ABOUT LATE AGAIN
Late Again is the dream-pop project of Brooklyn-based musician and multimedia artist Rafael Melo. Originally from Brazil, he blends the indie rhythms of New York with the many textures of his heritage to create an immersive and personal sound.
Galore describes his music as “a dashing blend of dream pop with cultural sounds from his country” while Billboard praises his ability to “blur the boundaries between pop and alternative in a way that is both charming and vulnerable.”
Since his debut in April 2024, Late Again has been steadily building momentum both locally and internationally, drawing over 1 million listeners on Spotify and packing shows on the East Coast.
Rafael’s artistic journey spans multiple cities and collaborations, working with a diverse array of talents—from Grammy-winning musicians to hermit underground friends. Late Again has collaborated with Brazilian composer Arthur Verocai (BADBADNOTGOOD, Hiatus Kaiyote), producer Heal Mura (Aldo, The Band), and visual artist Rollinos (Toro y Moi, Metronomy). With a background in visual arts that ranges from film to videogames, he Late Again's work tries to expand the boundaries of his music beyond the sound itself.
Drawing inspiration from the likes of Gorillaz, Caetano Veloso, David Byrne, and Ryuichi Sakamoto, Late Again sits comfortably alongside dream-pop contemporaries such as Still Woozy, Mac DeMarco, and Crumb.
Like its creator, Late Again is constantly evolving—never static, never settled.
CLEARLY IT'S ALL STAGED (UPCOMING EP)
Now gearing up for the release of his sophomore EP, Clearly It’s All Staged (July 18, 2025), Late Again continues to explore new sonic territory. The lead single “Ick?” dropped in March and quickly gained traction, debuting at #24 on the NACC Radio Adds Chart in its first week.
The follow-up single, Sunrise/Sunset, is a more laid-back, dream-pop track with lo-fi elements and aims to set the boundaries of the EP. It gathered 100k streams in a couple of weeks and has been the artist's most popular track since its release.
The third and final single of EP, Chick'n Tenders, is a song that explores the ironic energy of Late Again both melodically and lyrically. With a catchy uplifting melody, it was written to feel like a love song. But to chicken tenders.
The EP also will have two unreleased tracks. Easy on Myself opens the EP. And Nothing By It is a melancholic B-side recorded in collaboration with the singer Ella Walton and the jazz saxophonist Jared Yee.
2025 TOUR
In early 2025, Late Again embarked on his debut tour, performing in cities including Philadelphia, New York, DC, Boston, Montreal, and Toronto.
With sold-out shows in Brooklyn (The Sultan Room) and DC (Comet Ping Pong), Late Again is creating a solid base on the East Coast, where he's currently based. The next step is to expand his audience to the West Coast and Europe.
For the live show, the team developed a custom, self-sufficient lighting rig and visual setup that travels with the artist. At the core of Late Again’s performance is the belief that visuals are as important as any instrument on stage. With Rafael’s background in multimedia art, lighting becomes a key tool, designed to be an integral part of the show and to help the audience connect with each song on a new level, no matter how big the stage is.
On stage, Late Again sings while playing live guitar and synth, orchestrating both sound and light in a performance that’s as visually captivating as it is musically immersive.