We've wrapped up our summer chart, and it was a blast! Our amazing listeners had the chance to vote for their favorite summer tracks, and guess what? The hands-down winner for the summer of 2023 was "Flight at the End" by the incredibly talented Matt Warren. We caught up with Matt to chat about his feelings regarding the chart and to dive into his musical journey. So, let's get cozy and dive right in!
Hello Matt! Congratulations on the success of your song "Flight at the End" on the chart. First place is truly impressive, and it's a great honor and joy to feel the support of your loyal listeners. Can you share your feelings and impressions of being at the top of the chart?
Thank you! Obviously, I'm really pleased with first place and that people took the time to cast a vote for me. 'Flight' is the first single from my upcoming album, 'Excited to Die', which sees a change in direction for me. My previous stuff has been pretty mellow in style and always cast an ear towards harmonies, hooks and singles. But, with the new songs they have all come as part of an album that was written chronologically with a view to being an actual 'album' and not a collection of singles. Definitely a more old school approach. If the singles weren't there then I wasn't going to worry about it. But, feedback so far has led me to believe that there may be a couple of them so it worked out well. And, 'Flight' sneaking in with first place has helped me get more confidence in the project. So, thank you, I'm chuffed.
Please delve into the story behind the creation of "Flight at the End." What inspired you to create this song, and how did the creative process unfold?
'Flight at the End' started with a guitar riff I had kicking about for a few months. I'd never really been able to settle on where to use it no matter what I did. But, after writing the first three tracks for 'Excited to Die' I knew I needed something to up the ante a bit and lift the energy. The riff came back to mind and so I started there. Lyrically, the song follows on from the concept tied into the album as whole and explores conspiracy theories and the cyclical damage caused by paranoia and mistrust and how these destructive forces can lead to our ultimate downfall. Light-hearted stuff obviously...
Did you ever anticipate that your song would receive such an enthusiastic response and support?
No, I really didn't. As I say, taking a tentative step into the psych rock genre is new to me so I had no idea if there would be any support at all - or, if I was even doing it right. But, throughout the whole process I kept asking the question, 'do I like this?' - if the answer was yes then I carried on and saw it through. So, whilst it felt like the project was done for me, and me alone, it's always nice to know that there's some support or you've been able to tap into other peoples consciousnesses somehow and make a connection.
Could you share how your passion for music initially ignited and describe your journey in the music industry up to this point?
Music for me started pretty young when I was introduced to bands like The Beatles and singer / songwriters like John Denver via my parents' tastes. When I started to explore for myself I was drawn to bands like Adam and the Ants and Culture Club - I was always drawn to the more flamboyant and theatrical artists. Obviously, when I discovered rock I was like a kid in a sweet shop and massively embraced bands like Twisted Sister, Kiss and artists like Alice Cooper and David Bowie. I got my first guitar at 16 and whilst it was fun to learn other people's songs I was always fascinated by being able to write my own. I stuck with music from that point and went on to study contemporary music and recording at both college and university. I've worked in loads of bands over the years and we've had some really nice 'wins' including great gigs and TV appearances, but it wasn't until Covid that I thought about starting out on my own. And, that's where we are today. I still work in other bands, and really enjoy it, but it's nice having an outlet for my own stuff as well - my moods, my feelings and me saying exactly what I want to say. It's been said before, but it's true... music is therapy.
What are your dreams and aspirations for the future?
Ooh, dreams and aspirations for the future? Well, with the new album 'Excited to Die' coming out November 1st I'd love for it to be well received and be picked up for a distribution deal of some kind. I can't see it happening tbh but, you did ask about dreams lol! It'd also be pretty cool to get on some kind of tour and be able to put a live band together to showcase the songs from this album because I'd be really excited myself to be able to get out and do them face to face with an audience. Other than that, I want to carry on with what this album has started and experiment with different styles and choices and push myself into different areas both musically and thematically.
Lastly, what advice would you offer to your fellow musicians?
Ah, I'm in no position to offer advice to anyone. But, what I did learn recently that I've found helpful is to stop writing with a view to what other people are going to think, or, if they will like what I'm writing. I enjoy the process, the songs and the freedom of just being able to write for me. As I mentioned before, if anyone else comes along for the journey and likes it too... amazing! But, if they don't, at least you've done something that's yours and it's something you meant. To be honest, most other musicians probably know this already but it's something that re-aligned me and put me back in the place where I wanted to be musically and personally.