B-Side Guys

In the rarified realm of Appalachian-influenced music, authenticity isn’t manufactured but inherited—passed down through generations alongside instruments and oral traditions. North Carolina native Mason Via embodies this lineage on “MELT IN THE SUN,” a track that distills mountain music’s emotional directness while expanding its expressive possibilities.

The song establishes its emotional territory immediately, opening with acknowledgment of self-created difficulties. Via’s vocal delivery carries the weathered wisdom of someone who’s survived their own worst decisions, bringing natural gravitas to lines about borrowed trouble and wrong roads. This confessional framing creates necessary context for the song’s central exploration of romantic regret and eternal devotion.

Musically, “MELT IN THE SUN” demonstrates Via’s ability to honor traditional forms without being constrained by them. Raised in the fiddler’s conventions and music festivals of North Carolina and Virginia, his instrumental approach reflects deep regional understanding while incorporating subtle contemporary touches. The arrangement creates space for his “high lonesome” vocal style—a descriptor that has characterized Appalachian singing for generations but finds fresh expression through Via’s particular timbral qualities.

The chorus functions as emotional anchor, moving from the acknowledgment of endings (“goodbye tomorrow”) to the poignant admission of unexpressed love. The metaphor of rocks melting in the sun transforms geological impossibility into measure of devotion—a hyperbolic promise that paradoxically feels more genuine than conventional expressions of eternal love. This image connects modern sentiment to traditional mountain gospel imagery, where natural phenomena often serve as metaphorical vehicles for spiritual or emotional concepts.

What distinguishes “MELT IN THE SUN” from countless other songs exploring similar emotional territory is Via’s willingness to accept responsibility while avoiding self-pity. When he sings about trying to fix what’s broken while acknowledging it “‘ll never be the same again,” he demonstrates emotional maturity rarely found in breakup narratives. This balanced perspective creates breathing room for listeners to project their own experiences onto the song without being constrained by the narrator’s specific circumstances.

The accompanying claymation video by Chloe Tyler adds visual dimension to the song’s thematic exploration, utilizing the medium’s malleability to symbolize emotional transformations that resist literal representation. This pairing of traditional musical forms with contemporary visual storytelling reflects Via’s overall artistic approach—honoring roots while exploring new expressive pathways.

“MELT IN THE SUN” ultimately succeeds by transforming specific regret into universal experience, creating music that feels simultaneously timeless and immediate. Via’s mountain soul doesn’t just preserve tradition—it demonstrates how traditional forms remain vital vehicles for contemporary emotional expression.