MELODY MOKO
releases her highly anticipated album
“Two Kids & A Radio”
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Melody Moko is a woman who embraces and thrives on change. Born and raised in Adelaide, SA, she’s lived in Queensland and NSW, become a mother of two, and as a critically acclaimed songwriter she’s taken her music to the world since the release of debut album in 2017.
Melody is one of those artists whose style is a natural and heartfelt extension of her personality and perspective on life. Her songs reside under the wide umbrella of Americana yet they inhabit all its intriguing corners, traveling from melancholic alt-country to pining country songs, uplifting pop-tinged revelry and proud and powerful balladry. Her heroes and contemporaries include Brandi Carlile, Tift Merritt, Kathleen Edwards, Fanny Lumsden and Brooke Fraser.
Growing up with a father who was a passionate and encouraging music enthusiast, Melody knew early on that she “wanted to sing like Linda Ronstadt, and write songs like Bob Dylan.” That awareness of song and performance led to her traveling around Australia, playing her songs and winning songwriting awards in her early teens. The allure of international travel took her to the USA where she had the honour of performing at iconic country music venues such as Nashville’s famous Bluebird Cafe, The Continental Club in Austin, Texas and Hank William’s favourite hangout, Tootsies.
There’s a new maturity to this exceptional batch of alt-country songs – in both the depth of emotional connectivity, the richly detailed, world class voice that Melody possesses and the sonic tone and texture of the recordings. The majority of the album was recorded live, capturing the spirit of the players, including East Nashville’s Juan Solorzano and Fats Kaplin on fiddle and steel guitar (John Prine).
Songs such as ‘Easy Way To Die’ introduce a tougher, countrified indie rock sound, ‘Like Hank Would’ was inspired by a previous trip to the USA and features a divine chorus melody. First single ‘Last Cigarette’ (co-written with Britt) cleverly compares the grip of nicotine to a conflicted relationship, while elsewhere she keeps it in the family with emotional odes to her mother and children.
“The songs on this record are a product of everything I experienced during the few years touring The Wreckage, becoming a mother and having a more diverse life experience. The songs speak directly and honestly about who I am, what I’ve seen and how I think about and view the world and the music industry. There isn’t an ounce of “flourish” or “creative license”, it’s all just me, speaking down the barrel, shooting straight, being scarily honest.”
It all amounts to a highly accomplished second album from Melody Moko. Her fans showed their faith and commitment by contributing overwhelmingly to her crowdfunding campaign and she’s repaid them, and the many more that will get onboard in 2020 and beyond, with her most realised and honest work to date.
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In 2017 Melody released her debut album The Wreckage, co-produced by multi-instrumentalist (and partner) Michael Moko and award-winning songwriter Catherine Britt. An album that celebrates life but doesn’t avoid its pitfalls, it covers everything from bluegrass to folk-pop, with a strong seam of Australian roots and gentle twang. As a full-length introduction to the musical world of Melody Moko, the album established her as a songwriter and performer on the Americana scene. She undertook a national tour, received a CMC New Artist nomination, played shows with Fanny Lumsden, The McClymonts and Catherine Britt, and appeared at high profile festivals including Groundwater Country Music Festival (2018), Gympie Music Muster (2019), and Spunk Record’s Thirroul Music Festival in 2019.
As a new decade begins, so too does an exciting new chapter in the Melody’s musical story. In 2019 she embarked on another successful USA tour, with Catherine Britt, and traveled to Nashville, TN to record her second album with acclaimed producer Neilson Hubbard (Mary Gauthier, Kim Richey, Matthew Ryan and Caroline Spence) and co-producer Michael Moko.
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TWO KIDS & A RADIO
Produced by: Neilson Hubbard & Michael Moko.
Engineered: Dylan Alldredge, Skinny Elephant Studios, Nashville, USA.
Recorded at: Skinny Elephant Studios, East Nashville, USA.
Mastered by: Jim DeMain, Yes Master Studios, Nashville, USA.
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AMNPLIFY – DB
My nickname is “The Amnplifier”. Why? Because around here my focus is on being a conduit for providing greater outcomes that people come here for. My day to day “work” is living in the moment, and I love helping others concentrate on finding their connection to themselves through their experiences.
Why start a music environment? The truth is I love music, I love writing, and I love life. I work with musicians every day, and I feel certain that I will be until they put me in the ground. I have been managing people in businesses of some sort for over thirty five years so along the way I have developed some “wisdom” from my regular and constant “observations”.
Amnplify your experience. That is what we want you to do here, and if you want to let me know why you do, or don’t, shoot me a message on Facebook.
Hope you enjoy yourself here and find something that hits you somewhere.
