By David DeRocco dave@gobeweekly.com  https://twitter.com/?lang=en 

There’s a song on the new MEL MONACO CD Catching Ladybugs called “30What” where the singer professes to being “comfortable.” It’s a surprising revelation given the workhorse ethic of this tireless trobairitz; for if there’s one thing to be learned from following her career, it’s that Mel Monaco doesn’t seem the type to settle for being comfortable doing one thing for long periods of time.

In fact, the self-imposed pressure to deliver a new full-length CD in 2019 came from a note the talented singer/songwriter/arranger/producer wrote to herself over a decade ago. It seems that even at age 18, Monaco was setting goals that would continue to take her out of her comfort zone for years.

“I found this slip of paper amongst many others I’d kept for some reason,” explained Monaco, who’s in full rehearsal mode for her November 2^nd Catching Ladybugs CD release party at the Robby Folk Arts Centre in St. Catharines. “It was a list of things I wanted to accomplish before I was 30. One of the things on the list was ‘write five records.’ I was like, ‘well, I’m 29 and I’ll have released four by the end of 2018. It looks like I’m writing a record,’ because of this little arbitrary piece of paper. My 18-year-old self would appreciate that.”

That little note put Monaco in motion for the next twelve months, writing, recording and fine-tuning the songs that made their way onto her most recent full-length release. And while there are familiar threads of Monaco’s signature jazz/soul/pop hybrid woven into the disc’s songs and musical interludes, Catching Ladybugs is less about “familiar comfort zone” and more about a fully realized vision for the music Monaco has always wanted to make.

“I feel like I’ve always been gearing up to write this record,” said Monaco, who released her first EP in 2012. “Catching Ladybugs is building from the (2018) EP Wishing Waiting Floating. It’s kind of the same, but it’s also way out there.”

There’s no question Monaco is hitting her stride as an artist, as the new album delivers a musical tour de force rich with complex arrangements, funky horns, steel drums fills, jazzy signature changes and a broad range of vocal styles. And while her musical direction has always reflected a maturity far beyond her years, it’s the lyrical subject matter that shows her age: the songs clearly reflect the thoughts of someone who has hit 30 with a profound sense of appreciation for what’s important in her life.

“Now that I’ve grown up in music, and also personally grown, there’s maturity in the direction of the songs,” said Monaco, who acknowledges love for parents, siblings and lovers in the album’s lyrics. “When I see younger girls doing their music and hear the content of what they’re singing, it’s usually about breakups, or personal empowerment or about independence. You can always sense this young, youthful aspect. I didn’t write about any of that on this record. I feel like a lot of those things have kind of worked themselves out. I’m an adult in a happy long-term relationship. I’m not writing about breakups.”

Nowhere is that self-awareness more apparent than in the aforementioned “30What,” and its accompanying video, a song with all the sugary joy of an epic coming-of-age Broadway musical. In the song Monaco sings, “my ass may be expanding and my demands are more demanding,” but it’s all good – her comfort is solely rooted in personal happiness. In truth, Catching Ladybugs finds the Niagara Music Award and St. Catharines Arts Award Emerging Artist winner in a wonderful groove rather than a tiresome rut.

“For that song, the piano came first so I had the melody. Believe it or not, the lyrics just came flowing out of me. It was something I was meant to do. It’s not like any other song on the record. It’s a total stand alone. When I brought it to the guys they were like, ‘it kind of sounds like a musical.’ And I was like, it’s supposed to. It’s where I started.”

With the album complete, Monaco is once again gearing up the promotional machine, prepping for the album release party while setting her sights on expanding her audience beyond Niagara in the new year. One thing is certain; no matter how comfortable she is, Monaco won’t be resting on her laurels.

“There’s still tons of hard work to do. The best way to learn it other than taking a course is to just do it. You’re going to have moments in time when you fail or mess up. Even today, there are plenty of things I’ve wished I’d done better, but you can’t focus on that. You just have to keep getting better. Ultimately, you can’t stop. You can rest. Music is never something I’m just going to put down. Music will always be there.”

Tickets for Mel Monaco’s Catching Ladybugs CD Release Party are available online at MelMonaco.com.

Watch the video for "30 What (Music Video) here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpvSKlTCTOE

 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Looking for things to do in Niagara? Need Niagara event listings? Searching for Niagara’s best entertainment, music and theatre? Want to search Niagara concert listings? Before you GO out, BE informed. Log onto www.GoBeWeekly.com.