‘Symbiosis’ – Melda Lois’s first EP
I KA CHING Records is pleased to announce the release of Melda Lois’s first EP, Symbiosis. The EP will be exclusively available on Bandcamp on May 3rd and then on the usual streaming platforms on June 7th. Symbiosis is the name of the last song on the EP. On the surface, it’s a simple song about potting in the garden and caring for the houseplants, but it ends with a deeper message that emphasizes the importance of taking care of ourselves.
“Symbiosis felt like a suitable title for the EP,” said Lois, “because it’s a concept that is rooted in the way things are interconnected. Across all the songs on the EP, the lyrics discuss different types of relationships – some that are personal to me, like my relationship with myself, my relationship with the people around me; but also those that are common to everyone, like relationships with nature and the way it influences our feelings.”
“I have a very symbiotic relationship with home! Being back on the farm where I was raised, in the midst of nature, gives me new energy every time. I think being raised where I was definitely influenced the way I write, especially how I tend to use images of nature to convey feelings and such. A picture of the lake above the farm, Llyn Llymbren, and the ridge of Aran Benllyn are portrayed in the cover photo.”
“Home is a very big part of who I am, and it feels appropriate to have a very personal image to accompany a collection of songs that are quite honest and personal as well. For similar reasons, I also love that the EP is being released into the world under the care of I KA CHING, which feels like home thanks to all the connections with the Llanuwchllyn area.”
“Only very recently have I felt comfortable enough to share my songs. I’ve always been incredibly shy, which doesn’t help. But I think the biggest barrier was my relationship with myself. I’ve been writing for years, but only since coming out and understanding who I am do the songs I write feel ‘right’, and honest enough for me to be comfortable sharing them.”
“The oldest song on the EP is Siarad yn fy Nghwsg – I wrote it back in 2016. I was in the midst of struggling to understand my identity, and looking back, I was in a pretty dark place and quite afraid of losing the people around me. I would have laughed in your face if you had told me at the time that it would 1) be heard by anyone but me, and 2) be released on an EP alongside songs about my experiences of sticky love. Doing something with an interest in music, and doing something about the feelings I had been hiding felt quite impossible at the time. Considering that, I’m quite proud of this EP.”
Listen
https://orcd.co/symbiosis
