Experimental Indie-Folk Artist Empty Melon Blurs Wakefulness and Memory on Debut Single “Hoping to Find”
Empty Melon, the solo project of Ada Lea bassist and producer Summer Kodama, makes its debut with “Hoping to Find,” a cinematic and introspective track that blends ambient folk textures with experimental sensibilities. Drifting between consciousness and dream, the song captures a moment of creative reclamation and quiet self-renewal, inviting listeners into a reflective, intimate sonic space. It reflects Summer’s evolution as an artist, moving from collaboration and side projects toward a deeply personal mode of expression.
The song’s first demo emerged in May 2024, shortly after Summer toured with Michael Feuerstack and drew inspiration from Montreal musicians like Tim Crabtree and Erika Angell. Feeling burnt out from working across multiple projects, Summer found writing this song a restorative experience. Purchasing her first acoustic guitar from Tim before his move to Berlin, she channeled her energy into creating a piece that marked both personal and artistic renewal. “Hoping to Find” serves as Empty Melon’s introduction, embodying vulnerability, experimentation, and the quiet power of rediscovering one’s own voice.
“Hoping to Find” stands out for its ethereal, in-between atmosphere—a space Summer Kodama describes as “between being awake and being asleep,” where she could create freely without judgment. The track balances cinematic expansiveness with intimate, organic instrumentation, weaving ambient textures with delicate guitar lines to evoke both dreamlike reflection and emotional immediacy. Its tone reflects Empty Melon’s focus on presence over perfection, capturing moments of vulnerability, introspection, and quiet self-renewal.
The song’s creation was deeply collaborative, beginning with Summer’s partnership with Samson Wrote in January 2025 over Zoom, inspired by their prior meeting during a 2023 Joni Mitchell musical production. Additional contributions from mixing engineer JoJo Worthington and cellist Jill Sauerteig added emotional depth and texture, enhancing the track’s cinematic feel. “Hoping to Find” introduces Empty Melon as a project that embraces subtlety and imperfection, capturing the delicate space between exhaustion and rediscovery while offering listeners an intimate, reflective musical experience.
Make sure you check out “Hoping to Find” on Spotify below and on your favorite streaming platform!
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