In February, artists Zardoya, Evian, and Buccellati ventured to upstate New York for an immersive three-week session of songwriting and recording—an unexpected locale for the San Juan-raised musician. “I was eager to record somewhere completely outside my comfort zone and away from LA,” she shares. “Being Puerto Rican and an island girl, the wintery setting of upstate New York was a stark contrast.” During breaks, they enjoyed long nature walks and savored fresh farm duck eggs.
Melt embodies a subtly gothic vibe that might resonate with fans of the Marías, known for their rich, layered sound; however, it carries a slower, darker mood. “The Marías function as a full band, but since the beginning, Josh and I have composed all the music. This results in a 50-50 mix of our musical identities,” Zardoya explains. “For my solo project, I aimed to create music that evokes the feeling of sitting in nature under a tree or looking out the train window.” If a song ever deviated from her vision, she humorously recalled deeming it “not vampire enough!”
The serenity of those snowy New York woods influenced the album’s atmosphere as much as Evian and Buccellati’s enthusiasm for The Lord of the Rings (which Zardoya has also grown to love). “Sam, Luca, and I collaborated so effortlessly because our musical influences align,” Zardoya states. “A track named ‘Back to You’ felt like an omen of the stars aligning—the melody emerged unexpectedly. We were each in our creative zones, and before we knew it, we had a complete song.” To their surprise, post-completion, they learned that the planets had literally aligned that very night.
