interview
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artist:
by:
Rickard Holmgren
date:
2012-01-28
Matthew Mayfield released one of the, in my opinion, best albums of 2011. When the chance to interview him came up, it was a no-brainer. Check out what Matthew had to say about the up-coming album and a few other things.
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Hi Matthew and welcome to Melodic.net. How are you?
Doing well--just busy writing for a new record and trying to stay afloat as always.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Hmm. Born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. Still call it home. I love rock'n'roll, gummy worms, good whiskey, and a thorough ear examination. That thing the doctor checks your ear with--the otoscope--is about as good as it gets.
Both your upcoming album and your previous one were funded with the help of Pledge Music. How come you chose that approach?
After my manager introduced me to the idea of Pledge in it's beginning phase, I became a major believer in a straight up, artist to fan partnership. With Pledge, everyone wins. Everyone gets something special. The artist gets to make a record and pledgers get to hear it first--before anyone else. Plus they get one-of-a-kind items that won't be offered again. I like how collectable everything is because it's all truly part of this record and this time period only.
What can you tell us about the upcoming album?
It's gonna be a different vibe this time around. I wanna try something out of the box. Different instruments, nontraditional arrangements...I want to let the songs breathe. I don't feel pressure to get to a chorus within minute one--I just feel pressure to make every single song something special. Something that folks don't want to skip through. I hope this record is an experience. We shall see.
As I write this, you are at 78 % of the target with 224 people pledging. How does it feel to get
that kind of response?
It's been pretty humbling to see so many people getting involved only a week into the campaign. I had no expectations--but I certainly didn't expect to see pledges from all over the world. France, Australia, Germany, Canada, and all over the US. It's been such a pleasant surprise. I hope that the record is something they'll be proud to be a part of.
What would happen if you did not manage to reach your target? What happens to the album then?
Honestly, I'm not sure. I think it all gets refunded. But I can't think like that. <smiles> We'll get there.
On the contrary, what happens if you should end up with way more than the target sum?
I always shoot to go over 100 percent. The budget is only for the production, studio time, mixing, mastering, etc. There's nothing in there for proper promotion, which is something that all independent artists have to budget for. I do know that every single dime will go towards the record and a proper push--no one is pocketing anything. We're also giving a portion to the the International Justice Mission. They're a wonderful organization based in D.C. dedicated to freeing people throughout the world who are essentially slaves. For more info check out www.ijm.org.
You have a really powerful voice, how did you learn to sing like that?
It's funny--I've never considered myself much of a singer. I've always done it out of necessity. Like, 'who's gonna sing these songs passionately besides...me?' I'm a guitar player and a songwriter who just so happens to sing. I'm not great with technique or being spot on all the time. But none of my favorite singers are. I think passion shines through over perfection.
How do you write songs? What does the creation process look like?
I always chase a great melody. It may show up in the van, the shower, the hotel, my living room--but when it does, you gotta be ready to grab it. I've been known to leave myself voicemails quite a bit or be the guy kneeling down in a loud room singing into his phone. Very strange. But once it's there--it sort of guides everything. The chords, the lyric, the tempo. Melody is by far the most exciting thing about music. Creating them for a living is quite an honor and a challenge.
Is there a special song out there that you wish you had written?
There are actually 12. A record called Appetite for Destruction by a band called Guns N' Roses. Some band from Hollywood. <smiles>
Who would be a dream artist/band to share a stage with?
Man--there are so many. I've got a lot of heros. If I was playing guitar I'd say riffing back and forth with Jimmy Page or Slash at a Zeppelin or Guns gig. If it was singing, I'd say trading verses with Bruce Springsteen or Eddie Vedder.
On your Facebook page you, among other artists, recommend soul artists like Sam Cooke. Do you think that a broad music taste makes for more "development" as a singer/songwriter?
I think Bono said it best when he said 'Any music made with passion is soul music...' or something to that effect when they won the Grammy for Album of the year for 'The Joshua Tree' in '87. I definitely believe that the more varied your taste, the more inspired you're going to be. But at the end of the day, it's about great songs. It's about the kind of song that gets someone's heart racing. The kind of song that rings a bell deep, deep down in people's guts. Those are the kinds of songs that are truly powerful -- and tend to get the most honest, human reaction.
For me, "Now You're Free" was one of the best albums of 2011. Which one did you think was the best of the year?
Wow. Thank you. I loved making that record and I still love so many of those songs. It's tough to say what the 'best' is -- but a favorite of mine in 2011 was Manchester Orchestra's Simple Math. Hell of a record, top to bottom. That song 'Virgin' will rattle your insides.
How do you handle bad reviews?
I find out where the authors live and for some reason they all seem to disappear. So strange.
As a fan I have to ask, is there a chance of seeing you play in Sweden any time soon?
I hope so. I really do. I wanna do a European run so badly. It's just a matter of the right things aligning at the right time financially and career-wise. It's expensive to tour at home--much less getting overseas and dragging your ass all over the place. It's gotta be done right. When I am confident about that, I'm in. I promise.
Thanks for answering the questions, any final words for our readers?
The right song can change everything. I hope I write one of those someday.
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Did you know that?
MEATLOAF got his name after he stepped on his football coach´s foot.
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