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Hometown: Austin, Texas, USA

Influences: Robert Earl Keen, Steve Earle, Townes Van Zandt

Website: http://www.joelmelton.com

Our Story:

Having grown up in a small southeastern Oklahoma town, Joel Melton reflects southern charm with a touch of urban influences in his songwriting. His songs spring from random thoughts, original ideas, and sometimes controversial topics. According to Joel, "Some of my characters I know, some are made up, some I've read about. Songs come to me when I'm thinking about people I love, watching people throw chairs at each other on daytime talk shows, or reflecting on the political state and nature of our country."
When quizzed about what goes on during the crafting of his brilliant songs, Melton shares "A song can come to me all at once, or it might take awhile. I'll piddle around with a melody that gets me in the mood for a general idea I have in mind, and then I'll work on the lyrics." In addition to creating musical masterpieces, Melton is also more than proficient on his guitar, more than decent on the harp, and more than captivating with his rough-hewn vocals.
Joel's real artistic inspiration came several years back when he met pat Flynn of the New Grass Revival. Flynn's playing encouraged Melton to go beyond merely strumming the guitar, to learning the instrument and creating songs with it. Greg John, owner of Oklahoma City's Blue Door also receives credit for instigating Melton's desire to write his own songs. "I started hanging out there about eight years ago," he remembers. "Without Greg and the talent I was exposed to at the Blue Door, I might still be playing cover songs instead of writing my own." Some of the Door artists that have captured Joel's respect are the likes of Michael Fracassso, Beaver Nelson, Todd Snider, and Ray Wylie Hubbard.
Just where does Melton want to take his talent? For a performer who writes his own songs, Melton realizes sometimes it's hard to be heard and understood. It won't happen in the living room or in the garage. The music has to be taken to the people, until the day when the people can be taken by the music. "I want to write the songs for that other artist to tour around with, hopefully turning it into top twenty stuff, or not." Then he admits, "I really just want to sit on my back porch with my feet up, guitar in hand, composing what I'm so inclined to compose, recording it, and stepping back and feeling good about what I've just created." In reality, Melton's pretty modest about his talent and ambitions. He just wants to have a good time, no matter where he plays his music....is that so wrong?

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