Melotone Combine Pop Balladry with Celestial Jazz on Debut Single 'Dances on Tableaus'

 

For those not yet graced by the celestial tones of psych-jazz quartet Melotone, latest and debut single Dances on Tableaus perfectly demonstrates the unique combination of ethereality and groove that weaves its way into their work so often.

Though existing for a number of years prior to the release, Dances on Tableaus is the first song to see the light of day for the Brighton-come-Birmingham four piece. The choice to use this particular track as their debut effort is representative of their typical jazz-oriented style and approach, offering an insightful view into the rhythmic and melodic tapestry on which Alec Madley weaves his rich baritone vocals throughout. The Renaissance of ‘jazz-fusion’ - made popular by contemporary artists such as King Krule and Cosmo Pyke - has made it easy for one to dub upcoming artists who throw the odd seventh chord into their composition with this genre classification. However, for a band of such polyethnic and genre-spanning influence such as Melotone, this is somewhat too brief of a term to christen them with. Dances on Tableaus encapsulates the plethora of musical inspiration that flows throughout their work, from the ambient fragility and introverted soundscapes of Conan Mockasin to the intricate, collaborative harmony of Jeff Buckley derived bass and guitar. As the track teases at a crescendo in its second half, a taste of late-sixties Tropicalia can be heard amongst the instrumental build-up in Ed Pearson’s drumming, breaking up the song’s folky hopeless-romanticism with a hint of exoticism.

When paired with the striking aesthetics courtesy of video director Tom Whitson (@tomwhitsonphotos), Dances on Tableaus takes on a life of its own, visualizing the song’s lyrical content by depicting the four band members as mine, clown, ventriloquist and fairground man. The song’s enchanting folkiness is reflected in the video’s English woodland setting, which when accompanied by the track in all its glory rings bells of Paul Simon and ‘III’ era Zeppelin. Weighty with nostalgia-inducing qualities, Dances on Tableaus rings with a childlike psychedelia tinged with an unidentifiable lonesomeness and vulnerability that mirrors the visual aspects of The Beatles’ voodoo era of 67’, particularly the Strawberry Fields Forever video in it’s hallucinogenic circus theme. The video’s sad-clown aesthetic aids the track’s mystique and gloom, ironic and juxtaposing in its very nature. Its this contrast between dumb, wandering happiness and intrapersonal melancholy that grants Dances on Tableaus, in both video and song, a kind of magic, captivating obscurity. In a sense, Melotone’s stripped-back, layered approach echoes the song's theme. With lyrics focusing around the disconnectedness that an artist can feel when faced with their audience, the four-piece place themselves in this very scenario when translated to a live setting by opening the track merely with guitar and vox.  With no barrier of noise and effects to hide behind, the nakedness of the song’s introduction allows the listener to empathize with the performer in question subconsciously.

Fundamentally, Dances on Tableaus flows as a simply constructed pop song in its structure and melody, albeit intertwined with signature jazz-sensibilities that grant the song its charm and gravitas. Their ability to compose a song that moves the effortlessness of a ballad, tinged with chordal experimentation and sonic warmth from the opening sequence of notes to the last, sets the bar high for any future material that the four-piece may have to offer.

I sat down with Melotone to discuss the writing and recording process of Dances on Tableaus, from its humble origin as a mere chord progression to full-length composition, its visual accompaniments and more. 

@tomwhitsonphotos

- ‘Dances on Tableaus’ is the first musical release we’ve seen from yourselves, despite existing as a band for quite some time. Why was the decision made to release the single only now?

- "We spent a lot of time writing during lockdown, and stumbled upon a new sound after living together with the world shut down. Before then, we'd always wanted to release something, but the quality of music had never felt quite right. I think we just needed to mature as a band and as individual musicians, and strangely lockdown presented the opportunity to do this."

- Musically, the single captures the soft jazz-oriented, easy-listening style of Melotone. Do you think the single does a good job of representing your overall sound?

- "Our music tends to be written by how we're feeling at the time. We're quite lax in letting our moods carry the writing process in whichever direction, and for Dances on Tableaus we must've been in quite a calm but emotional place. This track has its own unique emptiness, but we always keep the sound minimal, stripped back and free flowing."

@tomwhitsonphotos

-What was the recording process like behind the single?

- "We recorded the single alongside a couple other songs at The Playpen, Bristol, in three days. We worked with Ali Chant (Aldous Harding/Katy J Pearson/Yard Act),and he helped bring the magic out of the track. There was one time where we all sat around this amazing guitar pedal which Ali recommended. It was a synth & glitch pedal, and when Pete (guitar) started strumming the chords of the song, it produced this ethereal sound which you can hear throughout the first minute or so of the track. We spent literally hours playing around with that pedal and got a bit lost in it all, so there was a lot of experimentation in how we recorded."

- Was ‘Dances on Tableaus’ a tune that was written recently? Or was it dug out of your catalogue of songs to be released as a single?

-  "This is a lovely question, so thanks for asking! It had been loosely written as a guitar piece long before the band started playing it, but remained in the background as a demo. It took years for the song to be properly introduced to the band, but when the rhythm and vocals made their mark on the track, we really fell in love with it. I think shelving the song for years gave it a mysterious feel to us, and almost surprised us when it came to be a full song. It felt like the first step in a new direction."

@tomwhitsonphotos

- The single is accompanied by a visually striking music video, depicting the band members in make-up and costume as a mime, clown, fairground man and ventriloquist. What relevance does the video have to the lyrical content of the song?

- "Alec wrote the lyrics after the band finished a tour some months ago, and he’s vocalising the less glamorous side of performing: putting yourself on stage but feeling disconnected from your audience. Casting all the band members as preformative characters was an important part of director Tom Whitson's vision (@tomwhitsonvideos), and helped connect the video to the lyrics. The main characters all put on a front to serve their role – it is this sense of putting yourself on display which conflicts but also unites them, which helped tell the song's story. Tom also wanted to encourage the viewer to apply this message to all walks of life, where 'performing' isn't just about being a musician on stage, but something more universally experienced."

- The artwork for ‘Dances on Tableaus’ shows a white figure enshrouded in a pink haze standing below a dam of sorts. What is the story behind the cover art and who created it?

- "The cover art is a photograph which we took beneath a viaduct in Somerset, on a very very cold winter morning. The idea was a bit of a stab in the dark, but it helped lay the foundations for the music video when we dressed the dancer in the same white, ghostly shroud.Amber Walters (@ambawaltaz) took the photograph, and Ellen Foster Price (@ellen.fosterprice) edited and produced the final cover art - big ups to them both."

@tomwhitsonphotos

-Any acts old or new that Melotone have been listening to that may have had an influence on the sound of the track?

- "We were inspired by soul music from artists like Alabama Shakes and Jeff Buckley. But we're also into the quirky experimental sound of modern artists like Cate Le Bon and Aldous Harding, which I think is in the track somewhere."

-Does 'Dances on Tableaus’ indicate any further musical releases?

- "There's another single on the way coming very soon, so let us keep your attention over the next few weeks!"

-And finally, when can fans catch Melotone live?

- "To any London fans, come catch us at The Old Blue Last on the 17th July! We're playing a lot of new music so we'd love to see you all there."

Watch the video for Dances on Tableaus here:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=m6nrNpMl3Xc&feature=share