Crafty and creative, there's a lot more to this former Pussycat Doll than meets the eye. We sit down with Melody Thornton to find out about her solo career, favourite places to travel and her passion for crafting and DIY.

"My Mother told me that I used to entertain myself for hours with a keyboard and microphone before I could speak" explains the dancer, model and signer who shot to fame with pop group the Pussycat Dolls before setting off on a solo career earlier this year. "It's always been a dream of mine to sing, so being a solo artist has always been in my original thought naturally. I felt the group was amazing preperation for a successful career in music. I always remind myself of that!"

Her latest release, mixtape P.O.Y.B.L was released last month (and you can listen here. "P.O.Y.B.L is my latest body of music. It’s a collection of some original songs and some covers. It's dear to me because I had the freedom as an independent artist to write songs I love. The sentiment is very honest and fans get a better idea of Melody and not just the group I was in."

"I have always loved Michael Jackson and Mariah Carey, they are my two favourites by far. I look for inspiration all the time and find it everywhere." Last year Melody appeared as a contestant on UK TV show Popstar to Operastar. "It was stressful! UGH! I learned loads though and wouldn’t trade the vocal development for the world."

For our roadtrip issue, we asked about some of her favourite places to visit. "Arizona has my heart, it's where I was raised. I didn’t enjoy it when I lived there but it's my idea of a normal safe place. It is beautiful - the best thing about Arizona is the sunset!" Touring with a band has taken Melody all over the world. "New York is the best and I love Paris and London but I hate to be away from my dog, so I appreciate LA."

She jokingly describes her style as a "young, sexy Grandma". "Does that make sense?! I love to dress with classic influence. I like Jennifer Lopez, Bridget Bardot, Edie Sedgewick, Maria Callas (especially the way she carried herself), Jackie O, Michelle Obama... but I could go on and on!"