The Alchemy of Jonny Melton: The Making of RANSOM

Jonathan Melton’s journey into music didn’t start with a plan; it began with a drum set his grandpa bought him from a yard sale when he was young. It was old, beat-up, and covered in stickers, but to him, it was everything — the spark that led him to practice constantly, on a pad at his mum’s house and on the full kit at his dad’s every other weekend. By fourteen, he was hustling, scrapping old air-conditioning units for metal to fund his own setup in the backyard shed. That’s where his sister’s boyfriend at the time, a much older metalcore musician, overheard him playing and invited him to join his band, Savage Hands. It was then Jonny realised he could actually do something with his music.

Alongside his musical journey, Jonny had always been drawn to fashion. In high school, he experimented with T-shirt designs and launched a small skate-focused brand, Hard to Kill. Though that project didn’t last, it planted the seeds for what would become RANSOM. Founded in 2016, the brand started as a small venture with a few printed shirts funded by friends, but quickly snowballed into a collaboration powerhouse, linking with brands like Super Radical, Lyrical Lemonade, and Narcotic. The name itself came from an old piece of artwork Jonny had made for a friend, Landon Cube, using the “RANSOM” font for a song’s cover art—it stuck, and so did the brand.

Jonny’s influences run deep. From an early age, his parents exposed him to a wide range of music, shaping a taste that would later influence both his drumming and design aesthetic. Kurt Cobain remains a key inspiration, not just musically but in the DIY approach he took to clothing and style. Today, figures like Travis Barker continue to inspire him, both musically and entrepreneurially, as examples of someone successfully straddling both worlds.

Jonny sees a natural connection between his creative outlets. Joining his current band, Alexsucks, introduced him to dance-punk rhythms and a wider spectrum of music, which has fed back into his designs at RANSOM. He often draws inspiration from unexpected places—a mural in downtown Los Angeles, a Michael Jackson track, or elements from punk and skate culture—and lets ideas develop organically rather than forcing them. For Jonny, knowing when a project is finished is a mix of instinct and restraint, balancing simplicity and excess, whether in a cut-and-sew jacket or a graphic tee.

While Jonny handles much of the creative direction himself, he collaborates closely with a small team. His go-to designer, Onel (@filthy64), helps translate ideas into graphics, and he’s recently started integrating tattoo art from friends into collections—a nod to his belief in merging community and creativity. Touring with Alexsucks, running RANSOM, and managing Ink Made, his print shop in Albuquerque, New Mexico, has made time management a constant challenge. “Every day is a crazy balance,” he says. “But I wouldn’t want it any other way. I need to stay busy.”

Despite the pressures, Jonny keeps a grounded approach to creativity and business. He prioritises staying true to his brand and keeping designs accessible, even when financial constraints might tempt compromise: “I didn’t grow up with a whole lot of money, so I like to keep things affordable for younger people.” He measures success not just in profit, but in personal satisfaction and the freedom to pursue projects he loves. On days off, Jonny turns to surfing, which provides him with a rare form of relaxation — a chance to disconnect, reset and come back to his work with fresh perspective.

Feedback plays an important role for Jonny, though not always from customers. “Friends influence me more than anyone else,” he explains. Seeing peers’ brands thrive or experimenting with friends’ designs pushes him to think bigger and stay inventive, even

without formal collaborations. Though he acknowledges moments of self-doubt—questioning whether joining the band was the right choice or worrying about neglecting RANSOM—he navigates these by channeling energy into action, not rumination. Passion, above all, drives him forward.

Looking ahead, Jonny has big plans. After recently dropping a new RANSOM collection, with another slated for release soon alongside a nearly finished Alexsucks album, he shows no signs of slowing down. Beyond the immediate drops, he envisions building a supportive team around RANSOM to maintain its growth, while nurturing his print shop and watching his band reach new heights — ultimately becoming the “biggest band in the world.” Reflecting on his journey, he advises young creatives to recognise the challenges of juggling multiple paths and to seek help where possible—but above all, to stay true to what they love.

For Jonny Melton, music, fashion, and life are not separate lanes—they feed each other, creating a trajectory defined by curiosity, instinct, and relentless creative drive.