- today
This week Roni Glasthal is joined in the studio by Steven Melia.
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00:00Hello and welcome to Based in Kent. I'm Ronnie and this is the show that introduces you to
00:13original music artists from around the county. Each artist will be here with me in the studio
00:18talking about and performing their own original music. Today I'm joined by Stephen Melia from
00:23Maidstone, an acoustic folk artist whose songs are all about being an aging millennial. Stephen,
00:28thanks for being here with me. Pleasure to be here. So about being an aging millennial, talk to me
00:35about that a little bit. Why is that the inspiration for your music? I find I mean a lot of songs like
00:42the top 40 it's all about love, heartbreak, drama and I'm quite happy that I don't have a major
00:50amount of drama in my life. So I sing about the things I can relate to, things that make me happy
00:56or that are going on in my mind really. And yes, most of it's to do with getting older.
01:02Well, they say to write about what you know, so I'm glad that what you know is happiness. That's
01:09wonderful. So tell me a little bit about how you got started in music in general and how you got here.
01:16In my teens I picked up a guitar, started playing and joined a band. In my late teens I played metal,
01:23we made a lot of noise, jumped around, made a mess. There wasn't a lot of technicality to it,
01:30let's not say skill to it either. And then from that point I grew up, I got a job and life got a bit more
01:40steady. And it wasn't really until the last couple of years I picked up the guitar again properly,
01:50was singing for pleasure at home by myself and a friend of mine convinced me to go to an open mic,
01:58kind of coerced me into performing eventually. And from then on, yeah, it just opened the floodgate,
02:08so I realized how much I loved it. So I started doing more regular open mics, secured some gigs and
02:13started writing my own stuff. Yeah. I would say that's a very good friend. The positive peer
02:18pressure kind. So your first song for us today is 2030 Vision. Tell me a little bit about that.
02:25So you're straight out on the aging thing. It's a little bit of a condescending conversation with
02:30my 20 year old self. That was the sort of point, the turning point where I thought I had grown up
02:37and seen everything, done everything, stopped doing the music so much. Of course, then you hit your 30s and
02:46you realize, oh, no, no, you do keep growing up. You know, you think you know it all, but you don't.
02:51And so it's more like a little conversation, two sided conversation with myself. And yeah,
02:58just about what to expect, what to grow up and keep going at it really.
03:02Well, I can't wait to hear it. Take it away.
03:04One too many and I'm hours late. I got all night to go for the years escape. Big circles circling,
03:16bad days returning. Thought you built it all, but there's more to shame.
03:23Looking back it's easier. You feel like you're wiser.
03:36Let's you learn. You're not on your own brand of fire.
03:41The city was all easier. Potential was much higher.
03:45A sight to see the young and free living out their desires.
03:50I had one too many and I'm hours late. I got all night to go for the years escape.
03:59I got big circles circling, all bad days returning.
04:05Can you build it all, but there's more to shame.
04:09Oh, they hear the twenty. You've seen all that you can see.
04:22You've lost up your finish, I'm saying goodbye to your team.
04:26We hit the range of thirty on an underlating journey.
04:32My struggles go as now I know you're worried a little early.
04:36I had one too many and I'm hours late. I got no night to go for the years escape.
04:46I got big circles circling, bad days returning.
04:51Can you build it all, but there's more to shame.
04:55Don't you worry.
05:07Don't you worry.
05:09Don't you worry.
05:11Don't you worry.
05:13Don't you worry.
05:14Don't you worry.
05:17Don't you worry.
05:19Don't you worry.
05:23I got no space change in your story.
05:25Cause I had one too many and I was late.
05:31I have all night to go for the years escape.
05:33I got big circles circling, all bad days returning.
05:37There's more to shame, there's more to shame, don't believe your faith was in the same place.
05:52I've had were too many and I'm, I was late, don't you worry, I got all night to go for the years to escape.
06:01Wonderful, I hear what you are saying about the two sides of a conversation, it makes a lot of sense when you put it that way, and it's beautifully written, so when you're writing your songs, you're thinking about your happiness, you're thinking about your life, is there any, like, root to it that made you say, okay, I'm going to make my music my way?
06:28I guess some of my influences, artists like George Ezra and stuff like that, there's not really, there's not a lot of sad songs in the songs that I listen to really, so I thought, well, if you can write stuff like that and it be listenable and popular possibly, it's feasible to do, so, yeah, I kind of just started writing some scenarios that I thought about.
06:58And kind of just went from there, really, it was, yeah, just pinpointing certain moments or thoughts that inspired me.
07:08And what's your writing process like, so you, you get a line, you get a chord, an idea, how do you sit down and write a song?
07:15Oh, I don't know, I think I guess I, I might have flashes of inspiration, but sometimes it might just be based on wordplay, I might have a pun or something like that, and I think I'll work from that and try to build a chorus and go, well, that's what, that's the main crux of it.
07:34And then the verses, the rest of the fillers kind of adding meat to the bones, so to speak, it's taking a journey from the start of a situation to the end, trying to weave in a metaphor, something like that, but the chorus is generally the metaphor, I guess.
07:51Well, speaking of journeys, it sounds like your next song is quite a bit of one, it's called All Is So Fair, tell me a little bit about that.
08:00So that's a song about my youngest, who's almost two, it's actually a play on her name, a bit, Alice Sophia, but again, puns, so sorry.
08:12But yeah, it's, it actually stemmed from a visit with her grandparents up in Scotland, in a village in Scotland, and she was quite unwell through the night and just sort of sat in my lap at three o'clock in the morning.
08:28And yeah, I just had a thought about the time we were up there, a little stroll through the streets and that, and then again, built it from there, the other situations, swimming lessons, etc.
08:40And kind of just painted a picture with that and just put her at the centre of it, really.
08:44Oh, I can't wait to hear that, take it away.
08:45Yeah.
08:58Oh, I can't wait, take it away.
09:05Oh, I can't wait.
09:11There any more for I could have lost
09:26Back and forth the swing with you
09:29Fill a modern summer drew
09:31A young smile and joy hear the loves
09:36Play on the heave the history
09:39Adding to the many trees
09:41Branching out from our entangled parts
09:46Is there any more for I could have lost
09:55There's a hold on my heart, my soul
09:58She's the breath in my lungs
10:01The sigh that I see
10:05God's the thought, my aim, my goal
10:09When she moves, I move
10:12She is me
10:15Heading to the square lagoon
10:27Shoulders deep into the blue
10:30Doing as the teachers ever taught
10:33Giving our best smiles and vibes
10:37Reflection of our better lives
10:40Little time, eternity is past
10:44Is there any more for I could have lost
10:53There's a hold on my heart, my soul
10:57She's the breath in my lungs
10:59The sigh that I see
11:02God's the thought, my aim, my goal
11:06When she moves, I move
11:09She is me
11:12And all there is
11:16That's all I need
11:18Between the George and Jerry tree
11:21And all there is
11:26That's all I need
11:28Life's so fair, young and free
11:31You're so fair, you're part of me
11:42You're so fair, you're part of me
11:48All it's so fair, you're me
11:52There's a hold on my heart, my soul
11:57She's the breath in my soul
11:59She's the breath in my lungs
12:00The sigh that I see
12:03God's the thought, my aim, my goal
12:07When she moves, I move
12:10She is me
12:13There's a hold on my heart, my soul
12:17She's the breath in my lungs
12:20The sigh that I see
12:22Guns the thought, my aim, my goal
12:27When she moves, I move
12:30She is me
12:35Hello and welcome back to Based in Ken
12:36Where I am joined by Stephen Melia from Maidstone
12:39Thanks for sticking around Stephen
12:40So next is one of my favorite parts of the show
12:43It's our quick fire question round
12:45A timer's gonna come up on the monitor between us
12:47It'll start counting down when I ask you the first question
12:49Okay
12:50And we're just gonna get through as many of them as we can
12:52Just to get to know you a little bit better
12:53Right
12:54Alright, so
12:55Do you prefer live or recorded music?
12:58Um, live
13:00Okay
13:01Tea or coffee?
13:02Coffee
13:03Writing or performing your music?
13:07Performing
13:08Oh, you struggled with that one a little bit
13:09Yeah
13:10That was the first sign of hesitation
13:12Winter or summer?
13:17Summer, I guess
13:18Yeah
13:19Yeah, are you sure?
13:20Yeah
13:21I'm a spring or autumn person
13:22Oh, well, okay
13:23Maybe we need to add that to the list
13:25Um, favorite song you've written so far?
13:28Um, probably, uh, Fish and Chips and Champagne
13:33Is my most, I think my most complex
13:35Oh, okay
13:37Complexity
13:38Uh, morning or evening?
13:40Evening
13:41Evening, okay
13:42Okay
13:43Uh, first song you learned to play?
13:45Uh, uh, I think it was Smoke on the Water
13:49Oh, that's a classic, isn't it?
13:50Everyone learns it first, yeah
13:51Yeah
13:52It's very
13:53It's a good starting point
13:54Good starting point
13:55Yeah
13:56Sweet or savory?
13:59Savory
14:00Okay
14:01First artist to inspire you?
14:03Uh, it was, uh, Blink-182
14:06Okay
14:07Don't hear that very often
14:09Back in the teens
14:11Alright
14:12Um, time alone or time with mates?
14:16Time with mates
14:17Okay, social butterfly kind of thing
14:20Yeah, it depends
14:21Flip-flop on that as well, yeah
14:22Okay
14:23Uh, favorite fellow Kent musician?
14:25Oh
14:26I have to say, I think the people that I've seen locally so far
14:34It was a Daniel McGuinness
14:36Uh, lovely voice
14:37Um, lovely sound turn
14:39As I bought his EP recently as well
14:41Cause, uh, wonderful music
14:43Yeah
14:44Yeah, he's been on the show before
14:45I watched it, yes
14:46Yeah
14:47Oh, wonderful
14:48Um, favorite gig you've attended?
14:50Uh, I'd have to say it was a gig
14:54Back in 2008, I think it was, uh, it was a band called Under Oath
15:00Playing at the garage in London
15:03So, your next song for us today, Lee's
15:06Mm-hmm
15:07Tell me, tell me a little bit about that one
15:09Um, that was actually the first one that I wrote
15:11Um, it was about, again, thinking of a moment
15:15Um, it was a sunrise after a night of camping on the Isle of Sheppey
15:21Um, and we all had a walk up to the beach about four or five in the morning
15:26And, uh, basically just sat on, up on the stones and watched the sunrise in silence
15:32And it was one of those, like, little perfect moments
15:35It certainly sounds like it
15:37Yeah
15:38Well, I hope it created the perfect song
15:39Let's, uh, let's hear it, take it away for us
15:42There's a breeze coming on shore as gentle as the waves on the stones
15:51The dark horses start in this moment as I'm not alone
15:59With the springs on right
16:01Three sets side by side
16:04Baved in orange light
16:08On the morning of our lives
16:11I want to be a stone on the shore
16:14I want to leave in the tide
16:18I feel I could be here forever
16:21When the leaves break the season tonight
16:25I want to leave in the rain
16:27I want to be a stone on the shore
16:30I want to be a stone on the shore
16:32When the friends are loved the most
16:35For the springs on right
17:41We'll wash the brush, the cries.
17:45We turn to carry on on the morning of our lives.
17:52I sing the stone on the shore.
17:55We try to play with the tide.
17:58But may this moment forevermore last be on this moment of time.
18:04I want to be a swoon on the shore.
18:07I want to play with the tide.
18:11I feel like a man in the rain.
18:14Friendly with a season tonight.
18:17I see what you mean by really painting a picture there.
18:24You kind of put us in the vibe for it.
18:27I like that.
18:28So before we leave today, obviously you said you started music quite young.
18:33You've been doing this a long time.
18:35What's some of the strongest advice you think you've received doing this career?
18:42I think it's just give it a go.
18:45I think there's a lot of barriers put in place by yourself against performing, against writing.
18:55Because you think maybe you can't do it.
18:57But until you actually try it, you just don't know.
18:59So, as I say, I'm always worried, you know, maybe my voice isn't good enough.
19:05Maybe I can't play technical enough.
19:06And until you actually go up there and realize that no one's laughing at you, throwing things at you, anything like that.
19:14You just, yeah, you can make that choice then on, I think.
19:18Yeah, just, you know, got to try.
19:20Yeah.
19:21At least try.
19:22I love that.
19:23So your last song for us today, you've mentioned it earlier, Fish and Chips and Champagne.
19:27You've alluded to its technicality.
19:30Tell me a little bit about it.
19:33So it was one of my more recently written songs.
19:37I think a moment recently reminded me of a date me and my partner went on up on Darling Banks near Capstan,
19:49where we just took a picnic blanket, a bottle of champagne, had mason jars, didn't have glasses,
19:55picked up some fish and chips, and just went and had a picnic and watched the sunset, yeah, on the hillside.
20:04That's pretty much what it was about and wove it into a metaphor, I guess.
20:09Beautiful.
20:09Well, I can't wait to hear it.
20:11Take it away for us.
20:11It's early days.
20:16Find a place in the world we built, the world we fill, what we love and what belongs and simple taste.
20:29Every day we find a way to face it, a way to chase it, have our things to have our places.
20:37Pick it up, picking it up again, pick it up, and take it to the end.
20:50Darling up on Darling Lanes, drinking from our champagne mason jars.
20:58Miss and miss a temper, sunset and stars.
21:02Wandered up from one thin lake, walking in my shoes along my path.
21:10I'm on the sweet smells with the sweet sound of your love.
21:13Pack our bags, bring the blanket off, that jacket part of a jacket pass.
21:34Checking on my heart of hearts, so good to go.
21:39Leave our clothes too, yeah, through the woods by speaking truth.
21:46Tunnel in to bind our roots and pick it up.
21:53Pick it up again.
21:56Pick it up.
21:59Take it to the end.
22:02Darling up on Darling Lanes, drinking from our champagne mason jars.
22:08Miss and miss a temper, sunset and stars.
22:14Wandered down from one lane, walking in my shoes along my path.
22:21On the sweet smells with the sweet sound of your love.
22:25Settle down, Oliver who jumps, searching from our house to hope.
22:45Raised a glass to be unknown, passes by.
22:51As we turn twilight, facing to the other side.
22:57As I hold my girl so tight.
22:59Darling up on Darling Lanes, drinking from our champagne mason jars.
23:19Miss and miss a mid-September, sunset and stars.
23:24Miss and miss a temper, sunset and stars.
23:24Wandered down from one lane, walking in my shoes along my path.
23:30On the sweet smells with the sweet sound of your love.
23:36Darling up on Darling Lanes, drinking from our champagne mason jars.
23:44Miss and miss a temper, sunset and stars.
23:47Wandered down from one lane, walking in my shoes along my path.
23:55On the sweet smells with the sweet sound of your love.
23:59Wow.
24:00All the sweet
24:21DEFERING
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