Kanye is one of music’s best kept secrets. No, not the Kanye you’re thinking of, rather Kanye Calder of Tweed. Calder is the one man songwriting, guitar slinging and melody singing musical force behind the band that is Melted Fro.
The band came together in 2013 and wrote and rehearsed for a full year before hitting the local scene. They test drove their newly minted songs and put them through the paces on a local tour before recording their first album in 2014. The band experienced several line up changes but being a multi-instrumentalist and the main songwriter, Calder eventually took over all duties and continued to record as Melted Fro.
The material is best described as alternative music steeped in rock and blues. Calder’s main influences include Queens Of The Stone Age as well as two blues giants, giving him a special affinity for slide. “I play a lot of slide guitar and that all started with listening to Johnny Winter and Elmore James.”
Calder has ten albums of material under his belt, along with an additional release from his side project, Cain Alley. The first video he shot made the airwaves and featured all the women in his family dressed up as witches. Calder explains, “I wrote a halloween inspired album, the main single Candy Apple Heart was featured on Global news. It was really exciting because it was my first time directing a music video.”
His family have been crucial in his evolution as a musician and songwriter, with unwavering support from his entire clan, including both parents and his step-father. Calder’s dad bought him his first drum set when he was seven and his uncle Blair gave Calder his first guitar at ten. However, his most ardent fan was an unlikely one. Calder notes, “My grandma who passed away a few years ago, was a big supporter of the band, even at 75 she would let a rock band play in her basement, stay over after gigs and feed everybody.”
Now, live shows are fulfilled by adding his favourite area musicians Cameron Raynor on drums and Kent Bryanston on bass. Calder explains, “Melted Fro has always been a power trio and the guitar and vocals are the main melodic catalyst.”
Like all songwriters, converting art into financial gain is the big challenge – even for artists like Calder with an extensive catalogue. He laments, “Streaming services should pay artists better. On paper, it seems great to give artists the platform to endlessly upload music but in reality, music has been devalued on a grand scale since the digital age.”
Despite overwhelming industry barriers, there’s no backing up or backing down for Calder. He promises that 2024 will see a new Melted Fro album, as well as another side project. He may only be one man, but he’s talented and driven with a second sight and wisdom to see the forest through the trees.
