Melo Makes Music • The Road To Hold Your Tongue
Preparing for his forthcoming project, Melo Makes Music brings the calm before the storm in the form of a his new single, “Jiiim Carrey”, the first of a two part Soundcloud exclusive series titled, The Road To Hold Your Tongue. The new song “Jiiim Carrey”, acts as the perfect catalyst to this journey, gradually firing off with the passionate blend of angst and wisdom Melo’s been honing since I first touched base with him last year. And as my thumbs continually hover Melo's replay-able stream of shout worthy crescendos, that somehow, spurt the prescribed dose of frustration and clarity needed to combat my own reflections. It becomes abundantly clear that I am no longer dealing with the same person I met climbing the stairs of Alina Tsvor’s Pilsen loft last June. The Melo I could on the other side of the phone, relaxed as always, communicated with a sense of understanding, I believe, only comes from the acceptance of three major life lessons. First, you must accept that there are factors in life you cannot control, accept that you will have to fight in order to maintain sanity amongst these factors, and lastly, accept that for as long as you live, you will never be able to escape these truths.
Convoluting my inquiries as time goes on Melo unveils the method to his madness. Referring back to Jim Carrey’s surreal red carpet interview at NYFW 2017, where he states, “There’s no meaning to any of this, so I wanted to find the most meaningless thing that I could (inaudible) come to and join and here I am.” Much like in the new track, Melo spoke about indulging in the idea of seeing life as a paradox, specifically, how one can feel like a program trapped in a computer simulation. “The idea of 'Jiiim Carrey' for sure zooms in on life being like a simulation but In a way less literal sense. It’s more to do with the emotional placement, of what it feels like to exist, when you feel like existence is pointless.” As Melo continues, the more resolute his assertions become. It's apparent that's he's experienced a lot since we last met in June, and he's ready to share his thoughts, through, and around the music.
If “Jiiim Carrey” was the warning shot, Melo’s new single “Wombs” is surely the fatal wound ultimately leading up to the nail in the coffin, his debut project Hold Your Tongue. Although both singles didn’t make the project, it was apparent that solidifying the final tracklist of the album was a deeper task than merely separating good music from the bad. Concerning the creation of the project, Melo spoke with the poise of a well seasoned artist, “These new songs did have a place on the previous version of Hold Your Tongue, but after holding back and sitting on my work for so long, I feel like if anything the songs that didn’t make it are just as important. They just didn’t fit the narrative of the other tracks that shined through.”
The latest single “Wombs” is the second release on Melo’s journey toward his debut project Hold Your Tongue. Featuring long time friend and collaborator WastedJu, the new song is a flashback to the past in more ways than one. Starting out as a demo nearly over a year ago, the song not only harbors some of the more rap like aspects Melo used to showcase more often, the new track also serves as a vivid look into a mindstate Melo has since outgrown. It’s no secret that pursuing a full time career in music comes with it’s fair share of struggles, “and when I wrote ‘Wombs’, I was young and in a very confused place in my life. I wasn’t sure where the next few months of my life were going but I was still, dead set on being this great musician I said I would be.” “Wombs” is direct reflection of what it feels like to fight for your dreams in a capitalistic society where sometimes, all you have to look forward to are the anxieties and growing pains of tomorrow. It’s safe to say that Melo’s gotten the better of this particular turmoil. And as he enters the final strides toward the album, Melo Makes Music is more assure of the future than ever.