The Third Eye

I started talking to Austin, Texas-based indie-pop rockers Melotheory when they shared a clip of their song with me through Instagram. I messaged them about it and decided to check out their music. It hit hard—like Phoenix and Foster the People. 

It was indie pop at its finest. I love checking out new music, and this was everything that I wanted to hear. I contacted them about an interview, and they agreed quickly. In this interview, we learn about their music and the buildup to who they are now.

Interview with Melotheory

Bryan (Third Eye) – Do you still want to discuss your music?

Melotheory – Hey yeah!

Bryan – Cool!

Melotheory – Right now good?

Bryan – Sure, I’d like to discuss the ideas behind the music. Where do you get inspiration, and what do you shoot for?

Melotheory – I will grab my laptop quickly so I can type faster!

Bryan – Got it.

Melotheory – We’re singer-songwriters first and foremost. Nearly everything starts with a guitar or piano and a vocal, and it’s sort of a test we have. If the song holds up without production, it gets to go into production.

Music is therapy for us (we roughly match each other 1-1 song to song). The lyrics give off sad boi energy because it’s in songwriting that we, for lack of a better phrase, get our shit out.

Bryan – What I like most about your music is the vocals. And I hear the emotions behind the music, too. I love that about you guys.

Melotheory – I appreciate that! That’s Patrick (Austin typing). He’s got a beautiful voice.

Bryan – Cool, so where do you see your music going? I just want to say that I see you guys making it in a big way. But what’s your wildest dreams?

Melotheory – We want to play stadiums. We’re fortunate to work on Melotheory 40+ hours a week and intend to make that happen. We started in the studio, but we’ve grown to love performing and connecting with people through our music.

Bryan – That’s awesome; I can’t wait to see that happen. So who’s in the group? Tell me a little about you guys.

Melotheory – Patrick and I started producing music towards the end of COVID-19 nearly four years ago. We met at a little house party through mutual friends. He said he’d been writing Songs. I’d been messing around in Logic Learning apartment one afternoon and played Breathe (eventually our first single). I was so surprised by how good his songwriting was ( and still is). 

We began producing Breathe immediately; remember, we’d only just met. Many sessions and months went by. We started producing more songs and soon realized we were making an album. Fast forward to October of last year. 

We’d both realized that music is our passion and wanted to start performing what we’d produced. So we assembled a band and began booking shows. We currently have a bassist (Christian), a drummer (Julian), and a second guitarist (Van). I play guitar and sing back up. Patrick plays keys and sings lead.

Bryan – That’s awesome. I heard Breathe; that song really hit. I can’t believe you’ve only been producing for a few years. It sounds too good to be true. So, how are the working relationships within the band? Does it work well?

Melotheory – Thanks so much! University of YouTube baby! And studying really good music.

Our manager is also a longtime producer and mix engineer. Since we met him last year, he’s taught us a lot, too.

Bryan – Cool, so what type of music do you enjoy?

Melotheory – Patrick and I are very close friends and now roommates – we produce out of our own home studio. Christian has been a long-time friend since the beginning of college. The friendships make the work fun. It’s best friends on and off stage. We met Julian and Van within the last year. They’re really great people and friends as well.

Bryan – That’s awesome. I see you guys going far. I’m really glad you decided to talk to me about your music.

Melotheory – We listen to a wide variety of music. Patrick loves Childish Gambino, Cage The Elephant, and earlier Coldplay. For me it’s everything from Debussy to Bill Evans to Daft Punk.

Thanks for listening and reaching out.

Bryan – I can hear all of this in your music. It’s awesome to hear it all come together. So, what do you see in the next five years for you and your band?

Melotheory – I said 3 years ago that I wanted to be playing stadiums in 5 years. In the past ten months, we’ve gone from playing food truck parks to headlining at ATX’s legendary Cactus Cafe to hosting our own residency at this dope late-night venue called The Oven.

We want to keep climbing and connecting with more and more people.

Bryan – That’s awesome. Like I said, I see you guys shooting to the top. Would you stay in Texas if you had a big break?

Melotheory – Patrick and I grew up in Houston and really like Austin. If opportunities elsewhere are too good to pass up, we’ll do what we’ve gotta do, but we love it here. Texas is home.

Bryan – Cool, I grew up in San Antonio so I could relate but Cali’s nice too.

Melotheory – Oh, cool! Are you out in Cali now? What part? Patrick’s had internships in and around the Bay Area for the last few years, so we’ve done some producing out there.

Bryan – I live in the IE, but I’ve been pretty much everywhere in Cali. The Bay Area is the place to be, though, for musicians especially.

Melotheory – Yeah! We did a few acoustic/backing track shows in Stockton last summer before we had a band. Stockton’s very proud of their arts scene. (not quite the Bay, but it felt close enough)

Bryan -Yeah cool. So what do you like to do in your offtime? What spurs your creativity?

Melotheory–  We’re both foodies. We enjoy trying new restaurants and bars. I love cooking, and Patrick loves baking. We’re creative people, so we tend to just like anything, which keeps the creativity going.

Also I’m a huge coffee and drinks nerd. We’ve started putting signature cocktails on the menus of venues we play at haha.

Bryan – That’s awesome. Well, like I said, I see you guys going places. I’m glad I had this talk with you. And maybe someday I’ll try one of those signature cocktails. Thanks again for everything.

Melotheory –  If you’re ever in Austin, please feel free to reach out! Thanks again for taking the time to listen and write about us. Have a great weekend!

Bryan – You too. Thanks again!

Melotheory: Bandcamp | Instagram

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This interview was conducted by Bryan Montijo, who primarily focuses on music, spirituality, and psychedelics. Bryan has written a few novels, which can be found at wattpad@CraftedTales. He also has his own blog, where he discusses everything he loves, from music to nature and writing. You can find it here at medium@bmontijo555.