Adam Melchor and Mt. Joy’s “Room On Your Shoulder” Defines Nearly a Decade of Growth


If you’ve never heard of Adam Melchor, consider this your sign to dive into his mesmerizing discography. To ring in the new year right, Melchor teams up with indie rock band Mt. Joy, fronted by Matt Quinn.

The two released their first single of 2025, “Room On Your Shoulder,” just one week into the new year, But this song has been shaped and transformed over the course of the past seven years. Melchor, Quinn, and Sam Cooper originally penned the track in 2018 when Melchor opened for Mt. Joy but just couldn’t put it away after all these years.

The song began as a lesson of love prevailing, whether that be through painful seasons of life or moments of forgiveness. “Tryna to save your colors while the walls are caving in / Feels like growing gardens from cement / I'm just left to wonder if you had some love to lend,” the pair sings.

Over time, “Room On Your Shoulder” morphed into “an ode to camaraderie and friendship and how the chapters of our lives do not have to define the chapters ahead,” according to an Instagram post made by Melchor. They sing tenderly, reminiscing about a deep connection lost, “I find it hard to fall asleep when no one out here gets mе / 'Cause you were always by my sidе from L.A. to New Jersey.” 

The entire single holds an air of confusion as Melchor and Quinn question their own feelings as they accept this devastating loss. In the first verse, Melchor sings, “I thought I'd know by now if you and me were meant.” He gets stuck putting this into words. Without getting the full sentence out, listeners can feel a palpable sense of longing.

Amidst this confusion, their voices hold two different qualities, Melchor with a whimsical one and Quinn with a charming roughness. They meld together seamlessly, enhancing the raw lyricism with two opposing vocal qualities. 

The cathartic nature of “Room On Your Shoulder” is clear. From the time they began writing seven years ago, Melchor and Quinn have grown, changed, and deepened their own relationship. The entire atmosphere of the single is rooted in trust. 

In the final stretch, a trumpet cries out as they ask again and again, “Is there room on your shoulder?”

Listen to "Room On Your Shoulder" below:

Related Articles

Florence Road 'Springs Forward' As Our New Favorite Indie Rock Band [Q&A]

Florence Road 'Springs Forward' As Our New Favorite Indie Rock Band [Q&A]

April 2, 2026 The Irish quartet stuns with their latest EP, Spring Forward.
Author: DJ Connor
10 Questions: Ber Is Feeling Good... Like It Should Be [Q&A]

10 Questions: Ber Is Feeling Good... Like It Should Be [Q&A]

April 2, 2026 On the eve of her debut album release, Good, Like It Should Be, we had the privilege of chatting with Minnesota-based artist Ber.
Author: DJ Connor
pop
Endearments Press Rewind with a Refreshing Take on the 80's

Endearments Press Rewind with a Refreshing Take on the 80's

March 30, 2026 We talked to the band about their lush new album, what inspired it, and their music being pegged as an 80s soundtrack John Hughes movie.
Author: Robert Frezza
q&a