Sugar Hiccup, Wolfgang Alums Form Alt-Rock Supergroup The Mellow Dees
Unlikely collaborators Melody del Mundo (erstwhile singer for
Sugar Hiccup), Wolf Gemora
(former drummer for Wolfgang), and guitar whiz Robin Nievera (who’s now chosen to go by the mononym Nievera) have
put out new music together as The
Mellow Dees.
The dream-pop chanteuse, Pinoy
metal alum, and six-string maven may make for strange bedfellows, but if “Lamán,”
the maiden single they released today (November 4), has taught us anything, it
is that collaboration knows no age, genre, or creed.
Formed in 2019, the trio’s
momentum hit a brick wall with the dawning of the global pandemic in 2020. But
as they say, a good idea is worth pursuing, and in July of 2021, they
reconvened for songwriting sessions and rigorous band rehearsals.
By New Year’s 2022, they have
begun recording at Mack Sennet Studios at the Silverlake District of Los
Angeles, California: the same hallowed halls luminaries of film (Martin
Scorsese, David Lynch) and music (Lady Gaga, Jay-Z, John Legend) have worked.
Today, listeners the world over
will get first helpings of the smorgasbord they have concocted for their debut
record.
“Lamán” is perhaps the farthest
thing from the individual members’ past material. A fusion of reggae, island
pop, and kundiman (traditional Filipino folk ballad), the single sees a band
cognizant of its roots but also dead set on innovation.
Describing the track as a “a
serenade with a different approach,” the band further shares that the tune is
“definitely a break from the usual,” being “a heavier and more upbeat
track.”
Del Mundo is best known for her
ethereal pipe work that harkens back to Cocteau Twins and bands of a similar
ilk. Her most popular work with Sugar Hiccup (“Five Years,” “Moden De”) can
arguably be described as “beauty beyond speech,” being literal gobbledygook set
to sprawling, textural music.
Gemora, meanwhile, drummed on
almost everything in the Wolfgang catalog, and was also in the short-lived
outfit Lokomotiv with members of Razorback. His propulsive rhythm work served
as soundtrack for fans of heavy music in Manila from the ‘90s to the early
aughts.
Lastly, Nievera has paved a road
independent of his pedigree, cutting records for majors and indies alike while
showcasing his chops on guitar and songwriting. His playing is a vibrant
intersection of blues rock (Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix), Latin (Carlos Santana),
fusion (Eric Johnson), and modern (Prince, The Edge, Jack White, John
Mayer).
“Lamán,” as well as the
forthcoming full-length record that carries it, is being distributed by
Lilystars Records in Manila. Of this exciting new collaboration, label head
Clem Castro (Orange & Lemons, The Camerawalls, Dragonfly Collector) says,
“It’s a welcome bit of happenstance to be working with legends in the local
music scene. Surely a generation I can relate with, as it reminds me of my
youth as a music fan.”
The Mellow Dees’ “Lamán”
is out now on all digital music platforms worldwide via Lilystars Records.
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