September 21, 2018

Friday’s Find Is a Familiar Narrative Told by Unfamiliar Artists

Cry, dance, and be moved by this track that hits all your music cravings.

Nicole Mago

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It’s Friday! That means it’s time for this week’s “Friday Find,” our new weekly Instagram series where we spotlight a song, record, or artist worth blasting all weekend long. 

This week: Melt by Shaed (Melt, PhotoFinish Records, 2018)

Why we’re into it: Part ballad, part dance track, part anthem, this will hit all your music cravings in one track.

Who they are: Composed of three members—lead singer Chelsea Lee and twins Max and Spencer Ernst—the DC-based trio hits hard with their second EP. But it’s the delicate balance between Lee’s powerful vocals and the twins’ melodic composition that makes Melt‘s title track shine. Lee’s gradually building voice starts the track off strong, and as the chorus comes around the hook, it transitions straight into something that simply forces you to get up and dance—even when you’re all worn out on a Friday.  

The lyrics tell a familiar story—”small artist has bad experience with big label”—but what’s bracingly original is the way Lee visualizes this struggle. Through her lyrics, the sense of capped creativity shines through in a unique manner. “Now you’re dressing me in chains/Callin’ every move I make/Now you’re beggin’ me to smile/But I can’t fake/Thought the point was to create,” she belts as the twins’ symphony creates a unique dimension in the background.

And that’s just the tip before the iceberg that is Melt. The rest of the EP flourishes with songs about love between best friends, a track that utilizes the sounds of wind chimes, and many more. Released today, this is a collection of music you’ll want to blast all weekend long.

We also want to hear from you! Give us suggestions for next week’s pick, or shoot us an emoji or two about how this song makes you feel.

Happy Friday and go dance the weekend away.

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WE CAME UP SHORT.

We just wrapped up a shorter-than-normal, urgent-as-ever fundraising drive and we came up about $45,000 short of our $300,000 goal.

That means we're going to have upwards of $350,000, maybe more, to raise in online donations between now and June 30, when our fiscal year ends and we have to get to break-even. And even though there's zero cushion to miss the mark, we won't be all that in your face about our fundraising again until June.

So we urgently need this specific ask, what you're reading right now, to start bringing in more donations than it ever has. The reality, for these next few months and next few years, is that we have to start finding ways to grow our online supporter base in a big way—and we're optimistic we can keep making real headway by being real with you about this.

Because the bottom line: Corporations and powerful people with deep pockets will never sustain the type of journalism Mother Jones exists to do. The only investors who won’t let independent, investigative journalism down are the people who actually care about its future—you.

And we hope you might consider pitching in before moving on to whatever it is you're about to do next. We really need to see if we'll be able to raise more with this real estate on a daily basis than we have been, so we're hoping to see a promising start.

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