“I just want to write a really good song, I don't worry about whether it's a hit or not” - An Interview with Matt Andersen
Two weeks ago Canadian Blues and Folk singer Matt Andersen played a wonderful, heartfelt concert at a sold out Quasimodo, Berlin. Full of energy even during the quietest songs. The next day we met for a little chat about his newest album “Honest Man”, the work with producer Commissioner Gordon and his beat patterns and cowriting a song for his girlfriend. We had a laugh or two during our little conversation and hope you have, too. Enjoy!
I was surprised you have so many musicians with you on the album. I know you’ve been co-writing with others for the last couple of years but it still surprised me that there is nothing like a fixed band.
Matt: The producer knew lots of people so he – it was luxury – handpicked people for each song a little bit. If we had a song that needed some gospel feel he could find a piano player who could play this kind of stuff. If we wanted some Rock'n'Roll guitar solo we could find someone who could play this kind of style. So it was more just because we could. [laughs]
It’s funny because if you’re looking from the outside like I do, not being a musician, you have this romantic thing going on that there always have to be chemistry going between the people.
There is. I mean a lot of the album was between me and the producer. That was where a lot of the chemistry happened. I get to meet all the musicians and talk to them when they came in. For the most part the bulk of a song was me and the bass player, another guitar and the producer. Everything was that first and we added the rest later. The core is the same people and then add different spices.
I like it, so it must be good. I read you also started to write in a different way, with beat patterns. Is it something you would do again?
I’m a little more oldschool but I just had to try it that way. I hadn’t done it that way before. I don’t mind trying new things. It was good to do that and definitely try to get out of my comfort zone a little bit. It was different but I still really liked it. I’m happy with the results for sure but I’m a little more used to just sitting down with guitar and another guy working on a song.
Did you had to re-write ideas for it? In the press release it sounded like you just got into the room and started to write with the beat patterns.
A lot of it was written that way. You know, I had songs already written. My producer listen and had an idea of a beat that might work. A lot of the beats he has recorded for years and he has a whole catalog and made it fit with the song. A lot of the songs were written in the traditional way and we just added the beats to them and the others were build around the beats in the studio.
It’s very interesting for me because I haven’t met a lot of people who write this way, especially when they’re kind of singer-songwriter.
It was a different way to do it but that’s how my producer works. He comes from a Hip Hop background. That’s where his roots are. It was really cool to stretch out and do it that way. I think if you do it the same way every time it starts to get boring. So, I try to do something different.
You’re playing solo gigs over here, would you like to have a band with you?
That’s pretty much all I do when I play live shows. I do a little bit of band stuff but probably 90% is just me and the acoustics. I’m more comfortable that way. That’s how I’ve always done it and also all the songs are written on acoustic guitar for the most part. It’s getting it back to the roots of the songs a little bit. But sometimes I have a band, too. It fun to do the stuff like it’s on the album, to have the guitar solos and harmonies which I really love. I’m lucky I get to do both but it’s just natural for me to just play the acoustic. It’s what I’m most used to.
Sometimes because it’s so different from the songs on the album – there is so much going on on the album - that you and the guitar it seems like completely different songs.
Yes, I agree with that. It strips away all the extra stuff. It’s just bare bones of it.
You don’t need much more really.
If I get away with this, you know, I’d love to. [laughs]
I saw you yesterday, it’s all you need.
A lot of people are used to see me solo for the most part. They are not used to the band.
Do you write your songs fast or are you a slow writer?
It depends. Some songs I’ll have an idea for a long time before it turns into a song. And like a lot of people I have a notebook full of ideas and that kind of stuff but usually when I sit down to write a song…I have a lot of co-writing so you sit down with them. The last two albums were completely co-written. You kind of get into to that groove and I find the songs come pretty quick once you sit down and do it. The build up to write songs can be can be a long one sometimes.
Is it sometimes difficult to give your songs or part of your songs away to write with someone else?
Sometimes. I find as a songwriter you have to have a thick skin and you have to be able to say what you want otherwise you won’t like what you’re writing. You have to be able to say ‘I don’t like this. Let’s try something else.’ Also, most people are pretty used to this. If it’s not working, it’s not working, so we don’t try to force it out. That never does something good. And I have some ideas that I save for certain people because I know it would be a good song to write with that person because it fits their head space. Pick and chose a little bit and match people up with ideas.
It’s good when you’re able to do that. Well, you’ve done seven albums and a lot of co-writing, so you know a lot of people. But sometimes when you know someone new…
Yes, that the gamble – sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. I had some sessions where you go in and you’re in different head spaces as far as what you want to accomplish with a song. Some people just want to make a hit and I don’t care if I have a hit. I just want to write a really good song, I don’t worry about whether it’s a hit or not. That sometimes makes a weird clash.
What makes a song good for you? You’ve written a whole song about giving everything to write that one good song.
It’s something that means something to you personally and other people. You want to have that connection. And also melody and these kind of things works in there, too. You grew with alternative ideas that make a song great. There are different aspects that shine through when you write. There are different aspects, some shine through more in some songs. 'Blowing In The Wind’ by Dylan is a great song but it’s not very melodic, you don’t want to dance to it but it’s still a good song. The lyrics carry that song. With somebody like Adele it’s the voice that carries the song. There are different things that make a song great.
When do you know that your song is finished? Do you need help from the outside sometimes?
That’s what is kind of nice when you write with someone else. They can say that. It’s also that you kind of know when you’re done when you don’t have anything left to say. That when I stop writing.
And then sometimes a week later you think you have something to say about it again…
Some things definitely change especially when you start to sing them live.
I also think live is such a different energy from just being in a room.
Things sound differently when you start to sing them out loud. It sounded good in your head in your apartment but when you get on stage you realize what works and what you can change. That’s why a lot of people don’t write a song and record it the next day and leave it alone. People will rewrite it and play it live a few times and you can see how it feels.
Some bands don’t play new songs live any more because the chance of the new songs ending up on Youtube is so high these days. The songs aren’t finished, their may or may not be on the album but then you have fans demanding it to be on the album and being disappointed when not. I know I’ve been there.
That’s definitely something too to me. Because of the chance of this to happen you want to be ready to sing it live. Yes, I can see how people would worry about that. I don’t worry about that too much. If you put it on a CD you do, if you don’t you don’t.
One of my favourite songs on the album is “I’m Giving In” which you wrote for your girlfriend. What I found beautiful is that even when you’re someone who doesn’t usually talk too much about feelings, as an artist you can still say them out loud on an album.
When you write songs – it’s for a lot of musicians, all of us are probably introverts – that’s how we say things we want to say. I am more comfortable onstage than off stage for the most part. Music is a great communicator.
Me, too. I don’t play music but I used tell short stories on stage. I found it more easy to tell something on stage to a group of people because in a way you can still hide. I can still say 'I made it all up. It’s just funny.’
I find it, too. It’s easier to talk to a room full of people.
It’s just talking to lights really. I was smiling when I read that you wrote “I’m Giving In” with someone else as well. It’s like a group effort for the girlfriend.
Pretty much, yes. The guys I wrote with, especially Andy [Stochansky], the songs always – no matter what song it is – end up as a romance song. He’s very much the right one for those kind of tunes. It was cool writing with those guys as well. They have lots of different ideas that I wouldn’t think of myself, especially when it comes to melody and stuff. Jamie [Hartmann] is a great piano player and I don’t play piano at all. I always wanted to have a piano song on an album but I don’t play piano.
What I also liked about the album is that you have the romantic songs, the reminder to enjoy your live but also a more political song with “Who Are You Listening To?”. I found it a very interesting combination.
For me when I write I write about what I’m thinking about and what I’m involved with. At the time when I wrote this album there was a lot of things going on with politics. Things like this just find their way into music, I guess. I’m not a massively political person but you can’t ignore it.
Also when you’re younger you’re not paying attention to it so much but now you start to realize you need to pay some attention to it.
I also found your song a very strong song because it’s just questioning something very basic: who are you listening to, what are you reading?
That was the idea behind it. Like on Facebook a lot of people were just sharing or reposting things that they haven’t read or researched a bit. People are just not even thinking about what they’re putting out there. I kind of shout at people to think for themselves a little bit.
It helps sometimes. I found it very important in these days when an artist like you has such a song in between all the romance songs, life admitting and being lost songs.
You can’t do a whole night of those. I couldn’t anyway. You have to mix it up. Viratity is important. I don’t enjoy just listening to this one thing over and over again and I don’t enjoy playing this one thing over and over again.
What I also noticed is that over the time you always had songs about feeling lost and being lost. Do you still have this feeling or do you more or less know the way now?
I think all musician have a little bit of a nomad or a gypsy in them. You’re always on the move so there is always a little bit of this in there for sure. It’s not really lost in a devestating way. It’s just a little bit of finding your place in different places all the time, finding where you fit in in different places in life.
The first song on the album is “Break Away” is about wanting to get away from everything.
Yes, that song is about getting away from things that are keeping you down. And then I wrote my friend the idea. I live in a small town. Everybody knows your business, everyone knows what’s going on. It’s about getting away from that and not having to worry about other people and just worry about yourself. Sometimes it’s nice to get away from this stuff.
You’re living in a small town, you’re writing about your girlfriends and ex-girlfriends and people you know – have ever regretted doing this? Did ever someone come up to you shaking the head saying 'just no, nope’…
No. There are only very few songs about someone specific that they know. I don’t put anything hurtful in songs. I don’t worry about this too much. I don’t put somebodies names in the songs. [laughs]
Well, sometimes they recognize themselves.
I never really said a song is about somebody so if they feel it’s about them it’s… I never told anybody.
P.S.: He does have a great beard, too ;)
All photos © Dörte Heilewelt except for the last one, that was taken by Matt’s tourmanager.
