By Rachael Dowd
For Tacoma, Washington-based band Meldrop, authenticity has always been the foundation. Even as the group has spent the last two years playing primarily in Seattle and growing its audience across the West Coast, they say the spirit of Tacoma still defines who they are.
“I think Tacoma’s DIY energy has stuck with us and allowed us to remain somewhat carefree, even after playing primarily in Seattle for the past two years,” the band says. “It’s much less spotlight-driven, and that’s sort of allowed the people there to stay a bit more true to themselves.”
That contrast between Tacoma and Seattle helped shape Meldrop’s identity early on. While Seattle can sometimes feel more image-focused, the band says Tacoma instilled something more lasting.
“We’ve always felt it was best to present ourselves as we really are,” they say. “In a way, Tacoma has instilled authenticity in everything we do, from the music, to the performing, to what we post on social media.”
That grounded mindset has helped Meldrop build strong ties throughout the regional scene. The band says they feel especially connected to several artists in the University of Washington community, including Rose Peak, Midpak, Aurora Ave, and Cuttlefish.
“We sadly don’t get the chance to play as many local shows as we’d like to anymore, but we know it’s always a good time whenever we can link up with these guys,” they say.
As Meldrop’s profile has grown, support from both Tacoma and Seattle has only intensified. The band says they continue to feel embraced on both sides of the Puget Sound.
“The local scene has been so incredible, and we’re so lucky that we continue to receive love even though we’ve been around long enough for people to get bored of us,” they say. “Tacoma continues to ride or die even though we can’t play there as often, and Seattle does the same.”
That support has translated into tangible milestones. “The last two shows we’ve headlined in Seattle both sold out, which is wild to us considering the tough time we had leaving Tacoma and breaking into the scene up here,” the band adds.
Sonically, Meldrop draws inspiration from a broad mix of indie and surf-pop artists, citing acts like Vacations, Mac DeMarco, and Marlon Funaki, while also learning from bands they have toured or shared bills with, including Old Mervs, Michael Seyer, and Laundry Day.
“I think we try to avoid boxing ourselves in too much, and having multiple influences to pull from helps diversify our sound as we continue to write new music,” they say.
That creative openness is clear on the group’s recent singles, “Reggie ‘93” and “Medchill.” According to the band, “Reggie ‘93” came together through their usual writing process.
“River brought in the main riff, we jammed it, tried some ideas (including the 5/4 breakdown), and then finalized lyrics and everything else before going into the studio,” they say.
“Medchill,” meanwhile, has deeper roots.
“Medchill was an old jam from when we first started in 2023, and we ended up pulling it out of the vault to refine quite a bit before we decided to record it,” the band says.
Those songs are setting the stage for a larger project. Meldrop revealed that both singles will appear on an upcoming fall album titled Cascadia.
“The album is a tribute to the Pacific Northwest, with all the songs paying homage to the places and experiences that have shaped us as a band,” they say. “We’ve got a couple more singles on the way to continue building hype, but be on the lookout for the album this year.”
The band recently wrapped a headlining run that ended in Seattle on April 11, and the experience left a lasting impression. More than anything, they were moved by how far fans were willing to travel to support them.
“We’re a simple group of restaurant workers from Tacoma, but people all along the west coast traveled crazy distances to see us play,” they say. “We had folks drive from Fresno to LA, San Antonio to Houston, two girls even flew from New Mexico and Utah to see us in Denver.”
For Meldrop, those moments reinforced just how far their music has reached.
“The amount of love is never lost on us, and seeing people go to lengths like this has really opened our eyes to the fact that we have support in places we’d never been to before.”
The tour also gave the band a new sense of confidence about what comes next.
“I think we all learned that this is something we can pursue full-time (with the right support system, of course),” they say. “Now with a more organized approach, we’re all confident that we could continue touring like this more consistently, which is super exciting.”
For a band rooted in Tacoma’s authenticity and fueled by Pacific Northwest pride, Meldrop’s next chapter may be its biggest yet.
