By JESSICA A. BOTELHO

It’s been about four years since solo artist Craig DeMelo, 28, released his debut recording, “The Whiskey Poet.” But with a stack of fresh material, he is looking forward to intoxicating fans with a new album in the near future.

“I’ve recorded two songs so far, but it’s a slow process,” he said. “I just need to get back in the studio and bang out some more tracks. I’ve written a bunch of songs that I’m dying to record.”

DeMelo, who has opened for artists like Howie Day, Hootie and the Blowfish, Matchbox 20, and the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, is thinking about putting together a disc of three or four songs to “tide fans over.” For a full-length album, he is considering releasing it one song at a time.

“I think that’s a really cool idea and I’ll probably end up doing something like that,” he said. “I just need to decide the final list of songs that I want.”

Because the album is yet to be completed, he hasn’t settled on a title. He has some ideas, but wanted to keep them a secret.

“I have a few concepts and things I’ve been thinking about,” said DeMelo. “But they’re in the vault.”

While he said finding time to record is difficult, writing new material was smooth sailing. The Beatles, Damien Rice, The Dave Matthews Band, as well as heavy metal acts and hip-hop artists, have been prime influences since he began singing and playing guitar when he was 16.

“I think everything finds its way into my music one way or another,” DeMelo said. “It’s cool because there’s something for everyone and it appeals to a wide range of people. But I kind of play the crowd at shows. I feel them out and play it by ear. Whether it’s the songs I write or the songs I cover, I hit every different group. It’s fun for me because I get to mix it up.”

He said his favorite songs to perform are his original, guitar-based tunes, but people always respond well to the hip-hop songs he’s been known to compose. He performs these tracks, along with popular hip-hop covers, at shows.

“My singer/songwriter stuff is my heart and soul but I do like doing hip-hop, too,” DeMelo said. “I’ve got a bunch of original songs where I can write a hook and rap verses. I do a cover of, “Regulate,” which is a fan favorite. People seem to really dig it.”

When writing music, DeMelo said he doesn’t solely rely on his own experiences for inspiration. Articles he reads in newspapers or things that happen to his friends often motivate him, including hardships.

“Sometimes you have to draw from somewhere else because you can’t keep writing the same kind of tunes,” he said. “It’s going to sound weird but it’s always good to have something bad happen because then you have a genuine, legit muse. It’s something to write a song about. If things are going well, and things have been going well for a while now, you have to pull from different places.”

As DeMelo said, things have been looking up for him lately. In March, he was honored as “Best Male Vocalist of the Year” at the Limelight Magazine Music Awards show.

“I was just happy to be nominated because I’ve never really been recognized for anything like that,” he said. “But I did win an honorable mention in the John Lennon Songwriting Competition in 2009. I was one of the finalists, so when I think about it, it’s cool to be recognized as a singer and also in the songwriting aspect.”

He also recently signed a deal with Brain Rot Music Publishing. The company, which has offices in Los Angeles and London, aims to feature his music on television shows, movies, and commercials.

But that’s not all. He and his wife, Stacy, are about to become parents.

“Our son will be here in 10 weeks,” DeMelo said.

While he prepares for his new addition and upcoming album, DeMelo is earning a master’s degree, as his job requires him to. He is an English teacher at New Bedford High School.

“I was a Communications major, so now I’m taking a bunch of English classes,” he said.  “Sometimes I’ll bring my guitar in for my students and they eat it up. They look at me differently once they see me play. I’ve been toying with the idea of opening up with it every year and just playing for them.”

DeMelo frequently performs at Knuckleheads in New Bedford and has toured throughout New England and California. For more information and a list of shows, visit his websites at http://www.craigdemelo.com or http://www.thewhiskeypoet.com.