22 Mar Artist Profile: Paul Melia
Avant Music Port Catalogue
New to Music Sync Licensing from Ireland
Style: Indie Pop/Rock, Alternative, Soundtrack, Alt Rock, Classical, Pop, World, Electronic Rock
Key words: Nature, Ambient, Moody, Driving, Lost, Questioning, Emotional, Warm, Melancholic, Searching, Sweeping, Magic, Whirling, Sweeping, Magic, Hope, Building, Uplifting, Upbeat, Cinematic, Dramatic, Atmospheric, Sad, Friendship, Coldplay, Playful
Of all the artists in the AMP catalogue, when it comes to style and key words Paul Melia definitely has the greatest amount and variations. Categorising is a central part of what we do with every track presented to us, and Paul Melia’s music hits more categories than most. We’re not the first to realise this though, as on the release of his 2013 album Hold Onto The Colours the Irish Independent wrote “trying to categorise Paul Melia is a fool’s errand”. With such a wide array of influences, from rock to classical to world to indie, listening to Hold Onto The Colours is a wonderful journey through different soundscapes for the listener.
Recorded with the Malmo Symphonic Orchestra in Sweden, and mastered by Jon Astley (Tori Amos, George Harrison), the thirteen tracked album is a brilliant celebration of symphonic beauty blended with driving rock (with splashes of pop in there too). ‘Traffic Light Happiness’ is a perfect example of this as it mixes a shining string section, a soaring vocal climax and gritty guitar riffs throughout. Elsewhere his tracks are quite cinematic and soundtrack-like as with ‘As The End Approaches’ there is a dark, ambient soundscape to begin, with sound effects of gusts of wind, altogether creating a very apocalyptic feel. Lyrically and musically his tracks are emotionally driven, seen especially in ‘Miss You’ as it moves between piano and vocal to full force pounding rock, and ‘Daydream With Peter Pan’ with its soaring brass and vocal sections. Overall, if Coldplay were to score Disney films, that pretty much sums up the sound of Paul Melia!
Video for ‘Miss You’
Clare McGonigle