MELOTIA

We Are The Chosen (Music Video) - Melotia

/2/2011 - EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The roar of jet engines and the sound of planes screeching across the sky took a back seat to the music of Melotia Feb. 23.

The Los Angeles-based hard rock band came out to Edwards to film a music video for their new single "We are the Chosen".

"The song is about the military and going to war," said Ryan David, singer and lead guitar. "I think people who go to war and then come back will like the song."

Mr. David said Melotia's entire new album is conceptually based around the lives and experiences of two real-life servicemen from World War II - Quentin C. Aanenson and Major Richard "Dick" D. Winters.

Mr. Aanenson was a fighter pilot and flew the P-47 Thunderbolt in Normandy and subsequent European campaign.

"Richard Winters (the main character in the HBO mini-series 'Band of Brothers') commanded Company E of the 101st Airborne Division during World War II and parachuted into Normandy on D-Day. So obviously the 'air' and 'sky' are huge undertones in what we're writing about."

Mr. David said overall the album has strong connections to flight, with words like "air" and "sky" painting a backdrop for the listener's imagination.

Although the band had to put up with chilly trademark high desert winds, the natural phenomenon actually provided a nice special effect, whipping through the band members' hair and blowing Mr. Skelton's mohawk to the side.

Melotia spent the morning filming at South Base in front of the Air Force Flight Test Center Museum's aircraft storage ramp before moving to the wash rack in the afternoon.

"Since the song is about the military we wanted to film the video either here or at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.," said Clark Skelton, Melotia drummer. "We chose Edwards because of the scenery and there's a lot of history here too."

"Although the songs don't specifically mention WWII or Mr. Winters or Mr. Aanenson, their experiences of tragedy, bravery, romance, courage and victory are what inspired the lyrics and sound of our new album," said Mr. David. "The song 'We Are The Chosen' is about standing up and protecting that which you love, fighting for what is right and never giving up. I think that says it all."

Melotia formed in August 2004 when Mr. David parted with his Australian group.

They have produced two albums since.

Melotia's first album, "Every Waking Moment", was released June 15, 2007. They proceeded to tour through 2007 and 2008, performing in hundreds of cities in over 14 states according to the band's Facebook page. The band's second album came out in Apr. 2009, titled "Saving August Divine".

Their new album will be released in three parts free on the band's website. "We are the Chosen" will be the first single of Part I. Melotia pride themselves on the raw energy of their live show.

"We write music and lyrics based on honesty and truth. There are no gimmicks," says Mr. David on Facebook page. "We've all been through a lot and it shows in our live show.

What you see is what you get and what you get is honest, in-your-face hard rock music."

You can check out more about Melotia on Facebook as well as on their website www.melotia.com. - Edwards Air Force Base (AFB), U.S. Air Force

In Melotia's world, the only way the band is going to get anything done is by the members doing it themselves.

The Los Angeles-based band, which counts two Riverside residents among its members, follows the do-it-yourself style of bands such as Black Flag.

That means the members run the Web site, do the band's booking, pass out fliers and even handle its own public relations, in addition to that whole making music thing.

Now singer/guitarist Ryan David, guitarist Nick Booker, bassist John Maryanski and drummer Clark Skelton are headed to Stinger's in San Bernardino on Jan. 18 to open for Metal Skool.

"We can't go out and shake people's hands and hope they go to our MySpace," Booker said. "You have to get out and meet people."

"The live show sells what we do," said Maryanski, of Riverside.

The band formed in 2004 when David arrived in Los Angeles from Australia. Booker, from Riverside, connected with David. The pair recorded a 10-song demo, which Maryanski ended up hearing. Skelton then became part of the band and Melotia released its debut, "Every Waking Moment," in June 2007, which sounds like a cross between Story of the Year and Saves the Day.

The band takes a lot of pride in its live shows, with Maryanski noting that the group tries to give a dynamic performance that the members would want to watch.

"It's more of a full-contact sport playing live," he said.

The band members are committed to both the musical and business sides of their craft.

"You have to have both or you're not going to go anywhere," Maryanski said.

Melotia plays with '80s metal parody band Metal Skool Jan. 18, Stinger's Bar and Night Club, 194 West Club Center Drive, San Bernardino, 7 p.m. $20.

Find out more about Melotia at www.melotia.com or www.myspace.com/Melotia
- The Press-Enterprise (Riverside CA)

In medicine, melotia is a term used to describe a birth defect in which the ear lobe is located on the cheek instead of its correct placement on the head.

It also happens to be the name of a Southern California rock band set to perform this week in Ripon.

“We’re trying to hit listeners on a different level,” said Melotia drummer Clark Skelton when asked about the band’s unusual name. “There’s a lot about emotion [in the album] that can help people. Things are hard right now, but have a positive outlook on life, something to look forward to.”

Expect Melotia to bring hard rock and heavy metal with brief appearances of punk and jazz at 9 p.m. Thursday at the Main Street Inn, 130 E. Main St., Ripon. The Calvary will open the free, 21-and-over show.

Fans in attendance will get a raw, aggressive performance. With the incorporation of so many elements of music and the charisma of the musicians, it’s hard to keep from being caught up in the moment.

Melotia’s main goal is to perform with the energy that is expected of them, whether there are five people or 1,000. They also stress the positivism of the experience.

Many of the lyrics in their album are centered upon staying focused on objectives and keeping negativity at bay, advice that the band takes to heart.

“We don’t go out and drink and party all night; we work, constantly, on our band,” said singer and guitarist Ryan David. “We’re intense.”

This drive and determination keeps band members on track and is reflected in their work. After touring in eight states, with another mini-tour scheduled for some time early next year, releasing their first album and juggling gigs, the band takes their own words to heart.

“No matter how bad things get, at the end of the day, things are good,” David said. “(Music) is a part of me, not doing it is not an option, and pretty much everyone in our band is like that.”

The band also includes Nick Booker on guitar and John Maryanski on bass. For more, check out www.Melotia.com or MySpace.com/Melotia.

- 209 Vibe (Ripon CA)

RIPON - When Clark Skelton left Ripon for Los Angeles, he knew that it would be music that he'd be pursuing as a career.

And with his band Melotia now fully in-gear, Skelton will be making a pass back through Northern California and his hometown to play a series of shows for his family and friends - something the drummer is more than looking forward to.

"It's going to be a nice change of pace," Skelton of his return home to play at downtown Ripon's Main Street Inn on Thursday, Dec. 13, at 11 p.m. "I'm a small town guy and some of the other guys in the band are as well, so it'll be good to be around some real people and just enjoy ourselves."

In 2004, Skelton met up with Australian singer Ryan David when the two were in separate bands that practiced across the street from one another in Southern California.

When David parted ways with his down-under counterparts, he quickly found himself broke, homeless, and without any other options - sitting on his two guitars and an amp that were packed into a decaying 1982 Dodge van.

Getting something going was crucial.

After finding a guitarist that he meshed with and a bass player from nearby East Los Angeles, David turned to Skelton to try out for the drummer vacancy.

The hard-rocking Melotia was born.

Ever since, the group has become a regular staple of Southern California clubs from Riverside all the way to the Sunset Strip - playing musical haunts like The Roxy and The Viper Room and hoping to break through.

It's something that Skelton loves being a part of.

"We play every show with the same intensity whether there's 10 people or 1,000," he said. "Performing is what drives us and it lets us share our music with other people.

"I couldn't imagine not being able to do it."

In addition to hitting Ripon, Melotia will swing through Fresno on Dec. 15 and Modesto on Dec. 16 - completing their latest Northern California mini-tour.

The group spent all of September touring through the West hitting places like Austin, Texas, Utah, New Mexico, Phoenix, and Colorado Springs.

Back in June, the group released their self-produced debut CD "Every Waking Moment" to kick-off their 22-city, 8-state promotional trip - something they hope will set the table for a full US tour in early 2008.

"We write music and lyrics based on honesty and truth - there are no gimmicks," frontman Ryan David said. "We've all been through a lot, and it shows in our live show."

For additional tour dates or more information about their band, visit their web site at www.melotia.com or their MySpace page at www.myspace.com/melotia. Their CD "Every Waking Moment" is available for purchase and download at www.itunes.com.
- Manteca Bulletin (Modesto CA)

When Australian singer/ songwriter Ryan David came to Los Angeles in 2003, he had a band in tow. But after about nine months, that group dissolved, leaving RD, as he is known, in the city of broken dreams without backup. “I looked at it like I had a clean slate to start something new in a new country,” said RD. He and Clint Skelton, the drummer of the band Melotia, were calling from Los Angeles. “RD was basically homeless, with his two guitars and amp, for a while, a living-in-his-van kind of thing,” said Skelton. “Then he found (Nick) Booker, the other guitarist — they met up in between two bands. They started getting stuff together for our record ‘Every Waking Moment.’ “My band used to practice across the hall in the same rehearsal space in L.A. When the time was right, RD asked me to join. Then we got John (Maryanski), our bass player, and got busy recording. Ever since the album came out in 2007, we’ve pretty much been touring the thing.”

The band members say they are committed to stay on the road until their debut, “Every Waking Moment,” is sold out, to pay back investors and to spread the word about Melotia. They’ve already staked a claim in the Utah music scene, and are returning for a show at Brewskis tonight and a show in Richfield on Saturday.

A band with a plan.

Learning from previous experience, RD was very methodical when he assembled Melotia. “I had a real plan,” he said. “Honestly, I had gotten to a point where I could write whatever I wanted to write. I didn’t want to worry if the musicians in my band were up to playing what I was writing. I wanted intuitive musicians, and I did not want to have to worry about the style. “There were times with bands where I’ve put something together and thought, ‘Nah, the drummer can’t play that.’ But I know I have found the right guys now. This band is going places — and it’s really a testament to who is in this band.” Skelton said the band’s recording session was smooth sailing. “The recording session was really, really fast — made it in our own studio with Pro-Tools,” said Skelton. “We tracked it in like, two months, and did the final mix in two weeks. And it was a deadline to get it done for the tour. We needed to take it with us. It is the wave of the future, doing it all yourself the way we did it.” Said RD: “I am really pleased. We all are. People are saying things like, ‘I love every song on the record.’ You look at music these days, you buy an album, and there might be three or four songs any good. So it’s rewarding when people tell us they like them all.”

Utah or bust

With a goal of selling those CDs so they can pay back their investors, and to ready themselves for a sophomore effort, the band plans to stay on the road for a while. The musicians have a big show before hitting the road, at Hollywood’s famous Roxy club. They’ve had good gigs in Texas, Arizona and New Mexico, as well as their Southern California home base. But their best market so far is Utah. “We’ve played Brewskis before, and Salt Lake, and those shows were great. But we have this really crazy following in Richfield,” said Skelton. “When they first saw us roll up, I think they were kind of like, ‘Uh, we don’t have bands like you here.’ But by the second set, they had warmed up to us. Now it is one of our best places.” Added RD” “We didn’t know what to expect from Utah. But it is one of our favorite places to go. Great people there.” - Standard Examiner (Ogden UT)