Interview: Melody Lines Talks Upcoming ARISE Online Performance and All Things Colorado Music

With the second shut down of live music venues in full swing, artists across the nation have taken to the online stage to stay relevant and keep the music alive during the pandemic. The innovative Colorado Electronic project Melody Lines is doing just that, bringing their dreamy, chill tunes to ARISE Online on Thursday, Dec. 3, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. The set, complete with a high-production, live-show feel, was recorded at and will be broadcast from the legendary Colorado Sound Studios as the next installment of ARISE Music Festival’s online series, sponsored by Rocky Mountain Virtual, Denver Westword, and A-Lodge in Boulder. The Dec. 3 show will also feature esclusive interviews, live interactive chats, and virtual meet and greets with Melody Lines, as well as merchandise sales. A portion of proceeds will be donated to Sweet Relief Musicians Fund, to help support musicians and music industry workers who have been financially impacted by COVID-19, and to A-Lodge in support of the local music and hospitality community in Colorado. You can even catch Telemetry’s Jeff Barlow sitting in on part of the set!

Ahead of the show later this week, I got the chance to pick the brain of Melody Lines’ Vinny Crippen (Production, Guitar). With a focus on spreading happiness and healing through music, Vinny and Nick Hadden (Drums) draw their inspiration from a variety of sources and types of music, featuring funky bass lines, synthesizers, symphonic elements, and guest instrumentalists that combine to create music that evokes emotion in the listener. Melody Lines has an impressive show history, headlining a sold out show at Cervantes Other Side and opening for Sunsquabi, Tnertle, and other Colorado Electronic heavyweights. During the pandemic, Melody Lines was busy, playing the River Beats BAS3 CAMP Fundraiser for Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom, The Acoma St. Project with Desert Dwellers, and the socially-distanced Up in the Air Festival at Thunderbird Spirit Ranch. The project has big things lined up for 2021, so make sure you stay tuned. Grab your tickets, meet & greet add-ons, and merch for this week’s ARISE Online presenting Melody Lines here, and make sure to follow them on Facebook, Instagram, SoundCloud, and Spotify. Please enjoy this interview with Vinny from Melody Lines:

When did Melody Lines become a band and how did it all come together?

I really started building the brand in late 2014. I started writing electronic music at the end of 2010 when I went to college for music at The University of Colorado Denver. It took me about 4-5 years to get everything in order ready to launch, including a solid understanding of producing and software, and getting a decent catalog of originals together to start performing live and releasing music. I knew I wanted to perform with a drummer to make it more of a live setup and started practicing with Nick (Hadden) sometime around early 2014. By 2014, I was ready to start performing and released my first album "Into the Next World." Our first show was in 2014 opening up for Sunsquabi at 1UP on Colfax back when that was still a venue. Ever since then, we’ve just tried to keep the ball rolling.

Where did the name “Melody Lines” come from?

A combination of a few things brought me to the name. Around the time I was preparing to launch, I had to think long and hard to come up with a name that was unique and also described the sound of the music. It was at the tail end of the first Dubstep-craze era and I really wanted to distance from that. I really hated a lot of that heavy bass music at the time and felt you needed to be high on drugs to enjoy it. Somehow I said the phrase talking about music and thought about how people do drugs in lines and thought it was a perfect metaphor for saying that music itself is the drug and you don't need anything else to get high from it. One of the first people I told the name to said it sounded like a woman's name, and although I didn't think about it at first, I liked that concept because I feel my music has more of a feminine energy than most. I like to think of my songs as pretty and soft. The facts that Melody is traditionally a girl’s name and that I wanted to distance myself from the Bass music going on at the time made me think that the focus on Melody was a perfect fit. I also hate how so much electronic music sounds just like bleeps and bloops with no real hook or groove you can hum back or get caught in your head. A catchy melody is huge part of the songwriting process to me, and something I try to include in each song. So all that together felt like it described the sound and seemed like the right choice.

By now part of me regrets choosing it as a name, but I mostly feel like no matter what name I picked, I'd have some resentment for anything I have to say so many times. I also think bass music has evolved dramatically with focus being less about repetitive bass drop formula is really pushing boundaries with sound design. I like it much more now than I did years ago and I don't feel nearly as strong a need to distance from it. Even though I currently take more inspiration from bass music and play more bass events, I still feel the name fits and describes the sound I’m trying to bring with this project.

What inspires you to make the music that you do?

Lately, it's been the live shows. Writing new music to try to be able to bring to the dancefloor and to bring people on a powerful musical journey really puts a fire under me to keep grinding. This year has been a challenge with a lack of live shows to push the motivation, but the love of music never dies and all the artists making great music inspire me to keep writing great music as well.

What has Melody Lines accomplished that the band is most proud of?

I definitely think the proudest accomplishment is selling out a headlining show at Cervantes Other Side last summer. Its still surreal to think we sold more than 500 tickets to a show where we were at the top of the bill, and this was the biggest step for the project.

Behind the scenes at the filming of ARISE Online at Colorado Sound Studios. Photo by Photomic Events.

Tell me about your upcoming performance on ARISE Online.

I’m proud of this performance. We picked a good amount of fan favorites from released material and new songs I'm finishing up final touches on to be released soon. We recorded the performance at the legendary Colorado Sound Studios, so we will sound polished. ARISE did a great job of bringing it all together and providing great lighting, as well as a few interview sessions and a virtual meet and greet afterwards.

What was your favorite part of the ARISE Online stream creation experience?

Just the experience and honor of working with people like those at ARISE and Colorado Sound Studios. ARISE has such a good reputation has booked some of my personal favorites, and Colorado Sound is a legendary studio with a client roster that's absolutely mind blowing. I’m always too hard on myself, so the fact that people who work with the best want to reach out and work with me and believe in my music always means a lot to me.

How does living in Colorado influence your music?

I feel like, if you’re genuine your music is a reflection of yourself. Having lived in Colorado all my life, that laid-back nature life rubs off on the music as well. Not to mention being surrounded by so many talented musicians and an amazing music scene.

What’s your favorite thing about the Colorado music scene?

I think it's the open-mindedness. I’m a huge fan of diversity, so I love that people here are down to go from Bass music to World, to everything in between. Not to mention that the people here have a genuine love of music of artists of all sizes, not just the big headliners. It really allows for the scene to develop and grow quite nicely.

If there’s one thing you want people to take away from your music, what is it?

I just hope they enjoy it. I try to make each song different and unique in hopes that people find at least one song in the catalog that speaks to them.

Who are your musical role models? Do you look up to any local musicians? Why?

I try to surround myself with successful people and the Colorado scene is full of musicians who I look up to. The legends and pioneers of the music scene inspire me as well, butI’m fortunate enough to have role models in my immediate friend group that push and inspire me even more so.

What is something you have learned or taken away from 2020 that you’ll apply to the rest of your life?

If there's anything I've learned from this year, it's to not take life for granted. I would've never imagined anything could happen to take live music away from me. I won't ever take going out and mingling on the dance floor for granted again.

If you could give a piece of advice to musicians just starting out, what would it be?

It's hard to pinpoint one thing as everyone is on a different path and needs different advice on what to work on. I think one general piece of advice that would apply well to everyone is to manage your time well and buy yourself time for your music. If you want to make it, you gotta mark days off your calendar and tell your friends you have to work that day even though nobody is paying you for that studio time. You gotta believe you'll be able to use that day’s work later down the road. It's a lot of work for free that you gotta trust you can profit from later and it takes a lot of time to get and keep that ball rolling.

What’s your favorite show that you’ve ever played? Why was it so special to you?

That's a hard one, but for me it's gotta be one of the Cervantes shows. That place always treats us well and has an amazing energy. Our last show before shutdown on the Ballroom side was a bit of a dream come true. Our headliner on the Other Side was a dream show as well, and the time before that was at the Sonic Bloom pre-party - it was just as mind blowing. Even though we had first set, we had the room packed in 15 minutes, where it's rare to see that crazy of a turnout for an opening act that early. Even apart from the shows we've played there, Cervantes has always felt a bit like a second home. With them bringing amazing talent every week, not being able to go there this year has been one of the toughest parts of 2020 for me personally.

If you could play your dream show, what would it look like?

Red Rocks. I know that's the cliche answer, especially for any Colorado musicians, but it's the dream show for a reason. It holds extra true for me as I worked there for a few years, and on occasion still pick up side work there. Nick did as well, so we've probably seen more shows there than anybody you'll meet besides other Red Rocks employees. It's hard to not think about that stage all the time when you spent summers seeing shows there 5 nights a week.

What upcoming plans do you have for 2021?

I’m really hoping 2021 turns out to be the year that 2020 was supposed to be. It felt like things were really starting to click at the beginning of the year, so hoping the industry gets back to where it was and that we can pick up where we left off. Big festival plays and working on the next big headliner.

How can people support Melody Lines during the current shut down?

Just don't forget about us. We worry that during this year off, people will forget about us, and even if they stay around, I think a lot of acts will unfortunately lose some momentum that they worked hard for. If you can just keep listening and sharing the music, it'd mean the world to us.

You can support Melody Lines by following them on Facebook, Instagram, Soundcloud, and Spotify. Don’t forget to tune into Melody Lines on ARISE Online on Dec. 3, 2020. Buy your tickets here for just $10, and don’t forget to add on a Meet & Greet with the guys from Melody Lines. RSVP to the Facebook Event here.

About ARISE Online:

ARISE Online, accessible on a phone or computer, brings fans the best seat in the house with an easy-to-access stream link and unique access code. All shows are available on NoCap Shows to be watched for at least 48 hours after the show—and available for up to 30 days after the stream so fans can watch the show on-demand. Immediately following the show, fans can elevate their online streaming experience with a one-on-one virtual meet-and-greet to hang out with their favorite artists, ask questions, sing songs and even take in-stream photos and videos.

ARISE’s newest artist to the lineup, Melody Lines, takes the stage at Colorado Sound Studios on December 3rd. They are an innovative, electronic group who love to create music that draws inspiration from all genres, incorporates live instruments and embraces the power of music. Melody Lines are sure to transmit a party vibe straight to the viewers with their funky bass lines, synthesizers and massive soundscape. This upcoming ARISE Online stream follows the special 60-minute sessions with The Magic Beans and Spectacle with live painter Laura McGowan earlier this month.

Tickets to the online streaming event start at $10.00 with a portion of the proceeds to benefit Sweet Relief Musicians Fund to help musicians and music industry workers who have been financially impacted by COVID-19.

Arise Music Festival is proud to partner with Colorado Sound Studios, A-Lodge, Westword, Rocky Mountain Virtual,NoCapShows and Arcivr.Live. Through creative collaborations and strong partnerships like these, and with the support of the fans, ARISE can help to push the limits of live-music and provide an online streaming experience with ARISE Online.

A-Lodge will be providing fans and viewers an elevated online streaming experience—slumber-party style—with a limited number of hotel rooms to stay and watch ARISE Online presenting Spectacle. Fans and viewers can save 20% off with promo code AriseToAdventure.