Don't Negotiate Album - The Melting Virgos
Hyattsville, Maryland | Music
Rock, Pop
Multi-instrumentalist and teacher, Alice (aka Melting Virgo), finds inspiration from glam rock, bossa, ska and more in this album. Her theatrical delivery unites these songs about the climate crisis and the injustice of immense wealth gaps while teaching listeners how to delightfully rebel.
Don't Negotiate Album - The Melting Virgos
Hyattsville, Maryland | Music
Rock, Pop
1 Campaigns | Maryland, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $5,463 for post-production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
59 supporters | followers
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Multi-instrumentalist and teacher, Alice (aka Melting Virgo), finds inspiration from glam rock, bossa, ska and more in this album. Her theatrical delivery unites these songs about the climate crisis and the injustice of immense wealth gaps while teaching listeners how to delightfully rebel.
Participating In
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Alice (aka Melting Virgo)
When I learned about climate change at about 9-years-old, I was horrified. "Why aren't the grown-ups going anything to stop this?" I asked. Somehow, in the decades since, we've rocketed toward a bleak future due to the greed of a wealthy few.
At first, I got a degree in environmental and energy policy and worked in the solar industry, and in my free time, I trained in non-violent direct actions for everything from protesting Citizens United to calling for student debt cancellation, from immigrant rights to our need for climate justice. After burning out of the green tech due to the centering of profit over people, I became a private music teacher giving lessons in piano and voice. During the past 10+ years, I also trained and became a song leader with the Sunrise Movement, steeping in historical songs that bind movements for freedom together and contributing research to their songbook. I also longed for new songs about the unique challenges of today, like the advent of AI and resurgence of American fascism.
It is my firm belief that Americans need more cultural inspiration that encourages us to be stewards of our world. Every major social ill collides with climate injustice; racism, indigenous sovereignty, immigration, healthcare access, educational opportunity, reproductive rights, affordable housing, workers' rights, freedom of expression, and boundless love, are all interconnected. And so, our community is coming together to create music that makes listeners want to dance and sing along with lyrics about realigning American culture toward justice.
The Don't Negotiate Album
The Don't Negotiate album, consists of eight songs that blur the lines of presentational music and organically evolving street protest music that you can watch live performance of on our YouTube page. By incorporating group-singing in both the live presentation of the music and in this recorded work, this album invites the audience - regardless of musical skill - to raise our voices together and demand change. We will not negotiate or cooperate with fascists, and this music will help raise our spirits in the darkness.
The Songs:
- Empire of Smoke and Mirrors, a danceable Bossa grove with fast-paced lyrics about our need for climate justice
- Don’t Negotiate, a cinematic climate action ballad with powerful group vocals about people harnessing the power of natural forces
- Nadie Es Ilegal, a Spanish-English partner song about the power of unified direct action against agents of oppression
- Smooth, a funky blues song about dealing with incompetent bosses, lyrics by Stephanie Buck
- Tethered to the Wall, a power ballad about the desire for transformative authentic relationships
- Money is a Tool, an upbeat blues based on the song “Sixteen Tons” by Merle Travis made famous by Tennessee Ernie Ford, about the power of investing in communities instead of companies
- The Ballad of White Gladis, heavy metal meets the Jaws theme, written about the pod of orcas who sink yachts
- Lobotomize Your Coffeemaker, a bouncy ska tune about abandoning surveillance technologies in favor of community engagement
So far...
We have completed drum tracks for four songs and have begun adding instrumentation for five songs, but still need to head to the studio to complete our recording for all eight songs. Sly and Alice have been working with awesome musicians at our DIY home studio in Maryland, layering instrumental and vocal tracks on, getting them ready for your listening ears and dancing feet! Not gonna lie, it's sounding super fun so far - I'm getting really excited once it gets the magical sound treatment that Don at Tonal Park has in store for us. We've also had some crazy fun recording parties with friends helping with crowd vocals (pictured below).
What we need help with
Right now, we still need musical engineering for mixing and mastering. We also want to pay some super special musicians to play on the tracks. And, we could really use a budget for a marketing campaign so that our music reaches the beautiful people around the country who need a reprieve from the darkness that abounds who've never heard of us.
Music has the potential to change the cultural conversation and embolden people at every level of the economic system. When we work together growing our communities, engaging in mutual aid, denying cooperation with unlawful orders of tyrants, we will build a totally different future. American artists, musicians, actors, comedians, all creative souls are battling for the very foundational right to freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, the right to representation, and more. While politicians and the wealthy few pretend they will escape this planet, this music calls for remembering the beauty of our humanity and interconnected living world.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
1 Day Drum Tracking In Studio
Costs $800
We are recording high quality drums for original live songs in studio! We still need to record drums for 5 more songs.
Audio Mixing
Costs $1,800
This helps us balance 8 tracks just right! This amount covers the cost of hours worth of mixing in the studio w/ Don Godwin at Tonal Park.
Mastering
Costs $870
We have to get the balance juuuuust right for each streaming and release platform.
Marketing Push
Costs $2,000
We want our music to reach people we don't know yet and invite them into this community of activists!
Music Video
Costs $800
Alice does a lot of DIY editing, so we can keep our costs down. This budget helps create some wiggle room for costumes, food, etc.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Alice (aka Melting Virgo) - songwriter, singer, keys, French horn, trumpet, co-producer
Justin Lewiston - co-producer, bassist, guitarist
Sly Samudre of Sly on the Bright Side - co-producer and audio engineer
Don Godwin - audio engineer, mixing, drums (Don't Negotiate, Lobotomize Your Coffeemaker, White Gladis)
Brennan McShane - lead guitar
Jack Dell of Fake Radio- lead guitar
Christopher Luis Jorge - featured vocals (White Gladis)
Randy & Mickey Goldberg, Mary Allain, Brooke Dalby, Julia Morris (and more!) - crowd vocal participants
Antonio Peluso - drums (Nadie es Ilegal)
Genevieve Moore of Soul Meets Body - photographer
Stephanie Buck - lyricist for "Smooth"
Special thanks to:
Joshua Long, Kirk Cooper, all of Melting Virgo's amazing students <3
Drum tracks recorded at Tonal Park in Takoma Park, MD
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Alice (aka Melting Virgo)
When I learned about climate change at about 9-years-old, I was horrified. "Why aren't the grown-ups going anything to stop this?" I asked. Somehow, in the decades since, we've rocketed toward a bleak future due to the greed of a wealthy few.
At first, I got a degree in environmental and energy policy and worked in the solar industry, and in my free time, I trained in non-violent direct actions for everything from protesting Citizens United to calling for student debt cancellation, from immigrant rights to our need for climate justice. After burning out of the green tech due to the centering of profit over people, I became a private music teacher giving lessons in piano and voice. During the past 10+ years, I also trained and became a song leader with the Sunrise Movement, steeping in historical songs that bind movements for freedom together and contributing research to their songbook. I also longed for new songs about the unique challenges of today, like the advent of AI and resurgence of American fascism.
It is my firm belief that Americans need more cultural inspiration that encourages us to be stewards of our world. Every major social ill collides with climate injustice; racism, indigenous sovereignty, immigration, healthcare access, educational opportunity, reproductive rights, affordable housing, workers' rights, freedom of expression, and boundless love, are all interconnected. And so, our community is coming together to create music that makes listeners want to dance and sing along with lyrics about realigning American culture toward justice.
The Don't Negotiate Album
The Don't Negotiate album, consists of eight songs that blur the lines of presentational music and organically evolving street protest music that you can watch live performance of on our YouTube page. By incorporating group-singing in both the live presentation of the music and in this recorded work, this album invites the audience - regardless of musical skill - to raise our voices together and demand change. We will not negotiate or cooperate with fascists, and this music will help raise our spirits in the darkness.
The Songs:
- Empire of Smoke and Mirrors, a danceable Bossa grove with fast-paced lyrics about our need for climate justice
- Don’t Negotiate, a cinematic climate action ballad with powerful group vocals about people harnessing the power of natural forces
- Nadie Es Ilegal, a Spanish-English partner song about the power of unified direct action against agents of oppression
- Smooth, a funky blues song about dealing with incompetent bosses, lyrics by Stephanie Buck
- Tethered to the Wall, a power ballad about the desire for transformative authentic relationships
- Money is a Tool, an upbeat blues based on the song “Sixteen Tons” by Merle Travis made famous by Tennessee Ernie Ford, about the power of investing in communities instead of companies
- The Ballad of White Gladis, heavy metal meets the Jaws theme, written about the pod of orcas who sink yachts
- Lobotomize Your Coffeemaker, a bouncy ska tune about abandoning surveillance technologies in favor of community engagement
So far...
We have completed drum tracks for four songs and have begun adding instrumentation for five songs, but still need to head to the studio to complete our recording for all eight songs. Sly and Alice have been working with awesome musicians at our DIY home studio in Maryland, layering instrumental and vocal tracks on, getting them ready for your listening ears and dancing feet! Not gonna lie, it's sounding super fun so far - I'm getting really excited once it gets the magical sound treatment that Don at Tonal Park has in store for us. We've also had some crazy fun recording parties with friends helping with crowd vocals (pictured below).
What we need help with
Right now, we still need musical engineering for mixing and mastering. We also want to pay some super special musicians to play on the tracks. And, we could really use a budget for a marketing campaign so that our music reaches the beautiful people around the country who need a reprieve from the darkness that abounds who've never heard of us.
Music has the potential to change the cultural conversation and embolden people at every level of the economic system. When we work together growing our communities, engaging in mutual aid, denying cooperation with unlawful orders of tyrants, we will build a totally different future. American artists, musicians, actors, comedians, all creative souls are battling for the very foundational right to freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, the right to representation, and more. While politicians and the wealthy few pretend they will escape this planet, this music calls for remembering the beauty of our humanity and interconnected living world.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
1 Day Drum Tracking In Studio
Costs $800
We are recording high quality drums for original live songs in studio! We still need to record drums for 5 more songs.
Audio Mixing
Costs $1,800
This helps us balance 8 tracks just right! This amount covers the cost of hours worth of mixing in the studio w/ Don Godwin at Tonal Park.
Mastering
Costs $870
We have to get the balance juuuuust right for each streaming and release platform.
Marketing Push
Costs $2,000
We want our music to reach people we don't know yet and invite them into this community of activists!
Music Video
Costs $800
Alice does a lot of DIY editing, so we can keep our costs down. This budget helps create some wiggle room for costumes, food, etc.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Alice (aka Melting Virgo) - songwriter, singer, keys, French horn, trumpet, co-producer
Justin Lewiston - co-producer, bassist, guitarist
Sly Samudre of Sly on the Bright Side - co-producer and audio engineer
Don Godwin - audio engineer, mixing, drums (Don't Negotiate, Lobotomize Your Coffeemaker, White Gladis)
Brennan McShane - lead guitar
Jack Dell of Fake Radio- lead guitar
Christopher Luis Jorge - featured vocals (White Gladis)
Randy & Mickey Goldberg, Mary Allain, Brooke Dalby, Julia Morris (and more!) - crowd vocal participants
Antonio Peluso - drums (Nadie es Ilegal)
Genevieve Moore of Soul Meets Body - photographer
Stephanie Buck - lyricist for "Smooth"
Special thanks to:
Joshua Long, Kirk Cooper, all of Melting Virgo's amazing students <3
Drum tracks recorded at Tonal Park in Takoma Park, MD