An exhibition of a burgeoning songwriter

In the past few years there has been a meteoric rise in female songwriters. Since the 1990s, there have been a plethora of women who are motivated and ambitious to try their hand at songwriting and performing, contributing vastly to the sound of modern music. Now in 2024, even more have decided to take the mantle of their predecessors, adding their sound and experience to a new audience of listeners. For newcomer Tish Melton, that is exactly the case here. Melton’s first EP When We’re Older is a delightful introduction to her sagacious songwriting. Showcasing themes of relationships, slice of life situations and tangled feelings of confusion, Melton decides to make her first impression strong and noticed.

Produced and mentored by multiple GRAMMY® winning artist Brandi Carlile, When We’re Older starts off with “The Chase” a song whose tempo matches its title. This track talks about the indecisiveness of relationships, how one person knows the relationship is getting stale but won’t commit to the obvious fact that they and their partner are no longer as close as they were when they first met. The narrator then goes on in the chorus proclaiming to be fed up with the games and lack of communication. The chase that the song is referring to is the protagonist’s partners desire for romantic ambivalence and how the ambivalence can be just as bad as the breakup of such a relationship. The next track “Michelle” goes in the opposite direction concerning the nature of relationships. For “Michelle,” it is the protagonist that won’t commit to an obvious fact, the fact is that their obliviousness to what their partner really wants has caused their relationship to fall apart. Signs of guilt over the failing relationship is more aptly felt in the second to last verse “I’m well aware it’s my fault, we don’t have those anymore.” For the protagonist, their lack of attention has caused them to lose their “Michelle” in this well written sentimental folk ballad.

Coming off the dichotomy of relationships, “Long Drive” is about the excitement adulthood brings. Tish Melton has stated that the song itself is about her getting her driver’s license and the rush of anxiety she feels realizing she is not in the backseat anymore.  A certain metaphor for growing older, “Long Drive” may be one of the few glimpses of maturity in Melton’s songwriting and example of Carlile’s tutelage in Melton’s approach to lyricism. The featured single of the EP, “Damage,” is the song that alludes to the tangled feelings of confusion mentioned in the beginning. Melton has gone on to describe the song being recorded when she was extremely sick. Rather than scrapping the takes, the producers and engineers decided to keep them instead. Adding a certain level of polish to the mix, the vocals in the song communicate a certain vulnerability in her words. With the softly played piano in the background chiming in, “Damage” plays out the pain of being forgotten by those closest to you, where even in the weakest moments of life we’re all conditioned to accept the affliction. Closing up the EP, “Sober” is a song that best displays her alt-country Americana influences. The song builds up its instrumentation, switching from an acoustic guitar to a full-on backing band, all playing in unison. In its instrumental climax, “Sober” ties up the themes of When We’re Older with a jauntily presented reminder to stay sober in the midst of an emotional whirlwind.

Owning the EPs title, When We’re Older is an exhibition of Tish Melton’s songwriting talents. Some of the songs here are common themes typically explored by people of her age. What sets her apart is the warmth of the approach she takes in her singing. Most adolescents can play “what’s in their heart,” but it takes a certain kind of artist to play with such affability that allows these songs to become more than stories. For Tish Melton, that affability will become one of her defining characteristics as she continues her career as a songwriter.