By: Jamie Steinberg
Q) Your music is often said to be indie rock, but how would you describe your sound?
A) Yeah, I guess that’s a good enough blanket for it. I think of it as kind of punk except I lost my distortion pedal…
Q) Who are some of your musical influences?
A) The usual suspects from the 80s British indie scene – Echo and the Bunnymen, The Smiths, etc. and then the 90s Britpop…and I guess Sabrina Carpenter as she was my most played artist on the Wrapped thing…
Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Carried Away”
A) Well, it’s sort of about when you go down the rabbit hole in your mind and the anxiety from that fed into this frantic/panicky drum thing…
Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?
A) I don’t know for sure, but probably that they’ve all gone down their own rabbit hole at some point themselves…
Q) The video was filmed in Topanga and it features a flying kite. How does this imagery play into the message behind “Carried Away?”
A) Well, the kite never quite gets there which, in my mind, is what anxiety feels like. Never quite getting there…
Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?
A) It’s a bit different every time but generally the lyrics come first – normally already tied to a melody – and I just kind of chip away from there.
Q) Your debut EP You’ll Be Lucky is out now. What are some themes you explore on it?
A) The aforementioned anxiety [laughs] and a lot of them I think deal with alienation in some way. I was thinking a lot about being a transplant and belonging neither here nor there…most obviously in “I’m Sorry, New York,” I suppose… The thing with the themes is I don’t really set out to explore them, they just sort of rear their faces when the project is done. And this time it seems like I was concerning myself with feeling out of sorts and out of place…
Q) The title was inspired by a phrase your dad often says. What were his thoughts when he heard his wise words were used in this way?
A) Ha! I think he was a bit annoyed that the in joke had gotten out.
Q) Your bandmate Timothy Lanham from The Vaccines lent a hand with production for the EP. How did your prior working relationship help make him the perfect person to assist on the sound for You’ll Be Lucky?
A) Well, as well as being an amazing musician, Tim’s very good at hunting for specific sounds and I think that pedantic searching really helped make the record sound like it belonged to a specific place. I think having toured with him for a long while just meant it was really comfortable and easy to work together…at least from my POV. [laughs]
Q) My personal favorite tracks on the EP are “Ladies of Lucile Avenue” and “Am I Supposed to Forget About You.” Which songs on hold a special significance for you and what makes them so close to your heart?
A) I think all of them have a special little place in my heart but, yeah, I really like the guitar riffs in “Lucile” and I’m pleased with the lyrical editing we did for “Forget About You…”
Q) What do you hope listeners take away from listening to your new EP as a whole – either as a message or an emotion?
A) I hope that it either speaks to them, so they don’t feel weird about feeling uneasy in life, OR I want them to think “this sounds fucking awesome” when they crank the volume up. A full volume listen is very much encouraged.
Q) You recently played at Baby’s All Right and I’m sure they loved “I’m Sorry, New York.” What can fans expect from a live Matt Hitt show?
A) That was the first one I’ve ever done solo and I think the format may change in the future. It’s quite fun not being confined to a typical “band formation” because you’re kind of at liberty to do whatever the hell you want…and I plan on developing that liberty in the future…
Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?
A) Someone pleasant to be around.
Q) What artist/musician are you currently listening to and why do you dig them?
A) This band Fashn from Brooklyn opened for me at the Baby’s show and their stuff is really good. It’s the exact type of post-punk/Cure-y stuff I love.
Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?
A) THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for listening and sticking with me…there will be more to come!