Inimitable Hail The Sun and Nova Charisma vocalist Donovan Melero released his new single “Hated Seeing You Cry”, which will appear on his upcoming album Chelsea Park After Dark due out April 22nd, 2022 on Equal Vision Records. In September of 2020, an impromptu call to Joe Occhiuti (a partner of Donovan’s at Kill Iconic Records and bass player for Ice Nine Kills) and Allen Casillas (Kill Iconic recording artist and touring drummer of Hail The Sun,) led the trio to Long Island, where they holed up at the famed Vudu Studios with producer Mike Watts for a week. Writing a solo album for the fist time, Donovan assembled the trio in an effort to explore new avenues musically and challenge his songwriting. What emerged from that session is what you’ll hear on Donovan’s debut single. Musically eclectic, the album guides you through Donovan’s personal experience of loss, regret, acceptance, healing, and hope.
“Hated Seeing You Cry” is a synth drenched earworm of a single that highlights Melero’s unique approach to indie-pop songwriting. Swirling guitars and angular drumming provide a perfect backdrop for his soaring vocals, with layers of electronics and keyboard adding sonic texture to the track. Fans of his earlier work will instantly recognize Melero’s ubiquitous melodic presence, but will be surprised at just how dynamic his voice is within this new musical context. The official music video lends a compelling visual narrative to the track, you can view it here.
Melero had this to say about the impetus behind his new album:
“’Chelsea Park After Dark’ is my way of dealing with large changes in my life that started summer of 2020, during the pandemic. Amidst a loss of a normal lifestyle, I flew overseas overnight to try to keep something I thought I needed. After being overseas for only 3 days I saw the writing on the wall and went to start recovering in Essex, MA with family. It was here I started to feel the familiar pulse of inspiration that I knew I needed to capture in real time. My good friends Joe Occhiuti and Allen Casillas joined me in Port Jefferson, NY at Vudu Studios with Mike Watts to start the process that would be this album.”
Chelsea Park After Dark will be available on April 22nd from Equal Vision Records. You can preorder vinyl and merch here.
ABOUT DONOVAN MELERO:
Songwriters and musicians like Donovan Melero recognize the double edged sword that comes with releasing a solo project like this one. On one edge is the excitement, accomplishment, and artistry that is exuded through the music. On the other is the inescapable reality that the project won’t exist without pouring your entire soul into it. The truth is that most artists realize this and constantly struggle with the balance of their self that they portray through socials and onstage, and the intimate details of themselves that they include or omit from their music. Rather than let this battle rage on internally, Donovan poured himself into this project as a means of healing and expression of emotions that couldn’t be told any other way. What started as despair, helplessness, and a feeling of loss, through music and poetry, has turned into something beautiful and a celebration of what once was, and what lies ahead.
2020 was a year that none of us are going to remember fondly. Covid-19 changed the world in ways we couldn’t have predicted. People that were present in our lives regularly were suddenly gone, as were the things we loved doing. For touring musicians, it slammed the brakes on anything and everything that was in the works. Album releases, touring, recording, writing, even just getting together with your bandmates and practicing. For Donovan, Hail The Sun and Nova Charisma’s touring plans were halted, album releases were pushed back, and his work as a booking agent was halted immediately. Distance also became an issue. People who were regularly in Donovan’s life because of touring and travel felt a million miles away. This ultimate distance led to the loss of a personal relationship that shook him in a way that hadn’t happened before. After a flight to other side of the world, in an effort to save something that was quickly escaping him, Donovan began the healing process the only way he could at the time- writing himself into his songs and telling his story.
In September of 2020, an impromptu call to Joe Occhiuti (a partner of Donovan’s at kill iconic records and bass player for Ice Nine Kills) and Allen Casillas (kill iconic recording artist and touring drummer of Hail The Sun,) led the trio to Long Island, where they holed up at the famed Vudu Studios with producer Mike Watts for a week. Writing a solo album for the fist time, Donovan assembled the trio in an effort to explore new avenues musically and challenge his songwriting. What emerged from that session is what you’ll hear on Donovan’s debut. Musically eclectic, the album guides you through Donovan’s personal experience of loss, regret, acceptance, healing, and hope. The 11 songs on this album, while highly personal and specific, speak to a larger audience of anyone who has experienced loss. Without intention, Donovan tells his version and details of the same story many of us have experienced in the same and different ways. He puts thoughts and feelings into words that many can’t, and delivers them in a sincere way that very few can. Donovan’s debut album may be an accident and result of something painful, but it birthed a truly honest and beautiful piece of art – Chelsea Park After Dark, available April 22nd on Equal Vision Records.