Melanie Penn will release her sixth studio album, More Alive Vol. 2, on July 15 featuring 10 songs and multiple videos. Penn has once again teamed with Nashville producers Ben Shive and Cason Cooley on the project. When Penn released More Alive Vol. 1 in 2020, the country was dealing with Covid-19 that led to isolation in homes, fear of the disease and an uncertain future. In 2022, struggles still remain with different issues. Penn’s journey with the songs on her new album comes with heartbreak since the music was written during the long Covid era when she was caring for her father’s battle with cancer, who eventually passed away in 2021. More Alive Vol. 2 flows with uplifting songs and thoughtful lyrics to share the hope that only God can give. The themes of the new record are on full display in her latest single “The Melody” and in this TCB Exclusive, Penn reflects on the heart behind the new song and shares how the lyrics continue to impact her.
Congratulations on all the new music set to release this summer. Let’s talk first about your upcoming new single, “The Melody.” Can you share a little about the timeline for this track’s conception and what you remember about the writing/recording sessions? Please talk some about the heart behind this new song and what inspired it.
I wrote this song on a walk in Radnor Park in Nashville, thinking about all the different sounds that we hear in our daily lives. If God is singing over humanity, then what if all the disjointed sounds we hear are actually His singing? Right now, we can’t hear how all the notes go together but someday we will.
What lyric from the song really sticks with you even today?
I love the bridge of this song which says “the same whisper on the water when the world began is in the busy of the day and the traffic jam.” The intimacy of that ancient moment from the beginning of time juxtaposes itself with our modern lives.
What do you hope listeners take away from this new song?
More than anything, I want listeners to be uplifted and be given a sense of sunniness when they hear any of my songs. There is depth in the lyrics, I hope, which can be apparent if one really listens to them. Hopefully, the melody and the beat will deliver a bright effect all on their own.
What kind of visuals come to mind when thinking about “The Melody?” How would you like the song represented visually (ie artwork, videos)?
Me and my team did three music videos for ‘The Melody’ and they are listed below. It would be fun to get feedback on which one is everyone’s favorite!
And finally, how does this single preview what listeners can expect from your new album ‘More Alive Vol. 2’ set to drop on July 15?
‘More Alive Vol. 2′ is the perfect follow up to ‘More Alive Vol. 1.’ All of the songs fit perfectly into a genre that I like to call ‘hopeful anthems.’ My desire as an artist is to give people little tools they can use in their daily lives to feel better about things and be encouraged. Not in a cheesy way, but in a very deep, sincere way. ‘More Alive Vol. 2’ seeks to do just that.
