New single ‘Donegal’ features an exemplary occasion for their remarkably celestial dance grooves, and extra opportunity to gather the pack with its primordial howls. Not forgetting the elegantly undulating soundscapes of adjoining A-Side ‘IV’, the strength of these tracks alone will surely allow Meltybrains? to embark upon a prosperous 2015.
Meltybrains? is an exercise in electronic creativity doused with charm. Completing the full line up of bass, drums, electric violin, synthesisers and effected vocals, are five individuals, each more curiously charismatic than the last, with a sound progressing far beyond their already striking influences. After playfully throwing out various tracks over the years (inspired by hip-hop, IDM, rock and contemporary classical music among other things), the band’s first full EP ‘Free Kyle’ recognized their own brand of stringed electronica and a distorted vocal technique which could rightfully be claimed as their signature.
This first EP was the real beginning of their industrious endeavours, but a second closely followed, ‘Attention! Now That We Have Your Attention’, prophetically establishing the band as an act to be taken seriously.
Listen to both tracks BELOW:
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With a strong interest in working with visual arts and by ingratiating their live audience with everything from choreographed dance moves to freely distributed painted masks (an institution for the band now, after having created a fearsome force of splattered Meltyclones), the quintet’s live performances are a major part of their appeal. An early achievement for the band was the ambitiously crafted show at The Unitarian Church in Dublin, featuring live visuals. Ever the proactive types, Meltybrains? later put on a co-headline BYOB gig, with Alarmist and visual artists Slipdraft, turning out to be their biggest show to date with 400+ packing into the warehouse. Word quickly spread throughout Ireland and they were subsequently booked for the main summer festivals; Knockanstockan, Castlepalooza and Electric Picnic.
Far from being limited to the shores of Ireland, the Melties have already succeeded in a self organised, self promoted American tour. A FundIt campaign laid the groundwork for this, with rewards adhering to the general Meltybrains? aesthetic; including “we will have tea with your granny”, “you get to appear on a Meltybrains? song”, “join the band for 3 months” and “Brian will get a piercing of your choice”. The campaign, understandably a raucous success, led to a wealth of US gigs being solidified. The tour was made up of shows in San Diego, LA, Austin, Nashville and Cincinnati, through a mixture of support slots, and headline shows. A largely ambitious venture on the bands part, with no outside backing, proved to pay off. Without fail, in each venue, the band was invited back, with the offer to help organize and promote more gigs the next time.
Pull apart the accepted norm and brave a new idea, a new way of living, a new pair of shoes, and you might just stumble across something that will change the way you look at things.
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