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Track-by-Track: The Members of Meltt Map Out ‘Another Quiet Sunday’

Austin, Texas crew Meltt shares a track-by-track rundown of each alternative psych-rock track on their EP ‘Another Quiet Sunday’ (Nettwerk).

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Meltt in 2022, photo by Zachary Vague

Hot off of an impressive showing at this year’s edition of South by Southwest down in Austin, Texas, Meltt couldn’t be riding any higher. The alternative psych-rockers released their latest EP, Another Quiet Sunday, earlier this month via Nettwerk, and it has been garnering widespread praise for its ethereal, textured psychedelic soundscapes. Much of the EP was put together while the quartet wrote and recorded independently during the various pandemic-related lockdowns. When things loosened up, they joined together to spend a month in a cabin, away from their home city of Vancouver, to bring those individual ideas together and cement the sound of the EP. The dynamics on display here are truly impressive, a diverse, distinctive, polished sound that emphasizes the band members’ natural chemistry together.

Featuring lead singer and guitarist Chris Smith, guitarists James Porter and Ian Winkler, and drummer Jamie Turner, the band released their debut EP Visions in 2017. Their multi-faceted approach really got kicked into high gear upon the release of their debut full-length record, Swim Slowly, in 2019. Despite the frustration of being laid up by the pandemic situation, they remain committed not just to each other but to further expanding their sound and their musical capabilities, which they have done with this new release.

Joining us today are the members of Meltt for a special track-by-track rundown of each track on Another Quiet Sunday. They discussed the songs’ origins, how they came along, and what specific inspirations helped them craft this impressive piece of music.

1. “Blossoms”

Chris Smith: “‘Blossoms’ first came about while experimenting with new sounds and new VST tools in combination during the 2020 summer lockdown. While experimenting without any specific intention to record a song, an arpeggio pattern, and Korg synthesizer patch linked up all at once. I very quickly added an improvised bassline and scrap drum recording before also very quickly capturing a scratch vocal melody improvisation on top.

“The song would eventually reach final structure and sonic ideas whilst all working together remotely in a lakefront cabin in remote British Columbia. While not necessarily correlated, the song strongly pulls from a deep connection to nature and the outdoors, clearing the mind, and feeling grounded, which reflects a lot of our time making the EP in that remote cabin.”

2. “Only in Your Eyes”

Smith: “Musically, ‘Only in Your Eyes’ started out with the sliding verse bass line on a loop around the time we had just started mixing ‘Swim Slowly’ in 2018. I liked the upbeat and bouncy feel it gave, so I tried adding some simple guitar strums, a midi drum beat, some SEM VST synth chords, and an improvised vocal melody on top.”

James Porter: “I remember Chris showing me the verses at his place and loving the groove and energy. I think Chris had to go out for a few hours when I was over and whilst he was gone I came up with the chords and melody for the chorus along with the big drop moment after the final chorus.”

Ian Winkler: “The lyrics for ‘Only in Your Eyes’ were written while my dad was in the later stages of fighting ALS. Amongst the many emotions I felt at the time, a deep sense of existential anguish for what was happening drove the lyrics. It’s about making the most you possibly can with someone in the face of knowing how little time you have left with them.”

Meltt ‘Another Quiet Sunday’ EP album artwork

Meltt ‘Another Quiet Sunday’ EP album artwork

3. “Within You, Within Me”

Porter: “‘Within You, Within Me’ first came about when I was mucking about with these really wide piano chords and then started layering with Spitfire audio music box sounds, and VST OBX synths and some nylon string guitar. Sonically and structurally most of the elements of the verses and choruses remained the same, but with the bridge we tried a bunch of new ideas, layering in Juno 106, Rhodes, and a super verbed-out guitar line by Ian. The song was definitely a conscious attempt to try out new, more colourful sound palettes and I love the way it blends lots of organic instrumentation with synths and drum pads.

“Lyrically, the song is essentially about learning to love someone else and in the process learning how to love yourself. I wrote it at a time when I was both in a new relationship and separately in a pretty hyper-self-critical mood. I felt like in writing the song, I definitely internalized some positive things and grew a bit which is always lovely.”

4. “It Could Grow Anywhere”

Smith: “Funnily enough, ‘It Could Grow Anywhere’ was written only a few days after ‘Blossoms.” Also, experimenting with new chord and arpeggio patterns, I started to find my way into a colourful, bright, and bouncy Juno synth pattern. I recorded some rough drums, laid down vocal ideas, and quickly experimented with keyframed reverb spikes on the vocals to give unexpected and emphasized energy behind certain moments. Due to the sonic soundscape and feeling the music was giving me, I was inspired to write about a personal relationship; more specifically about the unexpected and amazing outcome of falling in love… over an online app.

“I was feeling a sense of uncertainty simply by reflecting on the actual origin of the relationship. However, after some time, coming to realize that it really has no real impact on the relationship and love in itself. Love could be found anywhere, the internet is just a new ‘place.’ Don’t let it stop you, explore, go with the flow, and time will tell you.”

5. “Another Quiet Sunday (Keep Moving On)”

Porter: “The demo for this one came together really quick first thing on a Sunday morning with the initial lyrics and the synth chords coming all at once. Lyrically, it’s all about duality, personal reincarnation, and moving forward after losing someone close to you whilst the person you’ve lost continues moving on to wherever they are going. I lost a family member really close to me a while ago, and the title refers to both the past enjoyment of spending a typical quiet Sunday with that person, but also the eerie quiet feeling of that person no longer being around physically after they’re gone.

“Sonically, we really dove into strings, powerful roomy drums, and these big waves of pulsing synths, that lead into a crunchy guitar run through a Leslie speaker that felt like a big cathartic release with the song’s subject matter. We tried re-recording the solo a few times, but what ended up on the final song was the demo take recorded that Sunday that had the most feel and emotion within it.”

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