THIS IS THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE FOR THE BAND LADDERPOL
Timeless music, visuals, and artistic expression merge together here. Every song is written and created with
actual instruments and voices organically-sourced. The musical styles range from contemporary folk, to adult alternative, occasionally dabbling in surreal strangeness. This effort strives to capture a unique human experience through music and compelling visuals. For a list of streaming sources, please click the link below.
26 August 2025
The debut album features nine tracks:
•Travelogue
•Strange Heaven
•Ohio
•Ordinary
•Microbrew
•Electric Girl
•Everfree
•The Show
•OMG I love You
The album cover shows a child in a domestic setting being invited into a dark place (a mysterious passage) by another child. The path (a ladder of sorts) is represented as an unstable chair perched on stacks of books. Music is represented in the image as an old phonograph, and two vinyl albums: a Chipmunks record, and Misplaced Childhood (by Marrillion). These albums express the contrast between playful simplicity and complicated intensity. A bright window brings light into the scene to offset the dark mood of the scene and subtly implies a choice to be made between confined darkness, or a joyful escape. Art by Mel Hawes.
Raised on a ranch in Northern California, Mel Hawes began writing music, stories, poems, as well as creating artistic illustrations at a young age. Adept at piano and guitar, his ability to express ideas through music has evolved through the years. Mel is a graduate of Humboldt State University located in Arcata California and spent his college years performing with Cory Wilburn under the band name LPi. This loosely-organized duo produced a library of songs that would be collected and distributed as demos under the album name "Shades of Darkness."
Mel worked as a media developer for the gaming company IGT based in Reno Nevada for many years, and has also worked extensively in television directing and producing corporate media. As a skilled photographer and media professional, he also produces his own music videos as well as art films. Mel now resides in Northwest Montana where he spends much time in various studios, performing his songs locally, and working to elevate his music as an independent artist. Music videos of songs featured on album releases as well as unreleased works can be explored through the LadderPol YouTube channel via the link below.
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