The Florence, SC-based multi-instrumentalist Alex Melton, known for his renditions of Punk Songs as country influenced songs, has released his brand new album 'Southern Charm' which is out today via Pure Noise Records. To celebrate Alex has released new single 'Friends In Low Places' a cover of Garth Brooks
“Southern Charm” is made up of two halves, amped-up versions of country classics and Alex's trademark alternative spin on punk and metal tracks. The album synthesises all of Melton’s influences, from the country staples played on a loop in his childhood home through scene icons like blink-182, The Starting Line, A Day to Remember and Four Year Strong. In the first half of “Southern Charm” it includes covers of Tim McGraw’s nostalgic “Something Like That” (ft. Ryan Scott Graham) and Garth Brooks’ “Friends In Low Places'' the second half offerings come from The Story So Far, The Amity Affliction and Stick To Your Guns.
Speaking about the new album Alex said "Southern Charm reminds me a lot of my musical journey over the last several years - I don't like to stay in one place. I'm always reaching for a new texture, a new instrument, a new treatment style. What makes a song, a song? What makes a song special, or even good? How much of these elements can we tweak, strip away, replace, modify? And most importantly, how do we do all of this while wholeheartedly respecting and preserving the spirit of the original piece? These are all questions and experiments that I perform constantly. This record speaks to the power of songwriting, and the influence of arranging. A good song is a good song no matter what and I think we have added another collection of art to the world that proves that sentiment just as well as anything else.
There is an actual literal side A and side B to this record, and I love that there is a physical representation of that in the form of Vinyl. Side A is loud, fun, heavy, and extremely catchy. It's everything that I love about the sound of Pop Punk, fused with everything I love about the songwriting and storytelling of Pop Country. There are soft moments, but they are definitely the exception here. Most of the runtime is spent at full tilt, a celebration of the power of music. Side B has fun moments, but the real heart of the back half comes in the contemplative, lush, atmospheric moments where all the production feels like it takes a seat in the back to showcase the emotional truths of the chosen songs. The lyrics are heartfelt and raw, and the instrumentals give each idea, each phrase, each melody - its place in the spotlight. It's a thoughtfully curated, expertly produced, wholly unique album that I'm proud to present to the world."
Listen to 'Friend In Low Places' HERE