Sugar Hiccup singer, Wolfgang drummer, Robin Nievera form new band, launch first single

MANILA, Philippines — Sugar Hiccup’s former singer Melody del Mundo, Wolfgang former drummer Wolf Gemora and guitar whiz Robin Nievera joined forces to put out new music together as a new band, The Mellow Dees, with their new single, “Lamán.”

In an exclusive interview with Philstar.com, Melody said Lamán is a song about assertiveness.  

“There’s a sense of longing, a very strong obsession and passion that this person is trying to convey. There’s a bit of sadness to it out of desperation if you really listen to the lyrics.  However, the funky guitars and the reggae-like groove of this song masks all that,” Melody said. 

“It is very catchy and melodic so you have all these different things going on in one song. It is awesome!” she added. 

Formed in 2019, the trio’s momentum hit a brick wall with the dawning of the global pandemic in 2020. But as they say, a good idea is worth pursuing, and in July of 2021, they reconvened for songwriting sessions and rigorous band rehearsals.

By New Year of 2022, they have began recording in Mack Sennet Studios in Silverlake District of Los Angeles, California: the same hallowed halls luminaries of film (Martin Scorsese, David Lynch) and music (Lady Gaga, Jay-Z, John Legend) have worked.

“We were formed back in 2019 wherein our former bassist setup for us to meet and jam. I had a bunch of songs written and was just looking to collaborate. ‘Lamán’ was one of the first songs we jammed and it sounded really great, everybody was digging it,” Melody said.   

“Wolf came up with the reggae beat and Nievera’s guitar licks to it just simply transformed my acoustic version into a whole different persona. It’s just how this song needs to sound like.  It’s sensual, it’s bold and fun. Wolf and Nievera are great musicians to collaborate with. They’re so easy to work with. It’s straightforward music and just having fun making music altogether,” she added. 

Today, listeners the world over will get first helpings of the smorgasbord they have concocted for their debut record. “Lamán” is perhaps the farthest thing from the individual members’ past material. A fusion of reggae, island pop, and kundiman (traditional Filipino folk ballad), the single sees a band cognizant of its roots but also dead set on innovation.

Melody is best known for her ethereal pipe work that harkens back to Cocteau Twins and bands of a similar ilk. Her most popular work with Sugar Hiccup (“Five Years,” “Moden De”) can arguably be described as “beauty beyond speech,” being literal gobbledygook set to sprawling, textural music.

Wolf, meanwhile, drummed on almost everything in the Wolfgang catalog, and was also in the short-lived outfit Lokomotiv with members of Razorback. His propulsive rhythm work served as soundtrack for fans of heavy music in Manila from the ‘90s to the early aughts.

Lastly, Robin has paved a road independent of his pedigree, cutting records for majors and indies alike while showcasing his chops on guitar and songwriting. His playing is a vibrant intersection of blues rock (Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix), Latin (Carlos Santana), fusion (Eric Johnson), and modern (Prince, The Edge, Jack White, John Mayer).

“Lamán,” as well as the forthcoming full-length record that carries it, is being distributed by Lilystars Records in Manila. Of this exciting new collaboration, label head Clem Castro (Orange & Lemons, The Camerawalls, Dragonfly Collector) said, “It’s a welcome bit of happenstance to be working with legends in the local music scene. Surely a generation I can relate with, as it reminds me of my youth as a music fan.”

The Mellow Dees’ “ Lamán ” is out now on all digital music platforms worldwide via Lilystars Records. — Video from The Mellow Dees YouTube channel

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