SINGER-SONGWRITER ROD MELANCON ANNOUNCES SUMMER TOUR DATES
SUPPORTING NEW EP – LA 14
VIDEO PREMIERE FOR SINGLE, “LIGHTS OF CARENCRO”
EP PRODUCED BY BRIAN WHELAN (Dwight Yoakam)
(Los Angeles, CA – June 22, 2016) Singer-Songwriter, ROD MELANCON, will hit the road this July in support of his newly released EP, LA 14 (a reference to Louisiana State Highway 14 in his beloved birthplace). The tour will launch in Los Angeles on July 2nd before taking him back home to Louisiana. Along the way, MELANCON (pronounced Mel-ahn-sahn) will make stops in New Orleans, Atlanta, Macon, Nashville, Mississippi, home-town of Lafayette, LA before heading to Texas, Kansas City and Denver. Rod will make his way back to Los Angeles with an on-air performance at indie radio station KXLU on August 3rd.
Before launching his first U.S. tour, MELANCON premiered the video for his new single, “Lights of Carencro,” via Blurt Magazine: http://blurtonline.com/news/video-premiere-rod-melancon-lights-carencro/
The video, directed by indie filmmaker, Christopher Good, features images taken from a real-life, tragic situation in MELANCON’s family. Says Rod, “The song is inspired by the death of my namesake and the events that followed. He was my uncle. Director Christopher Good came up with the concept. I feel like this video once again proves that Chris is a strong force in the indie filmmaking world. He’s not afraid to take risk.”
A Southern-Louisiana native, singer-songwriter ROD MELANCON grew up on a hearty helping of an Americana-meets-blues style of music. In the same way Johnny Cash captured the Arkansas of his childhood and Springsteen brought Asbury Park alive for millions, MELANCON has infused this great American art form with his own unique style and the results have re-invigorated the genre. His third release, the EP LA 14 (in reference to the Louisiana State Highway 14), teams MELANCON again with pioneering producer Brian Whelan (former multi-instrumentalist for Dwight Yoakam) released via the innovative indie label, Blue Élan Records
This EP, released two years after his last album, Parish Lines, is a preview of the full album to be released early next year. MELANCON, with the help of Whelan, has pushed the artist’s song-cycle into a swamp-tinged, country blend that moves out to the parameters of psychedelic-rock laced through with strains of deep southern blues. MELANCON’s strong singer-songwriter sensibility has brought the sound and feeling of South Louisiana’s storied towns, filled with conflicted characters, to life. His songs here, while entirely original, echo the lyrical poetic soul of Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt.
While the singer-songwriter’s debut album, 2012’s My Family Name, mined classic country music for inspiration and his fresh new songs call up the spirit of Johnny Cash and Merle Haggard, it was his second album, 2014’s Parish Lines, that found him truly pushing the boundaries between alt-country and blues-rock. That same year, Rod was spotlighted as one of CMT Edge’s “Five Rising Roots Acts to Watch.” By the end of 2014, Rod was highlighted by the premiere Americana arbiters; from American Songwriter to No Depression to Twangville. Critics across the country took notice of the “Cajun Cowboy” and hailed his debut as one of the Best of 2014.
LA 14 represents a new era of soul, depth and innovation for MELANCON. Brian Whelan’s production takes the purity of Rod’s style, enhances and magnifies it. Each of these five songs tells their own story, from the inner hell of addiction to the loyalty of a family friend, to an inside view of tragedy, to the redemption found in a life-long love. These are experiences personal and universal to one of Americana’s finest rising artists, destined to create his own legend and legacy.
Rod Melancon on Tour:
July 2 – Los Angeles, CA – The Escondite
July 13 – New Orleans, LA Howlin Wolf
July 14 – Atlanta, GA – Smithe’s Olde Bar
July 15 – Knoxville, TN Blue Plate Special (On Air Radio Performance WDVX)
July 15 – Macon, GA – The Hummingbird
July 17 – Birmingham, AL – The Nick
July 19 – Nashville, TN – 5 Spot
July 20 – Nashville, TN – ACME Feed and Seed
July 21 – Tupelo, MS – Blue Canoe
July 22 – Starkville, MS Dave’s Dark Horse Tavern
July 23 – Lafayette, LA – Feed & Seed
July 26 – Austin, TX – Buzz Mill
July 28 – Kansas City, MO – Westport Saloon
July 30/31 – The Denver Post Underground Music Showcase
August 3 – KXLU 88.9 Los Angeles On Air Interview/Performance
To Follow Rod Melancon
Facebook: RodMelanconMusic
Twitter: @RodMelancon
Instagram: @rodmelancon
YouTube: YouTube.com/RodMelancon
Snapchat: Rod Melancon
