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Following on from our review of Melaku’s new single, ‘The Underdog‘ earlier this week, we’ve spoken to the artist himself, and asked him about the song’s meaning, how it came about, and what’s next.
What was the inspiration behind your song “The Underdog?” Was there a specific moment or experience that inspired the song?
The song was written by legendary songwriter Gary Benson, and I did the arrangement and production. Gary had this idea in mind for some time, being a strong advocate of the Underdog concept whether it was in Sports, Business, Music, or TV drama…he would always be on the side of those least likely to win. I believe Gary’s initial idea for the song was with a reggae vibe; having strong ties with the reggae community working with such artists as Maxi Priest, Barrington Levy, etc. He sent me his original rough guitar/voice version to see if I could come up with an alternative arrangement that would fit with my style of music. Finally, we landed on a pop/rock ballad that seemed to work, and we both instantly felt that we had something special.
How does ‘The Underdog’ reflect your musical journey so far? In what ways does ‘The Underdog’ showcase your evolution as an artist?
When I heard Gary’s original demo, I immediately started reflecting on how I related to it. The song speaks from the third person, i.e. “I’m rooting for you,” but I also felt it applied to me as an independent artist. In my journey, I have often felt like David, competing with the Goliaths of the music industry. Over and over, I have to keep the faith with the odds stacked against me but I keep going because I know in my soul that this is what I’m meant to do. And not only that, I have spent many years crafting my identity as an artist, and feel like I am now in a place where I understand what that identity is. Producing and finalizing this song played a role in that process.
How did your collaboration with Gary Benson come about? How did you work together to bring this song to life?
In 2021, I was traveling around, figuring out where it was that I wanted to live, given the intense socio-political climate at the time. I have some family on the east coast of Florida and was staying with them while I checked out the surrounding area. I ended up recording vocals for one of my original songs at a studio in Pompano Beach called Power Station, and made friends with the engineer there Paul Kronk. About a year later, when I was back in California, I got a call from Paul asking if I would be interested in doing vocals for a well-known songwriter he worked with; Gary Benson. We recorded three demos at Power Station, and Gary and I kept in touch. A couple of years later, Gary hit me up and said he had some songs that he wanted to pitch me as an artist, and one of those songs was ‘The Underdog’.
Can you describe the process of crafting the music for ‘The Underdog’? What were the key influences behind the sound?
Once we hit upon the idea of making this song a ballad, I slowed the tempo down pretty dramatically from the original demo. For me, the production came kind of intuitively. Instead of like the original demo on acoustic guitar, the base of this production is piano, which pulls from many of the great classic ballads of the 70s and 80s. The arrangement starts out pretty open, with mainly piano, vocals, some pads, and ear candy in the form of strings and vocal fx. Then, the sound gradually builds in complexity. In the second verse, the drums come in, which I played on my Tascam TD-25. I also added some interesting percussion there that fills out the rhythm. Then in the second verse, my unique pop/soft rock crossover sound comes in, in the form of distorted electric guitars, and some subtle synth work. The uplifting bridge then leads to a drop in dynamics, which reverses into a huge final chorus, with ad-lib vocals, lead guitar, etc. The song ends with just piano and voice again.
How does the message in ‘The Underdog’ relate to your personal or musical experiences? What motivated you to explore the theme of overcoming challenges?
Other than feeling like an underdog in terms of the music industry, I have had very challenging experiences in terms of my health. I was always a very motivated and driven person, but right around the time of graduating from Columbia University, I noticed that my energy was dropping dramatically. For a few years, I didn’t know what was happening to me, but I eventually pieced together what was happening after going through many visits to doctors, naturopaths, chiropractors, herbalists, etc. That turned into a long period of struggle that I am at the tail end of now. It has been a real challenge to maintain a music career while dealing with health issues, so I’m proud of myself for continuing and continuing despite them.
Talk to us a little bit about the creative vision for ‘The Underdog’ music video. What visuals hold significance for you?
When we were talking about ideas for the music video, Gary floated the concept of splicing in iconic moments from sports history. I thought it was a great idea because so often when I glance at ESPN at the gym or a bar, I notice the words “Underdog” on the screen. Sports are kind of a perfect medium to view the concept of struggling against the odds. For the sports moments I chose, I selected athletes that meant something to me along my journey; whether they overcame being an outsider due to race, or whether they overcame health obstacles that seemed impossible to surmount to everyone else. The rest of the music video is me singing on a mic and my friend Michael Martinez playing piano in a room with high windows. Michael is actually who played the piano that you hear on the record.
Can you share any memorable moments from the creation of ‘The Underdog’ that stand out to you?
Definitely. I recorded the vocals in Palm Springs at Melrose Recording Studio, with the producer David Williams. As in most studios, initially, he had a Neumman U87 set up in the booth, but I told him that I generally find that microphone to be too harsh and top-endy for my voice. I asked if he had any warmer tube mics, and he pulled out a mic that he said had been used by Christine McVee of Fleetwood Mac. That fact alone was awesome, but the mic itself had a certain magic that I felt helped me sing even better. Along with that experience, the process of collaboration between Gary and I stands out. I generally write and record my songs, and Gary generally pitches songs to artists without getting as involved in the production process. But in this song, and the song we put out previously, ‘Opposites Attract’, there was a lot of back and forth over an extended period that honed the song. It was a special experience to work with a songwriter who has been an artist in his own right and had hits like, ‘Don’t Throw It All Away’.
How do you want listeners and viewers to feel after experiencing both the song and its video? What do you hope they take away from ‘The Underdog’?
We all have our challenges in life. Everyone has their cross to bear, so to speak. No one is immune to suffering. Like the Buddha says “life is suffering.” And it’s not easy to exist in a world with so many obstacles, challenges, and things to overcome. Even with all this being true, I want listeners and viewers to feel inspired and refreshed with belief in themselves. I want them to feel like they still have a shot, even if it is 100 to 1. Even if they get laughed out of the room, or they get injured, or suddenly come down with a terrible disease, or if they can’t find love, or if they feel like an outsider, or if they’ve had trauma, or if nobody thinks they have what it takes. Most of us are an underdog in some way or in some arena. But there is still a reason to keep going, because sometimes, in the words of 50 Cent. “hate it or love it, the underdog’s on top.”
How does ‘The Underdog’ represent where you want to go artistically moving forward? Do you hope to explore similar themes in future projects?
‘The Underdog’ is a representation of where I’m moving forward into artistically because it solidifies and extends my signature sound; a mix of retro pop, soft rock, and AM Gold. This song helped me refine my production because it was such an extensive collaboration; not only with Gary Benson, but with the pianist Michael Martinez, the vocal engineer David Williams, the mixing engineer Paul Kronk, and the mastering engineer Adam Matza. It would be awesome to continue collaborating with more talented individuals like I did on this record. In future projects, I plan to continue to refine my sound and continue to put out music that is inspiring to people. My mission ever since I started putting out songs has been to create music with a deeper meaning. And the message of perseverance and overcoming the odds as an underdog is a part of that.
Be inspired by the beautiful music video for ‘The Underdog’ below, and follow Melaku online for more about this wonderful artist and his music, on his official website, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
