Rod Melancon’s Southern Gothic is a rockin rolla — its songs practically beg you to swig a beer, then a whiskey, then boogie on down a peanut-shell-covered floor at a dark bar. It’s Americana at its finest, evoking images of young love lost in the badlands and bayous of South Louisiana. Produced by Brian Whelan, Melancon makes his hometown come alive — in stories of swampy, sweaty buildings and ghosts of real characters in raucous blues.

Oddly enough, Melancon didn’t learn to play music until he moved to Los Angeles. “I was given a guitar when I was 19. I had just moved to LA, and I didn't know many folks. It kept me company. I taught myself some chords and when I had enough to piece a song together, I went for it.” He realized music was his calling after gave his grandpa a Hank Williams album. “Those songs brought him to a different place. I realized the power and capabilities of music at that point. It's much more than words and sounds.”

Hop to the next page to learn a little more about Melancon.