Pop-rock folk artist
Matthew de Zoete is playing here at The Edge Gallery on November 15th.
In a Progressive Winnipeg first, I had the opportunity to interview Matt and post it here for all to read. Please check out Matt's site or one of his two performances here on Sunday.
This is your second album, is the creative process any different or easier the second time?In some ways, the creative process for Bottom of the World was the same as for Across the Sea - me sitting with a guitar or at the piano. I suppose the biggest difference was that I wrote the songs on Across the Sea for me to play by myself, whereas I wrote the songs on Bottom of the World with my band in mind. I'd played quite a few shows with the upright bassist and drummer after releasing Across the Sea, and I knew I wanted to record with them for the next album.
Songwriting for me is always a matter of practiced dedication to waiting to capture lightning in a bottle. Some songs come really easily, others take a bit of work.
The recording process for Bottom of the World was a bit easier though. I had more experience as a singer, player, and arranger, so that helped. Plus, I was playing with musicians with whom I'd developed solid relationships, both musical and personal. And I was going for more of a 'live off the floor' feeling with Bottom of the World while Across the Sea relied a bit more on overdubbing and individual tracking
How did this collection of songs come together?The songs came together as an album as I spent more time thinking about the idea of the bottom of the world. I wrote the title track while honeymooning in southern Argentina, so geography played a part in the writing of that song and getting the overall concept rolling. But it was also the idea of the universal foundations of people's lives, including aging, life, death, family, love, guilt, forgiveness, and loss. I tried to deal with those by looking at my experience and what was the bottom of the world for me.
Argentina? Seems exotic. Did the visit there inspire just the one song or is there pieces of it throughout the record?I wrote a few other songs while in Argentina, but 'Bottom of the World' was the only one that made it onto the album. Being in Argentina did inspire some thoughts about geography and the globe that stuck around in my head and popped up in other songs, such as 'The World is Round'.
While we're on inspirations, what other artists do you look to for inspiration? I've really been inspired by Ray Davies and The Kinks. His songs are so succinct, insightful, and interesting, both musically and lyrically. Leonard Cohen, George Harrison, and Bob Dylan have also been inspirations, as has Spoon.
I found myself nodding my head as I read through that and then got to...Spoon? I love rockin' out to Spoon, its so groovy. Is diversity something that impacts your music and playing style, maybe even instruments you decide to use?My record collection is pretty diverse, so I suppose my influences are as well. I try to mix it up a bit when recording - a little pedal steel here, some horns there. It's something I try to keep in mind when writing as well. I try to use different tempos, rhythms, time signatures, and moods.
Do you find you cater those kinds of things to individual songs, or do you go for a full album kind of feel and concept?It's a bit of both, I suppose. When recording, I figure out where the songs feel they need to go. Or sometimes the songs seem to tell me. It's probably more on a song to song basis, but I keep the overall feel and texture of the album in mind as well so that the album works as a diverse but unified piece of work.
You have an insane tour schedule, playing every single day into the beginning of December. Does that work for you or do you like to have some time to yourself in different cities?I like to play as much as possible, mostly because I really love performing. Playing concerts is pretty much my favourite thing to do, so I may as well do it as often as I can. But there's also the economics of touring. If you're not playing, you're not making money to cover expenses. Touring isn't cheap, so I try to maximize my swing while I'm out on the road.
Lastly, would you like to plug your own show here in Winnipeg?Sure - all musicians love promoting themselves! I'll be playing at The Edge Gallery (611 Main St) on Sunday November 15, with Winnipeg's Katie Murphy opening. The show starts at 8pm, and admission is $10. I really like what I've heard from Katie, so it should be a great night.
Most definitely should be! Matt also plays an in-store performance at Into the Music in the Exchange if you can't make it down to The Edge Gallery.
