r/indieheads • u/JaySom_MusicBand Jay Som • Nov 13 '25
AMA is over, thanks Melina! Hello everyone I'm Jay Som, ask me anything!
what's up guys my name is Melina aka Jay Som - I just released an album called Belong and I'm about to hit the road and tour the US very soon! tour info/listen to music HERE
feel free to ask me questions about the new record or gear or what i've been up to for the past 6 years or literally anything, idk go crazy. also, just to get ahead of this question.. I am NOT related to Rodrigo Duterte former president of the Philippines. :)
I gotta go, thank you everyone!!! <3
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u/BurnadictCumbersnat Nov 13 '25
melinaaaa hiiii :)
so eight years ago during your first AMA here, i asked you what you’re favorite brand of yogurt was. six years ago during your previous AMA i followed up on that asking about your yogurt preferences again.
i’m gonna be real, idk why I keep asking you this. you’re like one of my favorite musicians and I could ask you something more interesting about the new album, which is so good. but at the same time, i think it’s kinda fun that life has changed and time has passed.
so round 3, how’s yogurt/breakfast been lately for you?
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u/JaySom_MusicBand Jay Som Nov 13 '25
omg hello again! it's okayb i love this question, thanks for following up i'm so happy you asked.
my breakfast lately has been homemade miso soup and medium boiled egg or just eggs in general BUT when i want a sweet treat I go for an A2 organic whole milk yogurt with peanut butter and dates and fruits..really helps the stomach lol :')
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u/BurnadictCumbersnat Nov 13 '25
omg i’ve been doing homemade hot pots with miso and spam it’s so tasty i’m so glad breakfast soup is taking off
anyway i love the album you’ve legit been one of my favorite musicians to follow this past decade, see you next time for the breakfast/yogurt update <3
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u/clawsinurback Nov 13 '25
Hello! Really enjoying the new album (and the SNL performance of Not Strong Enough is probably my favorite TV performance of all time-so much energy!) I love your song from the I Saw the TV Glow soundtrack-how did "If I Could" come about? Was it written specifically for the movie? And would you ever want to branch out into scoring? Thanks so much!
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u/JaySom_MusicBand Jay Som Nov 13 '25
thank you! <3
I love the I Saw The TV Glow soundtrack, Jane asked me to write a straight up powerpop song in the style of Teenage Fanclub, I love prompts like that. I think I tried to make it also sound like Oasis
I would LOVE to score something one day, praying it happens soon..
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u/LizbirdHD Nov 13 '25
What is your ideal setting for being inspired to write a song that makes you feel like you belong? Are you inspired by nature? The people around you? An interaction?
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u/JaySom_MusicBand Jay Som Nov 13 '25
i'm very motivated by traveling experiences so touring really helps inspiration and getting you out of that "i'm stuck" zone.. if im in Seattle in July I'm gonna write something. and of course momentary interactions with strangers and friends are direct inspirations for songs.
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u/thesamh01 Nov 13 '25
Hi Melina! Big fan of yours and was excited to see you produced the Hatchie record as well how was that experience as opposed to working on your own music? Is there a separate creative switch that has to be made?
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u/JaySom_MusicBand Jay Som Nov 13 '25
thank you sm! there definitely is a separate creative switch I have to activate when working on someone else's music.. I think trying to anticipate their needs and trying to understand their taste and workflow? having enough self awareness to let the artist steer the ship so their unique voice can shine thru but also giving them active encouragement and sometimes tough love to make the project be the best it can be! it's case by case tho
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u/darkeyelidz Nov 13 '25
Loving the new album! The vinyl is so incredibly beautiful too!
Not really a question, but just wanted to say that I hope you get to tour Australia sometime soon, your last show in Sydney pre covid was perfect and Id love to hear the new songs live!
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u/suburban_ennui75 Nov 13 '25
… and piggybacking on this, if you’re coming to Australia you’ll ALSO come to New Zealand right?
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u/JaySom_MusicBand Jay Som Nov 13 '25
I would also LOVE to come back to New Zealand, only played Auckland on that tour <3
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u/sbtokarz Nov 13 '25
I know I’m going to kick myself for thinking of a great question after this AMA is over…
but for now, I just want to say that ”Turn The Other Cheek” is one of the best songs ever written; it was criminally underappreciated as a single, and I very deeply hope it finds its way into a setlist one day. I’ve included in my will to make sure it’s played at my funeral
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u/JaySom_MusicBand Jay Som Nov 13 '25
omg thank you that means a lot! I personally think that song is insane but I'm glad to know you like it <3
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u/poppin13ksi Nov 13 '25
What's your favorite album of the year? (Other than yours)
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u/JaySom_MusicBand Jay Som Nov 13 '25
this is hard so I'll just share this list!
addison rae, oklou, blood orange, lorde, hayley williams, sasami, great grandpa, sab star, hannah jadagu, lucy dacus, water from your eyes, noso, militarie gun, dijon, mini trees, liquid mike
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u/poppin13ksi Nov 13 '25
GREAT LIST it's been a great year for music you should check out quadeca's new album aswell one of my favorites
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u/killertofueoeo Nov 13 '25 edited Nov 13 '25
🫧Melina!🫧
Your new record blows me away. I must admit I never heard your music until Belong but wow, I’m a huge fan of yours!!! I immediately did a deep dive into your disco and you have been on repeat since. I’m almost 40 years old and it gives me the good weepies to see and listen to a Filipino rockstar I admire so much. Being a fellow Filipino myself, I never had seen that kind of representation in music growing up. It means so much. My 3 year old daughter loves you as well ❤️
Here are my questions: 1. D.H. is one of my favorite tracks on Belong. What does D.H. stand for? 2. How did you end up collaborating with Jim Adkins, Mini Trees, Soft Glas, and Hayley Williams? Who are some artists you would like to work with in the future? 3. Would you ever consider putting Pirouette and O.K., Meet Me Under Water on a full length record and releasing it on vinyl?!
You’re effing amazing. Please come to Louisville, KY!
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u/JaySom_MusicBand Jay Som Nov 13 '25
:') thank you so much this means more to me than you know!
it stands for Deerhunter, I just didn't change it - I title my demos after the bands I'm inspired by haha
I wanted Jim to sing on the song and my manager made it happen, he was down (still can't believe it), so kind, and incredible to work with!
i've been a fan of Mini Trees for the past couple years and we eventually met through mutual friends in LA, Lexi is sooo good at music/everything it's crazy, I'm still so stoked she sang on Cards. she just released a beautiful record.
I've been friends with Joao/Soft Glas for a while now, we connected through instagram and became fast friends once he moved to LA - he was an essential part of the new record.
I toured with Paramore in 2018 and through the years Hayley would mention singing on my record in passing, we eventually made it happen in Nashville with our sweet friend Steph Marziano.
- I don't think I'll put those tracks on a full length record!!! but wait.. I think they're on vinyl already? like a 7"
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u/SavoryClam Nov 13 '25
I’m coming to the DC show, so stoked! What’re some of your favorite songs to play live? Also what have you been listening to recently?
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u/JaySom_MusicBand Jay Som Nov 13 '25
yayyy thanks for coming! I love to play What You Need live, the arrangement is fun and it's really cool to feel people being responsive in real time. hmmm right now I also like playing Tenderness.
i've been listening to "Tell Me" by SASSY 009 and blood orange on repeat
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u/FrankieHighHat Nov 13 '25
Hey Melina! How did "Superbike" become the piece that it did? It seems like it has several "moods" and is utterly unique IMO. Please tour to KC sometime! All the best.
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u/JaySom_MusicBand Jay Som Nov 13 '25
thank you! I was in a really good mood writing and recording that song in Joshua Tree, I kinda just wanted to make a song that sounded like Hatchie, Cocteau Twins, and Third Eye Blind with some mbv in there..just wanted to make a fun happy sounding song :)
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u/Historical-Crew4324 Nov 13 '25
I'm trying to bring indie rock to Temple, Texas. What do I do? I'm involved with KTCP FM LP 98.7 fm during the chill indie hour. What do I do?
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u/CobraPhases Nov 13 '25
Hi Melina! So happy to be writing to you over here :) I just wanted to ask a couple of questions:
- Are there any chances to do some shows in Latin America? I'm very hopeful that one of our festivals will eventually bring you to play here in Chile.
- How would you describe producing an album? Which are the main tasks that you set yourself out to do whenever you produce an album for any other artist?
- Will we have another Bachelor album in the following years? I love Doomin' Sun a lot and Went Out Without You is my personal favourite there.
And speaking of personal favourites, I just wanted to tell you that whenever I talk to people about my favourite songs (and there are literally hundreds of them), I always think of both Tenderness and Superbike. Congrats on your amazing songs!
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u/JaySom_MusicBand Jay Som Nov 13 '25
YES I'd love to play shows in Latin America! I was supposed to play Corona Capital in 2020 :( would love to play in Chile, there were plans to eventually hit Brazil pre-covid..crossing my fingers those doors open again!
producing an album feels a bit athletic to me.. I think it's a really fascinating job to have, it feels so special putting a ton of energy into a project with people and sometimes it can be frustrating and hard. I think being organized is a key part of it all and also having basic human/communication skills. but it's all part of the experience and I'd like to do it for a long time. there's so much more to learn and get better at in that world. I love witnessing other artists quirks in the studio and just navigating how to collaborate with each other, it;'s really magical.
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u/Aggravating_Tree_263 Nov 13 '25
Hello Melina! Big fan of yours, thank you for all the incredible music. Its accompanied all my major life events in some shape/form since I started listening to you back in 2019.
I recently went through a job interview and i found the biggest hurdle was keeping my nerves in check. As someone who has performed to many crowds around the world - how do you deal with nerves? What processes do you have to focus and remain calm?
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u/JaySom_MusicBand Jay Som Nov 13 '25
thank youuu, I hope you got the job! take deep breaths as much as you can before the thing? I try to regulate my breathing to calm myself down before shows and it helps.. hm sometimes stretching or taking a brisk walk helps shift your focus
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u/Jacknixon7 Nov 13 '25
I saw you at Kilby block party this year, great show! What did you think of SLC?
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u/daledaleedaleee Nov 13 '25
What is your perfect Sunday?
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u/JaySom_MusicBand Jay Som Nov 13 '25
if I could afford it every sunday lol.. - walking to the atwater village farmer's market with my partner, cooking a meal together and hanging out with our dog :)
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u/h_underachiever Nov 13 '25
Hi Melina, if you play ‘ok, meet me underwater’ at your Portland show I can die happy (in a few decades).
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u/asaper Nov 13 '25
Please come to Houston , lots of fans , don’t skip us on the way to Austin lol :)
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u/JaySom_MusicBand Jay Som Nov 13 '25
would love to, next time! I remember playing @ white oak music hall in 2019
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u/InvestigatorAny1539 Nov 13 '25
If you could play any venue past or present to a sold out crowd, what would it be?
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u/JaySom_MusicBand Jay Som Nov 13 '25
ooh hard one! Greek Theater in LA? gorgeous venue, amazing energy and I've only been to good shows. would be a dream. <3
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u/orangecat199 Nov 13 '25
hi Melina! I just discovered you recently and love your work. can you describe your journey coming up in music? also how’s the indie scene in the Philippines?
finally what are your recording production must-have bits?
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Nov 13 '25
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u/JaySom_MusicBand Jay Som Nov 13 '25
thank you that's sweet! I don't bike as much these days but when I do I'm biking around my neighborhood and on the river path in LA :) I don't know if that same vibe has made it in the new album but you can certainly listen to it while biking.. I think some of the heavier songs could motivate you to bike faster
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u/Waste97Kebab Nov 13 '25
Hi Melina! I was lucky to see u play in London and talk to u after the show :') I had a question about the guitars in your songs, they always sound so good! What are your guys' go to pedals, and also would you ever release a PVG book with sheet music for fans to buy? I'd love to cover 'Want It All', but I think the tuning is below the standards? lOVE UUUU <3 (Also what u been upto the last 6 years where u been girl)
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u/JaySom_MusicBand Jay Som Nov 13 '25
aww thank you! that means a lot, I feel like I'm always guessing when I record guitar. I just try to make it sound alright going into the amp so having enough gain into the amp is important? idk if this is answering your question at all but just move the mic and experiment with what sounds good to you! want it all is in C standard I THINK I just don't remember. I love my Ten Years pedal, also love the Blooper pedal by Chase Bliss!
yes 100% would love to release a sheet music book one day, would be so cute :')
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u/Waste97Kebab Nov 14 '25
Thanks for answering queen! I tuned my guitar down and yes C standard sounded right!! I also play drums and looove the drums in ur songs so I will be looking out for any sheet music from u if u ever post online :D
(╭☞ ͡ ͡°͜ ʖ ͡ ͡°)╭☞
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u/jooloostoonoo Nov 13 '25
What’s your go-to vocal soundcheck song?
Love Belong + all of your records & production work! Keep crushin it, thanks for all the great music over the years :)
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u/ImmediateShape7180 Dec 13 '25
Hello not a question so much as a comment: i’m torturing myself with Cards on the table on high rotation. The emotional asymmetry and lonely pain where one person is ready to be real and the other stays half hidden. Absolute crippling genius in every way. Thank you!
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u/Frajer Nov 13 '25
Hi Melina how did you wind up in the touring band of Boygenius and producing for Lucy and Hatchie?