February 23 | BuzzMusic
It's a pleasure to have you here on BuzzMusic, Melotika! Your release "Bury The Bones" was the latest melodramatic Alt/Pop track listeners have seen from you. Are you able to walk us through some of the main visions constructed for this particular song of yours?
Sonically from the start, the vision for this track was to create something new and different. The idea was to create a song out-of-the-box and to make it it's own thing. Especially since singles are becoming more relevant than albums, I really wanted to make this song tell a story and be as dramatic and controversial as possible to stand out and to get really creative. This is not your typical pop-rock song. I wanted to deliver a more alternative rock side of Melotika as done previously for Joy Ride, but with a dark, synth-pop blend to create something magical. What I love about being alive in 2020 doing music is that literally anything is possible. Being inspired by a wide variety of genres allows room for experimentation and being innovative. I have always been the black sheep so-to-speak. I really wanted my personality to shine once more in this once and not be afraid of being different and risqué. Working with Sean Savage is always a breeze. He understands my visions entirely and together making music gets really fun.
"Bury The Bones" definitively has a mystic appeal which becomes absolutely alluring to us as listeners. There's a specific kind of richness that you offer, especially at the chorus of the song. Can you dive deeper into the meaning behind the track, and what it is "Bury The Bones" is truly trying to say?
Initially, when I began writing the lyrics of this song, I was imagining what it would be like to be an individual with an unsettling mind and to have an obsession with love and lust. I was imagining what it would be like to be a stalker, and/or a serial killer. Surely this song does not shy away from controversy! Having a background in psychology, I had always found it interesting to dig deep into disturbed minds. The character in the story cannot live without love and is emotionally attached. Not only is this character so obsessed with their lover, but ends the life of their lover. And who knows? After falling for someone else, the pattern continues. The main character has these uncontrollable urges to end the lives of those they love. In the end, the main character can never truly love and is rather obsessed with the idea of love. Part of their sick desires is to, therefore, end the lives of the person(s) they seduce. This could be a movie! I remember for the first time talking with Gory Gloriana (the co-writer of the chorus) on the phone, I was explaining to her the story and concept of the song. At first, she couldn't relate at all! And the way I put it was basically like this:
Imagine yourself as a person who has been hurt and betrayed. Ok. Now imagine yourself and put yourselves in the twisted mind of the person who feeds off hurting others. Go!''
It's fictional storytelling really!
Lyrically, the song can also be up for interpretation. ''Walk away and Bury The Bones'' can also mean walking away from the past and mistakes. You cannot change and erase the past and unfortunate events, but you can definitely walk away from them. This, of course, is inspired by personal experiences where I have been a victim of mental and physical abuse in a former relationship.
Your move from Montreal to Toronto must've provided tons of inspiration for you artistically! How do you feel the change in living environments changed the way you created your ultimate sound? What are some areas of the Toronto area that makes you feel most inspired as an artist?
Back home my family is supportive of my music path but it was not really encouraged. When I moved to Toronto officially I was 23. It was one of the best decisions I could ever make as an artist and the reason being is not the location itself, but just simply getting out of my comfort zone and starting fresh. Learning to live alone, being away from friends and family, and basically having to start over really allows you to discover yourself and find out how you really are. It was a long crazy process, but after years of experimenting with different sounds and finally making music, I found solace for the first time in my life just being myself. Performing in front of complete strangers for the first time is scary too! And I love that because the hustle and challenge are what makes the entire process so wonderful in the end. It must be great to have it easy and have all your friends and family attend your first gigs. However, starting from scratch in a place where no one knows who you are is just a whole different route. I think I am the type of person that likes to do things the hard way!
I do not think it is the living environment that changed the way I created my sound. I am an introvert and rarely go out. (Working on it!) Having the opportunity to be alone and not have family members influence me or change the way I think, and discover who I really am in a new city, is what allowed me to discover my sound.
How do you feel you've crafted your vocalism over the years you've been creating music? Do you feel the process was methodically manipulated and shaped, or did the process come almost naturally?
I believe I've crafted my vocalism over the years from being inspired by such a wide range of genres and songs that I really resonate with. I am never a ''die-hard fan'' of an artist. My taste varies and goes with the flow with what mood I'm in and what phase of my life I'm in. If I provide a simple example, my top 10 albums of all time that I can repeat over and over and never get sick of are the following:
Tool - Aenima (Alternative Metal)
Foo Fighters - The Color and The Shape (Alt Rock / Post Grunge)
Portishead - Dummy (Trip Hop)
Greenday - American Idiot (Pop / Punk)
Evanescence - Fallen (Pop Rock)
Radiohead - In Rainbows (Art Rock)
Britney Spears - Blackout (Electro Pop)
Lady Gaga - The Fame (Electro Pop)
Silversun Pickups - Neck Of The Woods (Alt Rock / Dream pop)
Metric - Synthetica (New Wave)
I selected these all around because of production, lyricism and just overall because they are damn artistic and amazing and stand out in their genres. You can really tell I am born in the 90s! The process comes entirely naturally. When I am composing, certain notes and ranges are effortless, while others are a little more dramatic and requires more practice. I tend to compose songs naturally outside of my vocal range which then forces me to learn how to sing those notes correctly. In the past year, I have been taking singing lessons for the first time since I was 11. It really helped develop my mixing voice and gave me that extra boost and not be afraid to use all my power. There is a lot in me that is dying to come out!
You're quite the eclectic Alt/Electro-Pop artist, Melotika! We can only imagine what you have up your sleeve for the next release! For now, can you give readers any hints on when they can expect more of your creatively infectious music? This year I plan on releasing a bunch of singles. A song I wrote 5 years ago has been recorded and reworked. It is in the mixing process now that will be released in Spring. Another track will be released late Summer that I am currently working on with Stephen Dusunberry who is an eclectic artist all around based out of Pittsburgh. I intend on releasing a surprise cover song later this year, and hopefully, finish up a collaboration with local Toronto alternative hip hop artist Krosst Out. Stay tuned for the Bury The Bones music video as well.
Listen to "Bury The Bones" here.