Craig DeMelo To Play at Narrows Center for the Arts

The last 16-months have been busy for New Bedford singer-songwriter Craig DeMelo, as his wife Stacy had a baby boy, Colton, in July 2011. In February, Stacy will give birth to their second child, a girl they plan to name Ayla.

He’s also been writing a lot, and on Saturday, March 2, 2013, he’s set to open for Ed Kowalczyk, former lead singer of the alternative, multi-platinum, rock band LIVE, at the Narrows Center for the Arts in Fall River, Mass., in a concert presented by JKB Booking of Dartmouth.

Growing up, DeMelo enjoyed LIVE’s second alum, Throwing Copper.

“I used to love it when I was a teenager,” DeMelo said. “It was a great CD, so I’m hoping he plays a lot of those tunes. He’s got a great voice. I’d love to be able to stick around, watch his whole set, and hopefully chat with him. We’ll see what happens. I’m looking forward to it.”

While he hasn’t released an album since 2008, DeMelo, who won Limelight Magazine’s “Male Vocalist of the Year,” in 2010, has been writing continuously. Since putting out his last album, The Whiskey Poet, he’s written at least 25 songs, and recorded a few, as well.

“I don’t want people to think that I’ve given up on recording original music,” he said. “I have been writing and playing a lot, I just have to get in there and record it. It’s been kind of an ongoing process because I had a son, and now I have a little girl on the way. We bought a house, but eventually I should be putting out something new.”

Having so much material, he said, is part of the problem.

“I’ve written so much stuff that when I get into the studio, I don’t know what to record,” said DeMelo. “I don’t know if I should be getting done the songs I have piled on the shelf or these new things. Part of me wants to get in there and just bang them all out, but I know that’s going to be a long, expensive process.”

Despite the amount of material he has, he’s not sure if he wants to release a full-length album or an EP. He’s also contemplating doing a live studio recording.

“When I say live, I mean just going in and playing and recording the songs live, not multi-tracked,” DeMelo said. “It would save time and it would be something I’ve never done before.”

Either way, he’s happy with the few songs he has recorded at Sounds Interesting Studio in Middleboro, Mass. His friend Brian Cass has been helping him lay them down.

“He did two tracks and they came out great,” DeMelo said. “I’m looking forward to getting back in there probably right after the holidays. It’s a really nice studio.”

At shows, whether he’s gigging on his own, as a duo, trio, or with a full band, he often improvises while performing original songs. He recently purchased an iPhone and downloaded an application that allows him to record audio, which he uses to document melodies or riffs so he can referring to it later.

“I’ll literally write a song on the spot,” DeMelo said. “When that happens, I’ll grab the phone and record it during a break so I don’t forget it. [My friend and guitarist] Kevin [Smith] will say to me, ‘Is that new?’ and I’ll be like, ‘I just made it up.’ I’m not a jazz player, but I love that about jazz music. I love that it’s free wheeling and improvisational.”

Smith played on DeMelo’s The Whiskey Poet, and describes the guitarist as “phenomenal.” He also thinks his son, Colton, is pretty amazing. A lot of people often ask DeMelo if he’s written a song about Colton, and said he’s been working on a couple ideas.

“I have one song that I’ve messed around with and used the idea of being a father and I’m trying to continue with that,” he said. “He’s definitely a new inspiration, that’s for sure, and I’m assuming my daughter will be the same way. He sees me play and he wants to walk over and touch the strings. He watches and listens to the sounds. I know he likes music, and that’s a good thing. He loves the musical numbers on all the shows he watches.”

Other children he gets a kick out of playing for are his students, as he is a high school English teacher in New Bedford. At times, he brings his guitar with him to class.

“They look at me completely different,” he said. “It’s cool to let them see that side.”

Tickets to his March 2^nd show at the Narrows Center for the Arts with Kowalczyk can be purchased at www.narrowscenter.org. The Narrows show is expected to sellout prior to the event so it’s advised to get your tickets soon.

Katie Botelho, co-owner of JKB Booking, said it was a “no brainer” selecting DeMelo to open for Kowalczyk.

“We enjoy giving talented, local musicians, like Craig, the chance to open for well established musicians,” she said. “Their talent needs to be shown outside of local bars and pubs so people can really pay attention to what they have to give. Not only does it benefit the artist, but it benefits us as well.”

Learn more about DeMelo at www.thewhiskeypoet.com and www.craigdemelo.com. For more info about JKB Booking, visit www.facebook.com/jkbbooking.