Melissa Stott was born in England in 1972 to a Singaporean-Chinese mother and an English father. Her formal piano training began at the age of 6 and she went on to receive a diploma when she was 18, but it was in the years prior to this that her informal ear training started, thanks to her father, a church organist and jazz pianist. Melissa hummed harmonies to just about everything she heard and later, after her younger sister was born, they would sing in three-part harmony at home and in …

For her 2005 debut, Why Now, Anglo-Chinese musician Melissa was hailed by Chris Parker (Vortex, London) as " a witty, accomplished songwriter with the ability to deliver her material with beguiling, informal intimacy " and went on to predict that "her ability to write clever but affecting original songs that sound like standards in the making should see her establish herself in the top flight of vocalists in short order". Her new 2007 release, The Picture, for Feetfirst Records,