New Hampshire native Mitch Melodia has had no trouble fitting right into the Denver, CO music scene after his recent relocation. Melodia, releasing music under the moniker Alpha Pegasi, has recently debuted his first single, Summertime (Doin’ Time) – an updated take of the Sublime song of the same name.
A lifelong musician, Melodia is a multi-instrumentalist who began by learning the violin at a very young age, eventually graduating to the guitar. He credits Tame Impala, the Grateful Dead, and Steely Dan as his musical inspirations in both structure and style. His unique artist name was chosen based on the name of a star, and rightly so – Melodia’s first release is a fresh, bright take on a classic reggae-rock tune.
When you press play on Summertime (Doin’ Time), the listener is greeted by the very same intro that is featured on the Sublime classic. However, the differences begin rolling in fairly quickly as soon as the lyrics make an appearance. In the chorus, Melodia cleverly swaps in references to himself and his new home in Denver in place of the original lyrics.
As we move further into the song, we find that Melodia has chosen to give us an alternate plot in his updated lyrics. In the Sublime version, we’re consistently reminded of the evil woman wreaking havoc on her man. But in Melodia’s version, the woman in question isn’t evil. In fact, it seems as though she is the light of his life. He says:
“She takes the veil from off my eyes
This woman is so much more than wise
What am I gonna be doin’ for a while?
Said I’m gonna hang with her
A lotta love flows between us
That’s for sure.”
To top it off, the track is expertly produced and mixed, and while it very clearly bears direct resemblance to the original Sublime tune, you can hear artistic flourishes that are distinctly Alpha Pegasi occasionally make an appearance in the instrumentation.
And as a commendable addition to the project, this release marks Alpha Pegasi’s beginning of contributions to non-profit organizations. “Every year AP will be donating 5% of profits to 3 main non-profits,” Mitch says. “This year, we’re looking to help out Conscious Alliance, The Sierra Club, and Charity Water. Who knows how much AP will raise, but I figure every bit counts.”
Great production, clever lyric manipulation, and an unexpected plot twist. A strong debut single that gives us a glimpse into who Alpha Pegasi may be looking to become as an artist. Summertime (Doin’ Time) is a great, fresh take on an old classic and leaves us looking forward to Alpha Pegasi’s next release. Check out Summertime (Doin’ Time) below.
WHOSE LOVECHILD…?
Sublime (of course) meets Tame Impala.
BELOW: Check out our full artist interview with Alpha Pegasi, listen to his single Summertime (Doin’ Time), and connect with his website and social media platforms. Please support Alpha Pegasi by visiting him online, and playing, downloading, and/or purchasing his music, or attending a live show! And, as always, thank you for supporting real music!
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