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Getting to know the 2016 LA Music Critic Award winners – Rod Melancon

Our next feature on the winners of the 2016 LA Music Critic Awards is on Americana artist Rod Melancon, who won for Best Video (official) Male for “Perry” and Best EP Male for LA 14.  Originally from Louisiana, Melancon currently resides in the Silverlake section of Los Angeles, California.

Grab a cold one, sit back and learn things about this future Americana superstar.

IVB:  How long have you been performing?

RM:  I first picked up the guitar when I was 19.  I had moved to Los Angeles when I was 18 and received the guitar for Christmas.  I really got into learning the guitar, but waited a year before I starting writing sons.  I had grown up in the theater and been around playwriting all my life, and considered myself more of a theater and film guy.  I did my first show when I was 20 after being encouraged by my buddy CJ.  He had heard some of my material and said I needed to pursue songwriting as a career.  I’ve always loved story songs, so I decided to write those kinds of songs and have been doing it for the past nine years.  My songs are based on the country music theory that all songs spring from three chords and a truth.   Now that I’ve been doing it for awhile, I am learning some fingerpicking techniques as well as learning to play the electric guitar.

IVB:   Who are your influences?

RM:  The most influential musician for me has to be Bruce Springsteen, and his album The Ghost of Tom Joad, which was the folk sequel to his album Nebraska, in particular.  I also loved artists like  Tom Van Zant, John Prine, and Kris Kristoferson, especially how they chose to get their stories across.   They were not afraid to put humor in the songs.  Lately, I’ve been digging on Tom Waitts.  I also love to read southern Gothics books from writers like Larry Brown, and plays from Sam Shepherd, like The Motel Chronicles.  The material is easily relatable for me as I have a similar story, growing up in the rural area of southern Louisiana.  They have an elegant way of saying very poetic things very simply.

IVB:  Where does the title of your latest EP come from?

RM:  LA 14 is a long stretch of highway that crosses the state of Louisiana.

IVB:   What made you decide to DIY?

RM:  Basically when I started playing music, I realized that I was in charge of everything.  I had management and an agent, but the arrangement wasn’t really doing things for me.  I learned that I was responsible for where my career was going and that’s what got me on this path.

IVB:  Are you seeking to be a mainstream artist?

RM:  Not really.  If it happens, that’s fine, but it’s not my goal.  I’m getting confirmation from my old stomping grounds that this is the best path for me.   I don’t answer to anyone when it comes to my songs.  I’m doing things on my own terms and it’s apparent to my fans through my songs.   But if it did happen, I could pay all my bills and turn my internet back on.

IVB:  What are your future plans?

RM:  I want to keep being on the road.  I’m shooting two music videos next month in Kansas City with the same director from “Perry,” but with a bigger budget.  (Shooting these videos) is a dream come true for me because I get to act in them, and perform the song.  We will probably go back on tour in late October and November.  Like the famous journalist Jack Kerouac, I love being on the road.  It is truly my vision and I love meeting people.   Motel rooms are great settings for just about anything.

IVB:  Any good stories from touring/recording/performing?

RM:  As you can imagine, when you’re touring in the south, we ate at a lot of Cracker Barrel and Waffle House restaurants.    One time at a Cracker Barrell in southern GA or MS, I came into the restaurant after my band was already seated.  I was wearing a Black Sabbath t-shirt.  The hostess told me my friends were in the back – she just knew who were my friends because of the way I was dressed.  Another time we stopped into a Waffle House in Birmingham, Alabama about 4 .m.  We sat down at the counter and waited for about 10 minutes, but nobody waited on us.  I got up to walk around and found the entire crew passed out on a bench in the back.  Needless to say, we headed off to another restaurant about a mile away.

I have to give props to my current record label (Blue E’lan), who has given us great tour support and made the whole process so enjoyable.

IVB:  What about social media?

RM:  Besides my website and Facebook pages, I have Twitter, Instagram and a YouTube channel.  For the best info, definitely follow the Instagram account.