(funky bass music) (band kicks in) - [Announcer] Coming up on "Ocean State Sessions".

Melo Green.

♪ I'm worthy of ♪ ♪ More than a good time ♪ ♪ I'm good ♪ ♪ Was it worth it ♪ - [Announcer] And Jo Celine.

♪ I loved you when ♪ ♪ Then ♪ ♪ Whoo ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ Whoo ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ I'm not surprised ♪ ♪ That you'd steal ♪ ♪ My sympathy ♪ ♪ To make your trees grow ♪ ♪ And I'm not surprised ♪ ♪ That you'd throw ♪ ♪ My empathy ♪ ♪ Into a black hole ♪ ♪ It's my fault ♪ ♪ But your loss ♪ ♪ And I'm worthy of ♪ ♪ More than a good time ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ Whoo ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ You came along ♪ ♪ And tore through ♪ ♪ My broken glass ♪ ♪ Like a comet ♪ ♪ Burning me up inside ♪ ♪ Oh, fever dream ♪ ♪ Now I am all alone ♪ ♪ It's my fault ♪ ♪ But your loss ♪ ♪ I'm worthy of ♪ ♪ More than a heartbreak ♪ ♪ I'm good ♪ ♪ Just so you know ♪ ♪ I'm not lost ♪ ♪ I'm just wandering ♪ ♪ Ooh, ooh ♪ ♪ It's my, mm ♪ ♪ Fault ♪ ♪ But your loss ♪ ♪ It's my fault ♪ ♪ But your loss ♪ ♪ And I'm worthy of ♪ ♪ More than a good time ♪ ♪ I'm good ♪ ♪ Just so you know ♪ ♪ I'm not lost ♪ ♪ I'm just wandering, I'm just wandering ♪ ♪ Oh whoa, whoa ♪ ♪ My fault ♪ ♪ But your loss ♪ ♪ And I'm worthy of, worthy ♪ ♪ I'm good ♪ ♪ Just so you know ♪ ♪ I'm not lost ♪ ♪ I'm just wandering ♪ (music fading) (all applauding and cheering) (band playing soft jazz music) (band continues playing soft jazz music) ♪ You're the sun ♪ ♪ Always shining brightly behind the clouds ♪ ♪ I'm the moon ♪ ♪ Your light shines through me ♪ ♪ When you're around ♪ ♪ You make me feel ♪ ♪ Free as the birds ♪ ♪ I can spread my wings ♪ ♪ Cool is the breeze ♪ ♪ Of your voice when I hear you sing ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ When she smiles ♪ ♪ All my wounds begin to fade ♪ ♪ Illuminating ♪ ♪ My joy all night ♪ ♪ And day ♪ ♪ I can't complain ♪ ♪ She's my rock ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ She's my rock ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ Strange ♪ ♪ How you can reveal all the truth in me ♪ ♪ Change ♪ ♪ I'm not the same as I used to be ♪ ♪ I'm so afraid ♪ ♪ Fear that who I am might drive you away ♪ ♪ So tonight ♪ ♪ I promised myself I won't hide again ♪ ♪ When she smiles ♪ ♪ All my wounds begin to heal ♪ ♪ Illuminating ♪ ♪ My heart and soul ♪ ♪ Reveal ♪ ♪ The way I feel ♪ ♪ She's my rock ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ She's my rock ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ She's my rock ♪ ♪ Ooh, oh ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ She's my rock ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ She's my rock ♪ ♪ Oh yeah ♪ ♪ She's my rock ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ She's my rock ♪ (all clap and cheer) Yeah!

Cool!

Yeah!

- Hey there.

How's it going?

- How's it going?

- How do you feel about the set?

- The set was great.

I'm just, I'm surrounded by really talented musicians and I'm super blessed to be able to play with the people I get to play with, and yeah, it just, it went really smoothly.

- Can you briefly introduce yourself for us?

- Yeah, sure.

So I'm Melo Green.

I'm from Providence, and I just put out a great, like, an album that I think is great called Laminar Flow.

And yeah, I love creating music.

- Tell me a little bit more about Laminar Flow.

So that came out in November?

- Yeah, so I spent a long time just kind of building concepts and trying to figure out what I was gonna do.

I came across Laminar Flow, which is when water appears to be frozen when it's not actually, when it's still moving, you know, when it's in flow.

And I think that just for me, sort of the core definition of the album is like, look, just 'cause I'm not doing anything on the internet doesn't mean my life isn't in motion, and at the time, it was 'cause I was tinkering away at this album.

I was like working 14 hours a day, and these are all things that I wasn't really gonna post, you know?

And I just felt like, yeah.

I think that's something that resonates with people.

Your life isn't made important by the internet and the phone.

(laughing) It's made by the things you do and the people you surround yourself with, and the way you treat them.

- Tell me a little bit more about where you draw inspiration, whether it's life experiences, or different artists, or I know also your dad is a musician, right?

- Yeah.

So I mean like, my dad, he was a rapper, he still is a rapper, and he was a producer in the late 80s and in the early 90s.

I grew up just playing around in his studio, and my parents are both really big into music and the arts, and so we were listening to all kinds of stuff.

So that was like kinda the beginning influence, and then I think my biggest influences as musicians are like Stevie Wonder and Miles Davis, are really my two.

They're like my grandparents, you know?

I listen to them all the time.

I still come back to their records all the time, and it's a really huge part of my writing.

- You recently moved to Rhode Island.

What drew you here?

- Yeah, so I moved from Wooster to Providence, and I was just super drawn to the music scene here and the culture.

I had a buddy of mine, a friend of mine, his name's Matt Johnson.

Shoutout, Matt.

And he's been here for almost 10 years, and for a long while, he was just inviting me to parties and having to come out here, I got to see just the arts community, and just how cool everything was here, and I was like, oh man, like I really, it's kind of a diamond in the rough, you know, it's a smaller city.

I feel like this is where I wanna make my move.

- What do you love about the music scene in Providence?

- I love the people and the culture, and I love just how down everyone is to meet each other and collaborate and support each other.

It's not at all cutthroat or competitive.

And that's how it should be.

(laughing) Point blank, yeah.

- Beyond being Melo Green, you also do a lot of other things in the music space.

Tell me about that.

- Yeah.

So I mean like, yeah, as a musician, I break bread a ton of different ways, and you kinda have to if you wanna just only do music, like it's a hard claim to hold.

So I teach voice lessons during the week.

I do teach private lessons, and then I do, I play in a wedding band.

I do a lot of bars and night clubs.

I play a lot of like, maybe I'll play for like three hours, and I'll do covers, and I do all that kinda stuff, and then I also play my original music and sell my album, and all that.

And so it's just multiple sources, you know?

- So, Melo, what's next for you?

- I've written about eight songs since I released the album, and I'm probably gonna start really cracking away throughout the next couple of months and the summer.

- Well Melo, thank you so much for talking with me today.

- Thank you so much, yeah.

Thank you, yeah.

(Jo playing electric guitar) (band kicking in) ♪ He was smoking Lucky Strikes ♪ ♪ Thinking he was gonna get lucky tonight ♪ ♪ She was hanging in the car ♪ ♪ Thinking of a million reasons there are ♪ ♪ To just go home ♪ (band continues playing) ♪ He's living in a fantasy ♪ ♪ He swears he's seen her somewhere ♪ ♪ Maybe on TV ♪ ♪ He swears he's seen her face before ♪ ♪ You look like just a movie, a movie star ♪ ♪ In the hotel light ♪ ♪ In the empty bar ♪ ♪ You're such a pretty sight ♪ ♪ Oh what a thing you are ♪ ♪ Mm-hmm ♪ ♪ Bet you've been a beauty queen ♪ ♪ But she's been working ♪ ♪ Since she was 15 ♪ ♪ She's never had a Valentine ♪ ♪ She's praying for an early ♪ ♪ An early flight ♪ ♪ Out of this town ♪ ♪ But her light ♪ ♪ Someone that sticks around ♪ ♪ Is just a few doors down ♪ ♪ Uh-Huh ♪ (band continues playing) ♪ He's looking for an alibi ♪ ♪ Some boring story to tell to the wife ♪ ♪ She's looking for a better ride ♪ ♪ She's worried that she's wasting ♪ ♪ So much of her time ♪ ♪ Oh, empty dreams ♪ ♪ Lobby magazines ♪ ♪ She's not the praying kind ♪ ♪ But a girl can dream ♪ ♪ Dream ♪ Whew, sick.

(all clap and cheer) (drummer counting out beat) (band playing casual rock music) ♪ I threw up in the fridge ♪ ♪ I'll go back in my head ♪ ♪ Freezer box to the face ♪ ♪ I lose all time and place ♪ ♪ And I stand in the light ♪ ♪ Of your 60 watt cold ♪ ♪ I'll take care of myself ♪ ♪ Won't stay out too late ♪ ♪ Was it worth it at all ♪ ♪ If I loved you when ♪ ♪ Then ♪ ♪ Was I thinking out loud ♪ ♪ The writer speaks to herself ♪ ♪ The fridge just hums along your part ♪ ♪ So well ♪ ♪ Just take care of yourself ♪ ♪ She hums ♪ ♪ Just take care of yourself ♪ ♪ She hums ♪ ♪ Just take care of yourself ♪ ♪ Open your eyes ♪ ♪ You're standing up by yourself ♪ (all clapping) Thank you guys.

- Hi, Jo.

- Hi.

- That was a fantastic set.

- Thank you.

- I am gonna start off with a hard hitting question right away.

Where did you learn to sing like that?

- I always loved singing.

I know everyone says that.

But I wanna say my first real experience with it was probably in church, which is funny.

Yeah, grew up Catholic.

I was singing in the church pews, and my choir teacher was like, "You gotta come with me."

- Was there any music kinda going on at home that sort of inspired you?

Or did you really get a lot of your chops kind of from church and the choir?

- My dad loved music, and my papi, my grandpa, was a traveling musician.

Actually, he was a truck driver.

And he would play at truck stops with his guitar, so he gave me his guitar, and my dad would just blast records, and we'd dance around, and I feel like I just loved music so young.

I don't know, it's just ingrained in my life, I guess.

- When did you start to kinda play with a band?

What was your sort of introduction to that?

- My sister and I were like super close growing up, like meshed together in a lot of ways, and she is a very talented musician also, so we grew up harmonizing a lot.

I feel like whenever we got home, we would just play guitar and loop guitar and sing.

And so we'd play a lot in the San Diego music scene, just with whoever would let us play.

And I moved to Providence and found super talented musicians, so this is my first, like, my band, which is really exciting.

But I've always kinda played with other people.

I feel like the music is like, you have to do it with other people.

It's no fun alone.

- So you grew up on the west coast?

Is that what I'm hearing?

- I was born outside of Philly, but my family moved to San Diego when I was pretty young, so I have a little bit of both influences, I guess.

Like east and west coast.

- So I'm wondering what are some of the differences between the music scenes on the west coast and on the east coast that you're noticing?

- Hmm, I don't want to sound too jaded.

(laughs) I have to be careful.

I feel like I'll say Providence is affordable for musicians still, for the most part, you know?

In this world that's getting increasingly more expensive.

And it's really hard in San Diego, or Los Angeles, to afford spaces to play, so you can't make a ton of noise, I mean, as musicians, which is like the thing we're supposed to do, so here, there are still mill buildings left where at midnight you could be slamming on your guitar, and the coolest part about that is that someone is right next door doing the same thing, and they hear you play, and you hear them play, and that's just like an organic community that exists, like without social media, without anything.

Like, you're making real life connections with your music.

And I guess I didn't experience that in San Diego.

It's expensive, you know, you can't pay for rent and gas and a music space, so I feel like already, you kind of have more opportunity here to make music, I guess, in my experience.

- I feel like the music I heard today, the band sounds very 90s to me, I guess, a lot of 90s rock influences.

- [Jo] Yeah.

- But your vocal style is just so unique.

What are some of the comparisons you've gotten?

- I get Angel Olsen from time to time, who I love Angel Olsen.

And Julia Jacklin from time to time.

I love Julia Jacklin.

And then some 90s.

I get some Liz Phair here and there, which is a huge compliment.

Huge compliment.

I gravitated towards beach goth, like that kinda music scene.

I remember seeing Boygenius first round out, and I was like amazed that women could just, I don't know, take up so much of the stage.

Yeah, I feel like I'll say growing up, a lot of the music I was listening to was male centric, just accidentally, like it wasn't on purpose.

And I just loved The Virgins, The Strokes, like this dirty, early 2000s, late 90s sound.

- Yeah.

- And sometimes I tried to emulate those male vocals, but you know, I'm a woman, so I feel like I, for the longest time, struggled with that, like insecurity almost like, I don't know how to describe it.

But watching women rock onstage, like oh my god.

It changed my perspective.

Watching a woman onstage with just a guitar sing and capture people's attention, like I didn't know that was possible, I guess, which is crazy.

So very liberating and very rewarding too.

It feels good.

It feels like I'm taking up the space I was afraid to take up for a very long time, so it's nice.

- Well Jo, thank you so much for sitting down and chatting with us and playing a few songs earlier.

It was really an amazing performance.

- Thank you.

Thank you guys for having me.

This was so cool.

Da-dun, tss.

(funky bass music) - [Announcer] For more "Ocean State Sessions", visit RIPBS.org or tune in to The Public's Radio at 89.3 FM.

(funky upbeat music continues) ♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh ♪ ♪ Watch what I do ♪ ♪ Hmm ♪ ♪ Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah ♪ ♪ My mind is set on you ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪