The Yellow Melodies

The Yellow Melodies emerged from Murcia, Spain as an indie pop outfit whose sound merges the classic pop and psychedelic currents of the 1960s and 1970s with present-day instrumentation and studio techniques. Guitarist, vocalist, and chief songwriter Rafa Skam assembled the project in 1996; after brief stints under the names Rafa Skam, Skam, and Beatloss, the ensemble settled on the Yellow Melodies title in August 1997. Skam was soon flanked by Nacho on guitar and backing vocals, Carlos on keyboards, Raul on bass, and Ismael on drums. The group cut a demo, embarked on Spanish tours, and placed songs on two separate compilations before the year ended. They secured a deal with Pussycat Records in late 1997, which brought forth their debut album, Repetorio B, the following February. Additional Spanish dates ensued until Carlos departed that summer, leaving the band to continue as a quartet. Following an acoustic EP they moved into sessions for a second full-length, yet personnel flux persisted; by the 2000 release of High on Jabalina Musica, Raul had already exited and rejoined, while Nacho, Raul, and Ismael all departed permanently in early 2001. Skam promptly rebuilt the lineup with Maria del Mar handling keyboards, flute, and backing vocals—she had previously guested on the acoustic EP—Pilar Apariosi on bass and backing vocals, and Miguel Angel on drums. This configuration debuted on the 2002 EP Surprise, though Angel soon stepped away and Jesus joined on drums in 2003. Del Mar left amicably the next year, prompting Jaime Belmonte to take over keyboards. The group staged no concerts between 2002 and 2004, yet regained momentum and appeared at several prominent Spanish festivals in 2008 while issuing the six-track EP The Championship Cup. Their third album, New Identities, arrived in 2010; eight of its twelve songs were subsequently issued as digital singles, each featuring exclusive bonus material.