The Melody Unit

Despite their affinity for pop textures in a city dominated by the post-grunge aesthetic, the Melody Unit has long stood apart from prevailing Seattle currents. The group nevertheless maintained its core identity through repeated personnel shifts. Vocalist and guitarist Kevin Kelly first joined forces with drummer Mark Salvadalena and three additional musicians under the name Ursa Minor, earning an early performance slot alongside Hoboken, NJ natives Yo La Tengo. When differing priorities prompted two members to depart, bassist Tim Kappert stepped in to fill the vacancies. After discovering that a San Francisco ensemble already used Ursa Minor, Kelly proposed “The Melody Union,” yet Kappert misheard the phrase as “Unit,” and the revised moniker remained.

A print advertisement yielded a keyboardist who contributed to the 1998 Wax Cylinder EP. Once more, questions of dedication reduced the lineup to the core trio of Kelly, Kappert, and Salvadalena. Although breakup rumors circulated, the three continued local appearances. Vocalist Jessica Folsom and guitarist David Wentworth soon satisfied the band’s “seriousness of intent” requirement and were welcomed aboard. After four months of intensive rehearsals, the expanded ensemble entered the studio in late August of 1999 to record the full-length Odds Against Tomorrow. A subsequent string of shows necessitated additional support, prompting keyboardist Peter Lynch to join.

During a 2000 trip to Hawaii, Kelly completed the Kona Song 7", whose B-side “Snoqualmie” contrasts the Melody Unit’s lukewarm hometown reception with warmer responses in Portland, OR, and New York. Following that release, the band curtailed live commitments to concentrate on material for the 2001 album Choose Your Own Adventure.