A buzzing murmur filled the room, typical for a Monday night at the High Watt. Monday night marked the second event ever hosted by the up-and-coming college music marketing company Mellodi Music. Doors opened at 8 p.m., and by the time the first band, indie-folk trio Maybe April, hit the stage at 9 p.m., the room’s buzzing murmur had turned into a dull roar.
MTSU’s Maybe April, with their killer harmonies and angelic voices, set a high standard full of musical promise for the wildcard show. With eight bands playing a set of three songs each the show held a fast pace that kept Mellodi’s audience attentive.
The lineup, featuring top college artists from Mellodi’s site, focused specifically on bands from Vanderbilt, Belmont, MTSU and Trevecca Nazarene. The bands showcased were Maybe April, CJ Solar Band, The Harmaleighs, Kid Freud, Staying for the Weekend, Bourbon Bullets, Southerner and Eli Teplin.
While no band disappointed, the highlights of the night include a giant teddy bear tossed into the audience during Vanderbilt’s Kid Freud’s punk rock set and the audience’s applause for Belmont’s own Staying for the Weekend’s feel-good, high-energy performance.
This fun, independent show brought together an incredible mix of musicians thanks to Mellodi Music. Mellodi Music, founded in 2013 by Andrew King and Branden Sanders, provides wonderful opportunities for college musicians to showcase themselves through Melodi’s website and other avenues like showcases.
As a young company, they are constantly reinventing the ways in which they interact with their artists. Currently, they have plans to introduce fantastic new networking features and are hoping to host more showcases around the United States. With over 100,000 page views from 1,330 different cities around the world since their creation and over 350 artists from 40 different schools generating tens of thousands of streams, Mellodi is making a name for themselves and for their up-and-coming artists.
8 off 8th, is only the start of an exciting new platform for college artists. By the end of the night, it was clear Mellodi Music has succeeded in creating another avenue for artists to have their music heard.
This article was written by Haley Buske.