creative direction : An American Voice - Melanie Long

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CLIENT : MELANIE LONG

PROJECT : AN AMERICAN VOICE, album artwork

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Background 2020 :

I love music, I love album artwork and I love design. My introduction to working on album artwork was with Becca Stevens in 2020 for her grammy nominated record WONDERBLOOM, where I photographed Becca for the cover and co-designed the artwork with Katie Corman.

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An American Voice 2025-26 :

In 2025, performer Melanie Long reached out to me about working with her on her now released debut album, An American Voice.

After a quick phone call, we hit it off with a mutual love for Old Hollywood portraiture and the way women of the time burned through the images. She wanted to capture that feeling in a contemporary way for her record and from there our plan was born. There would be seven singles released over the course of about a year to support the record, with the album cover being released last.

Design Ethos :

Album artwork is an opportunity to invite listeners into the world of the record.

An American Voice as described by Melanie is a record “celebrating the rich and diverse legacy of American vocal music. This landmark project features works by 13 American composers, spanning the full spectrum of operatic and musical theater genres and eras — from early 20th-century classics to contemporary masterpieces.”

As the album feature iconic songs from the American vocal songbook, Melanie was keen to evoke traditional imagery, but not imitate it. We shot with this in mind, focusing on all of the things Melanie has brought to her work throughout her career - passion, strength, and deep empathy.

After the shoot, we embarked on the image selection process together - seven single covers and one final album cover. I felt it was important to orient the project by designing the album cover first, though it would be the last visual aid released.

I was inspired to create a modern cover of a performing arts veteran, stepping into a new phase of their life and work. What emerged was a triumphant and contemporary image that speaks to a multifaceted artist, linked to their past, future, and rooted in their present.

The cover (above) supports the record through contrast, giving historic songs weight in the now and sees Melanie as a steward of this work.

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production, creative direction, styling, and makeup : david goddard

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all images are part of the permanent archive of david goddard photography. for commission inquiries or exhibition rights, please contact the studio.