Meltt - Pathways
Vancouver-based alternative psych-rock band Meltt is thrilled to release their new album Pathways. A deeply reflective and expansive body of work, the full-length finds the quartet embracing transformation, uncertainty, and growth.
Pathways is the culmination of everything the Vancouver quartet has accomplished so far, all the while pushing their sound in new and exciting directions. True to its title, Pathways finds Chris Smith [lead vocals, guitar, bass, keys], Jamie Turner [drums, percussion], James Porter [guitar, keys, bass, vocals], and Ian Winkler [bass, keys, guitar] at multiple forks in the road and deciding to take all of them, submerging their sound in new rippling textures while still retaining the warm, textured glow that their music’s contained since their debut EP Visions in 2017. Whether you’ve been with them since the beginning or are joining them at this very juncture, Pathways will make you thankful that you’re along for the journey.
“Pathways is about four men leaving their 20s and figuring out their paths and lives,” says bassist Ian Winkler. “There are moments of optimism and hope, but we also let some darkness in this time.” Guitarist James Porter adds, “There are so many things we experience individually, but when we get in the studio, it becomes clear that we’re on a journey together.”
Pathways follows 2023’s Eternal Embers, which was largely tinkered on remotely during the COVID lockdowns and was followed by a heavy bout of headline tours across North America over the past couple of years, as well as a coveted headline slot at Khatsahlano Street Party 2025. As the demands of the road quieted down, Meltt settled in to sketch out what would eventually become Pathways.
“We started reviewing all these little seeds of ideas and saw them through,” Turner states, adding that the ability to create in person engendered more creativity than ever before compared to the digital correspondence the band labored under during Eternal Embers. The close-knit confines also led to Pathways being the first record Meltt self-produced entirely, allowing the band to explore in person with early demos to nail down their sound as they were creating it. “We’ve improved our home-recording techniques, so a lot of what we were recording while writing ended up being used on the record itself,”says Porter, as he adds, “A lot of it just sounded good enough to use right when we recorded it.”
Mixing extraordinaire Chris Coady, well-known across the industry for his work on records from indie luminaries like Beach House and TV on the Radio, put the finishing touches on Pathways, creating lush waves of sound. “He took every song and made it sound way better,” Porter says, gesturing towards Coady’s method of conducting remote listening sessions from his Burbank studio as an example of encouraging expediency. “He’d transmit the music to us live with our microphones muted, so that we could be in our room and discuss what we’re thinking about what he’s doing in the moment,” Smith explains. “We’d type it in the chat, and he’d immediately reflect that note—and we could hear exactly what the change was and sign off on it.”
Finding ways to push through and hold on tight is indeed a universal struggle—and on PathwaysMeltt have done so while putting together their most substantial body of work to date, which makes it all the more impressive. “This record feels like the next stage of our evolution,” Turner says while discussing how the album reflects Meltt’s growth as a band and as individuals. “From Visions all the way to now, we’ve been developing our sound—but this record really feels like the moment where all the pieces have been put together.“ “We put so much effort into every single moment of this album,” Winkler adds, “and I think that’s really reflected across the board.”
With Pathways, Meltt emerges more expansive and self-assured than ever, continuing to push the boundaries of their acclaimed psych-leaning rock sound.
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