Playlist Profile with Ansel Mello

Natalia Villafan and Mello on Indie Rock, Mac DeMarco, and Nostalgia in Music

Natalia Villafan, Music Editor

September 5, 2024

Mac DeMarco

Continuing the tradition of the 2023-24 school year, the Enochs Eagle Eye website will feature a playlist every week, consisting of 12 songs selected by a student a part of the journalism staff. August 27th, Ansel Mello ‘25 had the honor of being the first of the featured playlists for the new school year, a combination of mainly alternative and indie rock of the early 2010s. A week later, Natalia Villafan ‘25 spoke with Mello and asked him to provide more commentary on the songs chosen.

TUESDAY 9:00 AM SEPTEMBER 3, 2024

NATALIA VILLAFAN: So, Ansel, most of the songs you put on your playlist are alternative or indie rock of the early 2010’s, do you think that’s an accurate representation of your music taste or do you think you branch out of that?

ANSEL MELLO: I think I branch out of that. At the time [of making the playlist], coming out of summer, that’s what I was listening to–that summer type of vibe. It was really fun, I usually listen to a lot of rap, so it was a nice break from that. It just felt more fun, happy, and positive.

VILLAFAN: Yeah, looking at the playlist I felt like there was definitely a sense of nostalgia in there. I’m like “these are songs I listened to when I was younger in the summertime!” I wanted to mention that there were some outliers in the songs that you picked, like OutKast’s “Hey Ya!” Why that song out of all the rap songs that you could’ve picked?

MELLO: Well, honestly, because a lot of the rap that I enjoy is more like–it’s not really uplifting. When I think of “Hey Ya!” I think of summer…

VILLAFAN: It’s like an anthem. A hip-hop anthem.

MELLO: Yea exactly! It’s just summer, and fun! I made the playlist in August and I’m still kinda on that summer vibe. With “Hey Ya!” I just always think of being on a lake, or in a pool, you know, swimming and all that stuff.

VILLAFAN: Some other outliers I noticed were “Lock N Key”, that’s more country than the rest of the songs. Do you listen to country music?

MELLO: I do. I like country a lot, especially recently. I got into it last year, I’ve been really enjoying it. I almost put some Zach Bryan on there, but that was kinda too mellow for what I was going for.

VILLAFAN: I noticed that “Lock N Key” and “Calling After Me” were the most recent songs you put on there, both being released in 2024. Why “Calling After Me”, in terms of being the most recently released song on this playlist?

MELLO: Honestly, I was scrolling on TikTok and I found it. I thought it encapsulated the kind of vibe I wanted.

VILLAFAN: Do you find a lot of your music through TikTok?

MELLO: Um, no? [Laughs] I really like to say no. I don’t think so.

VILLAFAN: [Laughs] It’s not a shameful thing, it’s a music app.

MELLO: It’s a little embarrassing, but not really because all of the songs existed way before TikTok. But “Calling After Me”, yes, I did find it on TikTok. I really liked the beat–especially the intro–I thought it was really cool.

VILLAFAN: I noticed that Mac DeMarco was very heavy on your playlist, you added three songs from him, and given that you’re only given 12 slots, having three already takes up a quarter of your playlist. So the three songs that you put on there, “The Way You’d Love Her”, “Freaking Out the Neighborhood”, and “Blue Boy” from his albums Another One, 2, and Salad Days respectively–I wanted to know if you could try to rank those songs or albums if you’ve listened to them in full.

MELLO: Okay, so Mac DeMarco is probably the only artist on this list where I’ve actually listened to a bunch of full albums. If I had to rank the songs–Okay, so obvious number 1, “Freaking Out the Neighborhood”. It’s great, it’s probably top three of my favorite songs ever.

VILLAFAN: Really?

MELLO: Yeah, love that one! Then “The Way You’d Love Her”, I gotta put it at number 2 and “Blue Boy” at 3. Honestly, the last two are interchangeable, for sure. But “Freaking Out the Neighborhood” is clear number 1. It’s probably my favorite song.

VILLAFAN: So that leads into my next question, what are your top three songs from this playlist?

MELLO: From this playlist? “Freaking Out the Neighborhood” is 1… “All the Small Things” is 2… and “Lock N Key” is 3.

VILLAFAN: What do you think is the best lyric from the songs that you picked–if you’re a lyric kind of person? I can give you a minute.

[40 seconds pass]

MELLO: Okay! Alright, I got it. This is the type of playlist I’d put on when I’m hanging out with all my friends, the type of thing where it’s late at night and we’re sitting around a campfire. One of my friends lives out in the country and so we all make bonfires, and we played this song! So, in “Lock N Key” it says this sequence, “Slow dancin’ and singing / Usually don’t go out but something’s different this evenin’,” and… yea.

VILLAFAN: Aww, yea I see that. It’s that summer vibe.

MELLO: It’s sweet! It’s definitely that summer vibe. And it’s not winter yet so I’m still on it.

VILLAFAN: [Laughs] Yea, I get it! I want to go back to Mac DeMarco, you say that you really like him, did you listen to his super long album [One Wayne G]?

MELLO: Oh! The like 300–oh my god! [Laughs]

VILLAFAN: Yea! [Laughs] Did you listen to it? Or, I know lots of the songs are dated, did you go back and find any dates special to you?

MELLO: I tried really hard to listen [to the album], but it was like 500 songs or something. And 90% of it was just beats! It was kinda all beats! But one of my favorite songs that I got from that album was “I Like Her”.

VILLAFAN: Oh yea! I know that one!

BOTH: That one’s good!

MELLO: But like, look at this! [Scrolls through the very long album tracklist]

VILLAFAN: Yea, it’s kinda insane.

MELLO: I listened to probably, almost like half of it?

VILLAFAN: Really?

MELLO: Yeah! But I would just pick and choose which songs. The ones that are beats are numbered, and the ones with lyrics are usually titled. But usually there’ll be like 3 versions of a song, but that makes sense. I listened to like half of it–he’s just my favorite–I had to listen to it. But I was super confused when it came out, I was like “What is this?”

VILLAFAN: Like, as a fan, you had to listen to it.

MELLO: Yeah!

VILLAFAN: What introduced you to him? How long have you been a fan of his?

MELLO: My sister really liked him for a while–not as much as me–but she started listening to him a little bit, and I started getting into him because of that. I mainly like the calm, happy, positive vibe. Even when the songs are about heartbreak, it’s still kinda happy and uplifting, never that sad. It’s nostalgic–I think that’s a great way to put it.

VILLAFAN: Yea, I feel like– looking at your playlist, it’s upbeat, there’s a lot of nostalgia, and it’s even a little mellow with the Mac–I want to know what are three words you’d use to describe your taste as a whole, given that you mostly listen to rap?

MELLO: As a whole? I’ve definitely branched out in the last two years, so as a whole, right now I’d say it’s really positive, joyful… and nostalgic. Because even though the music is not old…

“When I listen to the songs that I like it makes me think about all the things I look forward to and all the people that I love.”

VILLAFAN: Do you think that your music taste just grows and builds off what you already listen to, or do you think you tend to break away and listen to completely new stuff as you get older?

MELLO: I think it kinda breaks away. Cause for a while, when I was younger, it was what my parents listened to, y’know 80’s rock. Then once I started getting older it was rap, and then I went to country, and now to this indie genre, whatever you want to call it. So I’d say it’s definitely broken away.

VILLAFAN: Do you think you’re good at memorizing lyrics?

MELLO: I mean I don’t think I’m great but I sound like I’m really good because whenever I don’t know the lyric I just kinda make the general sound and it works.

VILLAFAN: [Laughs] Okay, that being said… do you want to finish the lyric?

MELLO: Yea, alright I’ll finish the lyric.

VILLAFAN: I’m not gonna tell you the song, but it is from your playlist! I’ll give you an easier one.

MELLO: [Laughs] Yeah give me an easier one or this is gonna be embarrassing.

VILLAFAN: “You can drive all night / Lookin’ for the answers in the pourin’ rain”

MELLO: … “You wanna find some peace of mind”? Yeah! Does that count?

VILLAFAN: That counts! It’s what I was looking for! Well that’s all I’ve got! Thank you!

MELLO: Yea, cool, of course! Thanks so much, that was fun!

The songs Ansel Mello included in his playlist are;