Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
Music artist and rapper Melodownz will finally go ahead with his NZ tour after postponements in 2022 due to family commitments and other personal matters. The tour will be a showcase of his critically acclaimed 2022 album titled, “Lone Wolf”.
Melodowns says, “I was pretty gutted last year how I had to cancel it.”
“I felt a lot of pressure because I had a lot of things going on. My daughter was born, and I had to promote the tour. Postponing it was a blessing in disguise as I can start fresh now, all in God’s timing”.
Melo will travel the country touring in three cities and is hoping to showcase his work through imagery and sound.The tour will run from the 15th to the 22nd of April. He will kick off his first show in Auckland at the Hollywood Theatre in his hometown of Avondale.
With the inclusion of the talented Nansen brothers as his band, Melo hopes to showcase his musical creativity. The album “Lone Wolf ”, is a representation of his growth as an artist through his lyrics.
The imagery of being a lone wolf resembled the artist and his work, as he reflected on his career over the past few years.
“The concept behind the lone wolf is just like me growing up. I know a lot of people can relate and resonate with it. I always had this idea that I was outcasted or different”.
“I guess it’s like being content, and confident within yourself and that you can navigate in different spaces”. I can go back to Avondale and see my friends and I could also go to a corporate sitting and still hold yourself knowing your worth”.
Having stepped onto the music scene in early 2010, the Samoan/Maori rapper and poet has become a staple in the rap and hip hop community in the country.
With a total of four albums and countless hit singles, Melodowns admits that the journey wasn’t always easy. It’s a journey that he owes to his family, who have been at his side since the very first moment of his career. Also a key factor with his success is his hometown Avondale, a palace where his introduction to the music world began.
“I’ve been very grateful to have a good support network that I can rely on, or they can rely on me,” he stated.
“Back then I was still very new to the music industry and how things worked. I was just very fresh and everything I was doing was literally for the first time. There was a lot of experimenting and trying new things out”.
“I’ve realised now that this is what’s helping me put food on the table for my family. Having opportunities to travel the world due to my music is also a blessing for my career. So yeah, a lot of growth but also a lot of fun during the process”.
Part of this growth is reflected through his collaborations on Lone Wolf. The album features a calibre of local and overseas artists. From funk and soul legend Bootsy Collins, to Australian rap icon Lisi, the list of talent goes on. Working with such iconic names as Bootsy is a highlight for Melo who had been a fan of his work from a young age.
“Growing up as a Pacific islander, my parents were always listening to either island music, church music and then funk and soul from America”.
“So, I got into Bootsy Collins from a very young age. When I was in LA working on a song, he just popped into my mind and I just messaged him on Instagram and then all of a sudden I’m emailing him”.
Tickets for the tour are on sale now online at Ticket Fairy and Banished Music. Additional information can be found on Melowdownz social media platforms. New music and merchandise is also in the works.
