Matt the Electrician
It's the Little Things
Prison Bones,
What kind of rattle and clutter do you steer away from, but simply cannot avoid at times?
The pull to be in the middle of things, where it’s all happening, where the party is, and all the toxic elements of that partying, can be a very strong pull sometimes. And even though I quit drinking years ago, and have no interest in that aspect of the party, there’s some part of it that I still miss from time to time.
I Will Do the Breathing - I will do the breathing ‘til you’re able to come up for air/ I will be the feathers on the wings of the bird that flies you wherever you need to go – What kind of energy, events, people, do you rely on to write these amazing lyrics and make this super cool music?
Most of what I write comes from my family, my wife, my kids, and whatever is going on in our little world. I remember wanting to be a writer even as a very young kid, and my 3rd grade teacher telling me, “write what you know”. Now, I know that’s kind of a lot for a 3rd grader to digest. Maybe I didn’t totally understand it fully at the time, but it’s also very simple, and that’s stuck with me all these years.
What kind of rattle and clutter do you steer away from, but simply cannot avoid at times?
The pull to be in the middle of things, where it’s all happening, where the party is, and all the toxic elements of that partying, can be a very strong pull sometimes. And even though I quit drinking years ago, and have no interest in that aspect of the party, there’s some part of it that I still miss from time to time.
I Will Do the Breathing - I will do the breathing ‘til you’re able to come up for air/ I will be the feathers on the wings of the bird that flies you wherever you need to go – What kind of energy, events, people, do you rely on to write these amazing lyrics and make this super cool music?
Most of what I write comes from my family, my wife, my kids, and whatever is going on in our little world. I remember wanting to be a writer even as a very young kid, and my 3rd grade teacher telling me, “write what you know”. Now, I know that’s kind of a lot for a 3rd grader to digest. Maybe I didn’t totally understand it fully at the time, but it’s also very simple, and that’s stuck with me all these years.
Jesse’s Girl – ain’t that the way love is supposed to be…but where do you turn to when it looks like love or life turn out to be anything but the way they’re supposed to be?
I like to read, all sorts of different things, fiction, non-fiction, comic books, anything. I find that sometimes, when things feel complicated, immersing myself in someone else’s reality, gives me a little break, and a new perspective on whatever my own problems are.
These Boots – Tuesdays I smile sometimes – Hopefully Tuesdays you smile a lot more nowadays. How did you push yourself to move from a job that paid bills to a full time gig that makes so many people’s Tuesdays so much better?
I wanted so badly to make a living playing music, so I figured out ways to do it. Quitting the job was the easy part. Continuing to figure out new and inventive ways to pay the bills is definitely challenging. But I’d rather work harder to do something I love than settle into something that I don’t feel strongly about.
Got Your Back – If we’re moving, then we’re moving together/If we’re standing still together, then still forever… It sounds like you’re big on commitments? Who or what do you credit with being the artist whose music translates so well to so many?
Some combination of my parents, Charles Schultz, Jim Henson, Stan Lee and lapsed Catholicism.
All I know – We drove forever into the sunshine… To see, to find, to seek love and…freshness and the first tastes of freedom as a pre-teen.
Osaka in the Rain – When I gotta go that’s when I wanna stay – What cities have made a lasting impression on you while touring?
Kamakura, Japan, Ketchikan, Alaska, Aarhus, Denmark, Bakersfield, California.
Change the Subject – sometime soon... Have you promised yourself to do something sometime soon, but that soon keeps getting postponed?
Oh yeah, it took me a long time to quit doing a lot of things that were detrimental to myself, and others around me. I tend to move slowly sometimes, but I’m very determined.
Happy Ending: There’s so many ways to talk yourself down – And how do you pick yourself up?
I think re-focusing on the reasons for doing what I do, before every show, is very important. I love to perform. I want people to have an enjoyable experience when they come to see me. It doesn’t always mean everyone has to leave smiling. But I want to do the best I know how to do whether there are 10 people or 10,000 people in the audience.
Thank you!
I like to read, all sorts of different things, fiction, non-fiction, comic books, anything. I find that sometimes, when things feel complicated, immersing myself in someone else’s reality, gives me a little break, and a new perspective on whatever my own problems are.
These Boots – Tuesdays I smile sometimes – Hopefully Tuesdays you smile a lot more nowadays. How did you push yourself to move from a job that paid bills to a full time gig that makes so many people’s Tuesdays so much better?
I wanted so badly to make a living playing music, so I figured out ways to do it. Quitting the job was the easy part. Continuing to figure out new and inventive ways to pay the bills is definitely challenging. But I’d rather work harder to do something I love than settle into something that I don’t feel strongly about.
Got Your Back – If we’re moving, then we’re moving together/If we’re standing still together, then still forever… It sounds like you’re big on commitments? Who or what do you credit with being the artist whose music translates so well to so many?
Some combination of my parents, Charles Schultz, Jim Henson, Stan Lee and lapsed Catholicism.
All I know – We drove forever into the sunshine… To see, to find, to seek love and…freshness and the first tastes of freedom as a pre-teen.
Osaka in the Rain – When I gotta go that’s when I wanna stay – What cities have made a lasting impression on you while touring?
Kamakura, Japan, Ketchikan, Alaska, Aarhus, Denmark, Bakersfield, California.
Change the Subject – sometime soon... Have you promised yourself to do something sometime soon, but that soon keeps getting postponed?
Oh yeah, it took me a long time to quit doing a lot of things that were detrimental to myself, and others around me. I tend to move slowly sometimes, but I’m very determined.
Happy Ending: There’s so many ways to talk yourself down – And how do you pick yourself up?
I think re-focusing on the reasons for doing what I do, before every show, is very important. I love to perform. I want people to have an enjoyable experience when they come to see me. It doesn’t always mean everyone has to leave smiling. But I want to do the best I know how to do whether there are 10 people or 10,000 people in the audience.
Thank you!
