Individually, they’ve already made their mark in the local rock scene. Melody del Mundo is of course, best known for fronting the alternative rock group, Sugar Hiccup. Wolf Gemora is the original drummer of the celebrated hard rock outfit, Wolfgang. And Robin Nievera has emerged in later years as a formidable rock guitarist in his own right, no surprise given his musical pedigree.
Melody, Wolf, and Nievera (that’s now how he prefers to be called) are now collectively known as the lounge punk supergroup, The Mellow Dees. The group has been formed way back and was first featured in SoundStrip’s Live and in Quarantine at the height of the pandemic in 2020 shortly before they suspended their activities.
After reconvening in 2021 to continue songwriting sessions and band rehearsals, they began recording early this year at Mack Sennet Studios in Silverlake district of Los Angeles, California. The legendary studio has hosted recording and mixing sessions for film luminaries like Martin Scorsese and David Lynch as well as A-list artists like Lady Gaga, Jay-Z, and John Legend.
The productive sessions of The Mellow Dees at Mack Sennet Studios have initially yielded “Lamán,” their official debut single. In a recent interview with SoundStrip, Melody described the song as “a modern serenade.”
“It’s more of a storyline rather than coming from a personal experience really,” she elaborated. It’s very different from my older songs because first of all, it’s in Tagalog. I’ve struggled for years to write in Tagalog so this is actually the first Tagalog song I’ve written.”
Fans familiar with the trio’s individual work will likely consider “Lamán” as a departure from their respective back catalogs. Described as “a fusion of reggae, island pop, and kundiman (traditional Filipino folk ballad),”
The song nonetheless has a familiar vibe not too far off from “Moden De,” one of Melody’s best-known songs with Sugar Hiccup.
“The melody came to me one Sunday morning upon waking up and the lyrics just flowed so I kept on. I finished writing it in about four hours,” Melody further shared.
It’s worth noting that the song was also mixed by the New York-based Diego Garrido, guitarist of another alternative band from the 1990s, Elektrikoolaid. Garrido was also the sound engineer for Wolfgang’s classic Semenelin album.
As Melody, Wolf and Nievera are all known for marching to the beat of their own drums (perhaps literally in the case of Wolf in particular), expect these trailblazers to continue to take the road less traveled and release more music that borders on the fresh and the innovative. “Lamán” is only the beginning as Melody has already hinted of more good things to come from The Mellow Dees.
“We’re currently recording and finishing up song for our first album which is due to launch early next year. We have more songs lined up potentially for a second album so we hope to continue on,” Melody further revealed.
“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.”
And while The Mellow Dees are all based in the U.S., Melody said they are open to performing in the Philippines if given the chance. But regardless of wherever they are in the world, fans who don’t want to pass up on edgy melodies or simply good music can be sure of having access to The Mellow Dees.
The Mellow Dees’ “Lamán” is out now on all digital music platforms worldwide via Lilystars Records.
Image credits: Paul Pablo/@photoopsstudio