As an outside observer privileged to peek into the life of talented artists it’s easy to find a sense of communion with the observational songwriting of Swiss artist MattO. Born and raised in Switzerland, spending his life navigating a career as a business lawyer while raising a family in Zurich, MattO is seemingly far from the world of American music. The Swiss are often stereotyped for neutrality, maybe we’d expect from MattO songs of objective droning on the woes and passions of other nations. But MattO also stands extremely intimate to the human experience. And to be frank, he’s achieved a degree of intimacy with the American music scene working alongside the likes of Asbury Park legend Jon Leidersdorff (Bruce Springsteen, Lakehouse Music Academy). So, what we end up with from MattO in his two full-length albums thus far, is the ebullient observational joy of a man living a second life. With adult consciousness, MattO invites us to awaken our inner child’s sensitivity to the absurdity of our world; to face it with raw emotion, to share, to laugh, to bridge divides.
If music listeners haven’t yet, we invite them to take an afternoon to steep in the discography and mind of MattO—in anticipation of yet another satirical, astute, and compassionate album to come early next year. As they say in Switzerland:” Bitte schön.”
In his new single, “Let It Out”, MattO gives voice to a particular reflexive frustration we’ve all experienced; over his bright acoustic guitar, our Swiss songbird sings us through the journey of compassion fatigue. In times like ours, it seems like there’s an endless stream of sorrow to absorb. Sometimes we take the role of patient priest at the confessional, holding the container for others—but sometimes we’ve just got to let our own flow flow.
In the music video for “Let It Out”, directed by MattO’s choice collaborator Marcello Bumbica, we get an extra special musical treat. MattO’s versatile songwriting and friendly voice are joined by Milan based, world-class percussionist Sandro de Bellis and guitarist Luca Meneghello. The trio combines to create a whole new vibe, adding a bit of tenacity and annoyance in response to the constant noise of the world. It’s huge props to MattO on this one—being able to write a song approachable to the common listener, but also interpretable by his accomplished peers. Between studio shots, Bumbica layers in clips that put us in an atmosphere of transience, of moving through the world and our emotions, visually representing the inner and outer journeys we traverse here on earth. Let MattO join you on yours for a turn with “Let It Out”.
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