Interview with Eric Matthews

Interview with Eric Matthews 12/31/12

Eric Matthews has been a fan favorite of the baroque pop scene since he released his critically acclaimed debut album, It's Heavy In Here in 1995 on the Sub Pop Label. His mastery of the trumpet and other horn instruments have added a unique flavor to his brand of pop. His other projects include his pre solo band Cardinal and Seinking Ships. SCM recommend all of his albums! 

question 1
SCM: What led you to play most of the instruments yourself on your records?

Eric Matthews: It was 1/3 an economic decision and 2/3 a choice of artistry that I thought might lead to a more pure "Eric Matthews" delivery of my ideas. When I was on Sub Pop I was getting nice budgets and yeah, I would fly people in, most notably Jason Falkner. I liked having guests and needed them to get my songs done in a timely fashion. My brother Wes was on lots of songs, a better and more proficient guitar and piano player than I at the time. As well, I was doing so much already as the producer, performer, and handling all the orchestrations. To play everything on those first two records would have been too much. Already, my grey hairs doubled in populace.

So, as the budgets went so arose my ambition and crafty fingers. I sort of had to become great at playing guitar, piano, and drums if I were to continue on. And in this shift, I discovered a great freedom. When it's just you the ownership of every note is a luxury of burdens.

Question 2

SCM:  what order do you usually record the instruments?

EM: I have three kinds of songs. Guitar based, piano driven, and chamber-style instrumentals. I actually write as I record, a single process. Every once in a while I will come up with a song in whole form, chords and vocal melodies born all at once. But I will record a main guitar part first, or piano. It starts with a click track and then it's just stacks of well ordered notes and instruments. I have files and files of just a click track and a guitar, nothing else. Those are songs waiting to happen.

Question 3
SCM: Do you have everything planned out in your head or do you just shoot from the hip when crafting an arrangement alone?

EM: Certain things are very clear even from the start. When I am playing a piano or guitar on a new potential song, I will tend to start gathering lots of orchestration ideas, like a hurricane in my head. It can sometimes be a challenge to slow the mind and just sit to write main melody, and then words. I always want to get to the juice and heart of the matter for me, all the ornamentation.

Question 4
SCM: What are some of your favorite one-man band albums?

EM: I haven't studied this in an academic fashion but in general, here are some records that are at least 90% true solo records. RAM, Something/Anything, all the Robert Wyatt records, all the Jason Falkner records, R.Stevie Moore records, some of that Stevie Wonder catalog, etc. I know that's not a great list of specifics but some of those guys just work like that through most or all of their catalog. I wonder if those guys ever thought they would end up working on great albums all alone. I never did until it was a reality, and then, I became hooked on it.

Question 5
SCM: How many instruments can you play in order based on proficiency?

EM: I never counted but it sounds like you want a list.
I was born a trumpet player so I will start there.
Trumpet/Flugelhorn, Singing, Bass, Drums, Piano, Guitar, E-flat Euphonium, Valve Trombone, Clarinet, Slide Trombone, French Horn.

And one of my better instruments really is my pencil and that ligature paper. It's my mind imaging what instruments should be used and how they interact with the other instruments within any given work. I think that "instrument" should be called wisdom.

Question 6
SCM: What advice can you give the budding self-contained musician?
Whats next for Eric Matthews?

EM: I see becoming a self contained recording artist as being a long process. My road starts as a student of the great records, The Beatles, and more than admiring, but KNOWING what the great producers were up to. That flowed into my trumpet study with lead to orchestra and serious music. I took those tools into my first band Cardinal where I got to pretend I was George Martin, but young & handsome, and actually playing most of what you hear on the record - like a way less awkward Brian Wilson. I think it's a process, where you learn tons of shit and have lots of musical experiences that you walk away wise from. If a young guy told me he wanted to do what I do, I would tell tell him to wash my car.

What's next for me?, I have no idea. I finished building a new studio earlier this year and I have some great projects in studio, on deck for 2013. I am shopping Too Much World to label still, hopefully soon to find a home there. Seinking Ships is going to start a new album this year and Cardinal's debut is being reissued in a few month world wide. There's lots going on with music and every reason to be hopeful.

Thank You Eric!

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