, but over time, it became a strength.

“The album is a celebration of that evolution, and now, I can be tender for my son, gentle with myself, and vulnerable with others.”

Schneider said that emotional openness also shaped her connection with audiences.

“It definitely makes you a better songwriter, and I think it gives me the capacity to make people cry when I’m singing because there’s an energy transfer between me and an audience, and that translates, and they’re not afraid to cry, to feel it,” she said.

“It’s a powerful thing and I always wanted to be that artist who was so authentic and so real that they could make people feel things, and I think I’ve finally become that artist.”

The Tender Tour will feature songs from the new album alongside favourites from Schneider’s celebrated career.

Head to bellarineestate.com.au