“Blues is such a huge part of our history, especially here in America. It transcends trends and reaches to the core of what it means to be human. Unfortunately, I think today’s society often misses the mark when it comes to music.”

Mark Nesmith: Authentic Melon Jelly Blues

Melon Jelly dishes out a foot stompin’ musical gumbo of funky grooves, blues, and retro rock served piping hot from Southeast Texas! Winners of the 2024 Houston Blues Challenge and quarterfinalists at the 2025 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Melon Jelly features Stephen Droddy on drums, Jason McCollum on bass, and Mark "Nessie" Nesmith on guitars and vocals. Their debut CD “The Road to Memphis” dropped in 2025, claiming the #15 slot on the Billboard’s Blues Albums Chart, #6 on the IBBA Top 40 Chart in the UK, and #48 on the Top 50 Big Blues Chart Canada! Between the three of them there’s not much they haven’t played. A seasoned live performer and session recording drummer, Stephen Droddy has toured nationally and recorded and produced numerous artists. Stephen is endorsed by Samsun Cymbals and Collision Drumsticks and teaches with Guitar Center. Mark "Nessie" Nesmith’s solo CD “A Sinner’s Prayer” was the Houston Blues Society choice for the best Self-Produced CD of 2024. Mark is an accomplished singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and visual artist. He’s performed as a solo artist and with multiple bands on stages throughout the USA including the House of Blues, the Levitt Pavilion, the historic Stagecoach Ballroom, and Remington Park Casino.                               (Mark "Nessie" Nesmith / Photo by Jerome Cabeen)

Mark’s music has been heard on numerous television and radio shows including Fox 4 & the CW's Jim King of the Road Show and the long running syndicated series Texas Country Reporter. His artwork is found in more than 30 states and has been featured in national and international publications. Born and raised in SETX, Jason McCollum brings two decades of bass experience to the stage. He has performed throughout Texas with the bands Ultrasuede, Jag, Lazarus Bowl, and more. When the three of them first jammed together it was love at first groove.

Interview by Michael Limnios

How has the music influenced your views of the world? What moment changed your life the most?

Music helped make the world seem a bit smaller for me. It gave me a way to relate to people on the other side of the globe. You hear something from across the ocean and realize those people are dealing with the same things you’re dealing with at home. It makes it easier to feel like we’re all one tribe of people.

I grew up as the youngest of five. My father was a teacher and worked every extra job he could to provide for us all. My mother had her hands full making sure there was food on the table, clothes on our backs, and a good, loving home for everyone. To this day I marvel at how much they were able to do with so little. We didn’t have money for the fancier things in life, so music and art were big outlets for me. They allowed a restless boy to quench curiosity and feed my imagination. I shared a bedroom with my older brother Vince and his vinyl collection exposed me to greats like Led Zeppelin, Cream, Jimi Hendrix, Rush, and so many more. He played drums in high school and had a little pieced together garage sale drum kit in our bedroom, so drums were my first instrument. There was always a piano in our house and we all dabbled on it a little over the years. Hearing Stevie Ray Vaughan explode from my boombox speakers in high school suddenly made a connection for me with the British blues rock I’d heard on my brother’s records years before and sent me on a never-ending musical quest. Sometime around 1991 I found The Complete Recordings of Robert Johnson and that turned my focus from drums to guitar. From there I discovered Lightnin’ Hopkins and Muddy Waters, Albert and B.B. King, Albert Collins, so many great blues artists and I just dove deeper and deeper into the music. I’ve been under the spell of great bluesmen ever since.

”I think it has a lot to do with emotional response and resonance. Often Texas Blues has sparser instrumentation than much of Chicago or West Coast blues with a bit of a rock edge that cuts right to the heart” (Mark Nesmith with Stephen Droddy & Jason McCollum / Photo by Jerome Cabeen)

How do you describe band’s sound, music philosophy and songbook? What is the story behind band’s name: Melon Jelly?

I’ve never really thought much in terms of a music philosophy, but I guess you could say we love any music that is authentic and has a good groove. My emphasis has always been to play for the song. As a band we all practice and perform as much as possible. We try to develop our chops and strive to improve our skills on our instruments, but we all agree that technique must be in service of the songs. These days much of the blues music I hear seems like it’s only a structure for blowing solos or another re-hash of an older song. I want substance, songs that feel genuine, that speak of real life and emotions. We love old blues, rock, and funk, and what comes out is a musical gumbo with a little bit of all those influences thrown in the pot along with our own seasoning.

The name Melon Jelly goes back to my misunderstanding of a favorite TV show when I was a kid. I loved the old Redd Foxx show “Sanford and Son.” There was an episode about Fred Sanford’s collection of “Blind Mellow Jelly” records that stuck in my head, only my young ears heard “Melon Jelly” instead of “Mellow Jelly.” Maybe I was just hungry that day or something, but the name stuck with me. I first used it with a short-lived side project I had in Dallas maybe 15 years ago. When Stephen and I started developing this band we had a loose idea of a musical direction, and the Melon Jelly name just seemed to fit.

Why do you think that Texas Blues Scene continues to generate such a devoted following?

I think it has a lot to do with emotional response and resonance. Often Texas Blues has sparser instrumentation than much of Chicago or West Coast blues with a bit of a rock edge that cuts right to the heart. Good blues of any form lets listeners connect on a personal level. No matter what our station in life is, we all experience pain, sadness, and longing. These are universal truths that we relate to in songs, but blues also conveys the strength and resilience we find in ourselves working through these problems. After all, no matter how low we feel at any given time, everyone’s record for surviving bad days is pretty good. Blues is hope. Even the darkest of nights have a sunrise in the morning.

“I miss the rawness and the sense of interplay and spontaneity. So much music released these days seems polished to the point of being lifeless. It’s like we’re scared to allow mistakes and flaws.” (Photo: Melon Jelly are Stephen Droddy on drums, Jason McCollum on bass, and Mark Nesmith on guitars and vocals)

Are there any memories from gigs, jams, open acts and studio sessions which you’d like to share with us?

I’ve played music for a long time. The stories from the road could fill a book. I’ve been blessed to share a stage with countless incredible musicians, some well known and some who should be, but life didn’t work out that way. My favorite moments tend to be small ones and very personal. Recently we played at a VIP party at a great venue in East Texas called Jackson’s Theatre. On this night, a gentleman walked up to our tip jar and dropped a handful of bills in requesting my song “This Life” from our CD “The Road to Memphis.” He said it was his favorite song from the album and plays it all the time while working in his shop. I’ve written songs for decades, but other than my wife Elizabeth and a handful of very close friends I’d never had anyone request one of my songs at a show. I’ve certainly never had anyone tip so much to hear one. It’s an unbelievable feeling to know something I’ve created means that much to another person.

What do you miss most nowadays from the music of the past? What are your hopes and fears for the future of?

I miss the rawness and the sense of interplay and spontaneity. So much music released these days seems polished to the point of being lifeless. It’s like we’re scared to allow mistakes and flaws. The quest for perfection in lots of recordings just kills the feel of the song for me. Beauty is often found in imperfections when we’re willing to let them show. The mistakes reveal our humanity. As for the future, I try to live in the moment. I’ve had many brushes with death during my life. Now I’m just grateful for every day and every song. I hope to keep writing and playing music until my last breath and am always trying to learn and be better than I was yesterday.

What are some of the most important lessons you have learned from your experience in the music paths?

Money is nice, but experiences and memories hold much more value and lead to the feeling of a life well spent. Fame is the dream of youth. If we can pay our bills my wife and I will be content. Our wealth is in connections and relationships. I’ve connected with people around the world through music and art, most of whom I’ll never meet face to face. My musical journey has helped me realize that we’re all more alike than we are different.                                                 (Mark "Nessie" Nesmith / Photo by Jerome Cabeen)

”Music helped make the world seem a bit smaller for me. It gave me a way to relate to people on the other side of the globe. You hear something from across the ocean and realize those people are dealing with the same things you’re dealing with at home. It makes it easier to feel like we’re all one tribe of people.”

Why is it important to we preserve and spread the blues? What is the role of music in today’s society?

Blues is such a huge part of our history, especially here in America. It transcends trends and reaches to the core of what it means to be human. Unfortunately, I think today’s society often misses the mark when it comes to music. In large part streaming has killed much of the music experience for younger generations. It’s often relegated to a mindless time filling commodity in the background. It’s a shallow relationship with songs, superficial in many ways. I remember the mystery and excitement I felt diving into a new record. I still get that thrill going down the rabbit hole with a new band or an old record I’ve just discovered. I think it’s a tragedy of our modern world that so many don’t have this deeper connection with songs.

What are you doing to keep your music relevant today, to develop it and present it to the new generation?

I don’t feel the need to do anything special to keep our music relevant other than write about things that are genuine and true for us. Our songs come from our lives. How can it not be relevant if it’s true experience? I’ve been a teacher for a quarter of a century now. I’ve taught music and art for much of that time. There’s almost always music playing in my classroom, much of it blues, jazz, and funk, things the kids don’t hear regularly during the rest of their day. I’ve had many students tell me hearing things in my class turned them on to people like B.B. King or The Meters. In my guitar classes I always have a unit on blues culminating in writing their own blues song. In some small way I hope these things help keep the music alive. While I’m not a fan of the streaming world, we bow to modern convention and have an active presence on platforms like Spotify, iTunes, Amazon Music, etc. which tend to be the ways younger listeners get their music. Who knows? Maybe there’s a few kids out there trying to learn a lick I played on a song or two. Two of our sons, Benton and Ethan, are both musicians as well. Benton co-produced and mixed our Melon Jelly CD “The Road to Memphis” and my solo CD “A Sinner’s Prayer.” I helped them both get going on guitar when they were younger. It’s little things like that that turn into bigger things down the road and will keep people involved in the music, not a corporate money man. Once you feel that connection with creation there’s no way to stop. It becomes an inseparable part of you.

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(Melon Jelly are Stephen Droddy, Jason McCollum, and Mark Nesmith / Photo by Jerome Cabeen)