Behind The Lens: Melas Leukos

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How do you see the music industry changing this year?

There’s a quiet revolution happening. Artists are reclaiming intimacy—stripping things down, inviting listeners into the real process, not just the polished outcome. I see more genre fluidity, more transparency, more vulnerability. And with technology shifting, the old gatekeepers don’t hold the same power. That means more weird, beautiful, personal work has a chance to rise.

What’s the most unexpected place you’ve found musical inspiration?

There was a time when I was a work scholar at the Esalen Institute, which meant I could study at the Institute in Big Sur for a month in exchange for scrubbing cabins. One day, while cleaning a toilet, the first line of Black Swan floated in—quiet and clear. I remember smiling at the timing—how something so delicate could arrive in the middle of soap and tile. I love when the sacred slips into the ordinary like that.

What’s your favorite anthem of all time?

My anthem is Star Nation by Nick Mulvey, and A Prayer Of My Own belongs right beside it. I went through a very long, dark season of my life, what I now call an initiation, and it was at the end of that time, when I came out of my cave, these songs came in. In "Star Nation," there’s a line: 

“The time of the lone wolf is done, come in gentle fire, find the sun.” 

It felt like a new way of re-emerging into the world, with a softness that still held power. That we could pair gentleness with fire. I had been in years of isolation, slowly rebuilding my body, my psyche, everything and when I heard those words, they struck me. They catalyzed something bright. Something joyful. That moment marked my return to the world. That song felt like a companion.

What’s your favorite song to perform live?

Magic Is Alive might be my favorite to perform. It’s lived in me for so long, it feels like breathing. Every time I sing it, I can feel the energy shift, like the song opens a portal. It moves people. It moves me. Magic really does arrive.

How do you come up with new song titles?

Most of my song titles come from the first verse, usually because that’s the part that arrives first. A few lines will come through, and they carry the essence of the whole piece. I shape the rest of the song around that initial spark, so the title ends up reflecting the heart of it.

How do you choose which songs make it onto an album?

For my latest album, my producer Alex Simon (aka Tone Ranger) and I kept asking one main question: Does this song belong in the world we’re creating? Sometimes it’s hard to let go of a song I’ve lived with for a long time, but in the end, it’s about the integrity of the full journey: the arc of the protagonist and the emotional landscape. The songs that stay are the ones that serve the whole.

What’s your favorite part of performing at festivals?

I love the world that festivals create, a kind of bubble free from overculture. There’s this natural progression of energy: arrival, anticipation, the big release, and then by Sunday everyone’s wide open and glowing. Performing in that state of collective bliss is powerful, but what I love most is connecting with people afterward and hearing how the music touched them. Their hearts are so alive. It becomes a truly symbiotic experience.

What’s your favorite collaboration you’ve done so far?

It’s hard to name a favorite; each collaboration feeds a different facet of my creativity and lets me express something I couldn’t reach alone. But at the top of the list is my work with producer Alex Simon on this latest album. It’s one of the things I’m most proud of. Together we brought to life an ethereal, strange, and beautiful world, one that simply couldn’t have existed without both of us.

Where can people connect with you, and would you share an exclusive record with CEL?

The best way to connect with me is through Instagram—@melas_leukos—where I share music updates, process glimpses, and upcoming shows. A website is on the way soon, which will be a home for everything in one place.

And yes, I’d love to share something special with CEL! Maybe a glimpse into my process, a rough sketch of a song in its early form, or perhaps a release of something new. There’s something intimate and exciting about inviting people into the birth of a piece, while it’s still becoming.