Mel and the Tall Boys “The Frontier of Love”
Americana Highways is hosting this premiere of Mel and the Tall Boys’ song (co-written by Mel Johnston and Kyle Lacy), “The Frontier of Love.” This is the title track from their forthcoming album set for release in March. The album was produced, engineered and mixed by Kyle Lacy and mastered by Dan Millice. Album photos were taken by Rosie Cohen.
“The Frontier of Love” is Mel Johnston on vocals; Billy Aukstik on trumpet and backing vocals; Jesse Baskin on guitar; Kyle Lacy on drums, percussion, backup vocals, and organ; and Adrian Moring on bass.
This song is one of those that had to push its way through to the human consciousness to be written, but once written, it fell right into place. Rich and soulful with Mel’s timeless vocals, trumpet and intriguing guitar runs that veer toward Western darkness, this song feels like it belongs in any jazz lounge or dive bar, anywhere, any time.
As Mel Johnston of Mel and the Tall Boys tells us: “‘The Frontier of Love’ explores the loneliness and uncertainty of choosing an artistic path. When Kyle Lacy and I wrote the title track “The Frontier of Love,” we didn’t know that it would become the cornerstone of the record. Kyle had been jokingly referring to our in-progress record as The Frontier of Love. The more we said those words, the clearer it became that we had to write a song with that title. We sat in Kyle’s living room, singing lyrics back and forth, just flowing with a story that actually reflects our own journey as artists. Musicians often forgo the stability of a typical life, whether that be a physical home or a steady paycheck. But, it’s like we have no choice — we have to keep making music, even when it’s challenging, and that’s beautiful. I’m thrilled that this song turned out to be so cinematic and moody, almost as if it’s written about a film noir character inhabiting the “wayfaring stranger” role, while still ringing true to the bittersweet experiences we’ve had along our path as musicians.”
Their release show will be on May here in Brooklyn: https://dice.fm/event/2wkeap-live-show-mel-and-the-tall-boys
The music is available here: https://melandthetallboys.bandcamp.com/album/the-frontier-of-love