#sam melo

[lady-bohemia]

what do you want from a devil like me? am I like you?

[unhingemyneurons]

Rainbow Kitten Suprise || Painkillers 

@unhingemyneurons

[930club]

VOTD: Rainbow Kitten Surprise – “It’s Called: Freefall”

“When I was a kid a wise man once told me don’t you call the devil unless you want him to come. I thought, I’m a’ fight him. I’m a’ take him one on one. Then one day I called the devil and guess what happened? It’s called ‘Freefall.’” Sam Melo, lead singer of the indie alternative band Rainbow Kitten Surprise, prefaced their song “It’s Called: Freefall” when performing at The Capitol Theater with this story. This song gives listeners a direct view into Sam’s heart and soul and gives personal insight into his life. It has become a stand-out track and a favorite amongst fans. It’s one of my favorite songs — not only by the band, but ever written. It’s haunting with its lyrics but comforting with its instrumentation. Recently, the band premiered the music video for the song on Adult Swim, and it is one of the most ambitious and gorgeous videos to come from the band.

The video was directed and animated by Anthony Francisco Shepperd. His previous works use an almost trippy style mixed with colors and visuals you would see in a Dr. Seuss and Stephen King crossover picture book. The visuals are stunning and perfectly fit the style of the song. The video opens with a couple of purple and blue dots pulsating to the rhythm of the song. As the video gives more insight to the viewer, it is revealed that these are dots on a domino. As the song progresses, we see a young boy hiding in a horse stable watching a crowd of people march by outside through the cracks in the wood. The world outside appears to be dystopian, with everyone wearing white dome masks with a neutral expression and open eye holes. The group of people march over to an open area where a brightly-colored and demonic-looking face floats into view.  

The video then cuts back to the boy in the stable, where he puts face paint over his eyes and cuts the tail off a horse to form a costume and mask similar to the ones outside. He stands in front of a mirror and cracks a whip, ready to face the devil outside. The video then transitions to one of the masked people playing a game of dominos and dropping a piece, ultimately losing. A noose then falls and tightens around his neck as the devil head floats up behind the person. Right as the rocking instrumental in the song begins, the video becomes even more trippy as the boy jumps up and breaks the person free from the noose. The boy then begins to face the devil as his face floats from person to person, almost taking over each mask on the heads of the crowd. The devil is then finally brought down and the video ends with a shot of the now-dead devil head lying on the ground and the crowd, free of their masks, looking at the creature.

This story told in just a little over two minutes captures Sam’s story perfectly. We see a world where people call on the devil and find themselves stuck to his every whim. When all hope seems lost, someone decides to fight the devil one on one, ultimately winning, but also being sent into a freefall, fighting multiple demons at once. The concept of freefall can be taken many ways, both good and bad. Sometimes people need to freefall and accept that the outcome is unknown, while other times, running into a battle head on can ultimately end in failure.

The ambiguous nature of the song and video leaves a lot up to the audience to decide, but one of the best parts of the band is the fact that the lyrics give the listener so much to think about. If you haven’t given this song or the entire album, How to: Friends, Love, Freefall, a listen, be sure to do so. Then, go check out this brilliant music video. It’s a great way to kick off 2019!

- Jacob Tracey

[893thecurrent]

Before Rainbow Kitten Surprise’s sold-out show at the Palace Theatre in St. Paul last month, Maia Jacobson met up with Sam Melo (lead vocals and keys) and Charlie Holt (bass).

The North Carolina band have been on the fast track to success in recent years, their first two albums gaining enough support that they began playing some of the largest festivals in the nation. After the release of their third album, How To: Friend, Love, Freefall (2018), they continued on that high, selling out some of the largest venues in cities around the country. Their music blends alt-rock, hip-hop, pop, and electronic with stream-of-consciousness lyrics by Melo.

Jacobson caught Melo and Holt after their VIP acoustic set for about 50 or so fans, where they played in the middle of the GA floor with everyone gathered around them. When they were finished meeting with fans, Melo and Holt led Jacobson to a greenroom backstage, their arms slung over each other’s shoulders chatting about how cool the slight and off-the-cuff variations in the songs were while they were jamming during the acoustic session.

Here’s what they had to say about each song on the album.

[charliebassnasty]

Sam Melo introducing Charlie Holt at The Truman in Kansas City

February 13, 2019

[planetwaves]

Sam Melo is a legend

[saintmotelevision]

‪“It’s super gay” - Sam Melo on Hide ‬

[saintmotelevision]

when sam melo said “i’m at the grocery store (uh huh) i’m buying eggs and toast (aaah)” i felt that