From New York, comes Mat Brandon, working with Grammy-award winning engineers such as Brad Blackwood of Euphonic’s Masters with the single “I Would Run”. Mat Brandon has come a long way from recording home-made demos to working with Mitch Allen of [SR-71 fame ] in a proffesional Los Angeles recording studio; with his latest single reaching the Billboard top 40.
DZ: So Mat, what was it like working inside a professional studio compared to working with less accommodations and doing it yourself? Can you describe what it was like work flow wise? And what about the quality?
I love working in professional studios. Ever since I got started when I was 13 I fell inlove with the studio. Mitch’s studio was great and we had some great people do the mixing and mastering.
[youtube B4VZwDPMyNc]DZ: What inspired the single I Would Run? Is this the basis for your new album?
I wanted to write a song that had an anthemic chorus with a memorable line. The words “I Would Run” came to me one day it kinda just stuck. The words mean something different to me everytime I sing it.
DZ: How did you end up meeting Mitch Allen? Was it coincidental or was the meeting arranged?
My manager at the time had known Mitch from a while back and he got him some demos that I had been making out of my house. Mitch digged them and wanted to be a part of what I was doing so he flew out to NY and we had a meeting.
New EP, ‘I Would Run,’ on iTunes now! http://bit.ly/zR4X8J
DZ: What were some of the best experiences working on this album? Why was it your best?
My favorite parts were working with Mitch. He’s someone that I really look up to as a role model. The time we spent in the studio together was great.
DZ: I see that you also studied Classical and Jazz piano from an early age, any familiar pieces that still inspire you to this day?
Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata gets me everytime.
DZ: When was your first gig? Is it something that you’ll always remember?
My first gig was at a coffee house when i was 12 years old. It me was just me and my acoustic guitar and I played some covers.
‘I Would Run’ Review: http://skopemag.com/2012/07/05/matt-brandon-i-would-run
DZ: It says at a younger age you were offered a deal that would have you on tour but you decided to stick with school. Why?
I decided it would be best to continue to nurture my writing. I realized that as I matured as a person my music would also and I didnt want to rush anything.
DZ: Have you ever looked back on it since?
No.
DZ: When taking your time, has it reflected in the personal growth of your music?
It definitely has. When listening to my earlier stuff compared to my new stuff it definitely shows a growth in terms of lyrical and musical complexity.
DZ: What is the message of your music you set out to achieve?
I kind of just want to give me honest music that they can relate to. I want to write music that people can emotionally connect to.
DZ: It was great interviewing you Mat, thanks for taking the time to answer our questions here at Skope Magazine.
To check out the young independent pop-rock artist, make you check out his music at http://www.facebook.com/iammatbrandon where on his page he has links to a variety of sources where you can listen to his music and get in touch, but the artist himself says on his facebook page that he is currently busy with balancing music and school.
by DZ – datrill1@gmail.com