Matthew Smith - Back To Me w/Interview
Matthew Smith is an American-born Singer/Songwriter who is currently living on Jeju Island in Korea. A former metalhead, Smith has turned toward more of an Indie sound in the songs he creates today. In addition to creating his own music, Smith is a music teacher and a single father of two. Today we are excited to share our thoughts on Matthew Smith’s album, Back To Me as well as our interview with this talented artist!
“Back to Me”, the title track, opens up Back To Me on a high note. This song serves as a great introduction to Matthew Smith’s genuine and relatable lyric writing style. Smith’s vocals are also passionate, bringing the experience he is singing about to life; the way the song explodes toward the end is absolutely raw and beautiful. “Back to Me” also has its own music video and I definitely recommend checking that out! Up next is “Warm Me Up”, a tender and memorable song that really hits. I love the soft but expressive vocal harmonies Smith utilizes here, his voice really makes this song vibrant. “Out Here” is third and I think it showcases some of Smith’s best instrumental work on the album. Varying between soft and quiet during the early moments of the song and all-out loud by the end, this song is an awesome one to groove along with.
The fourth track from Back To Me is “Come”. From the outset, one thing about this song becomes clear: it has a deep, lush and spectacular soundscape. Smith’s honest lyrics again come into play, giving a personal touch to a song that is incredibly emotive. I love it. “Song for a Friend” is a more simple, straightforward song and I like how it gets to the point and stays on task throughout its duration. I feel like its simplicity contrasts against some of the more diverse sounding songs on the album in a good way - this is just pure, unfiltered Matthew Smith. Perhaps my favorite song on the album, “Watch The Sun”, is sixth. All I could say the first time I heard this song is wow. Although you can immediately tell this song is special, it also builds up throughout its duration, reaching a powerful, heavy apex by the end. Some of Smith’s best melodic work comes on this song and I absolutely love the energy featured within it.
“Tonight” is the seventh track from Back To Me and it is another masterclass in soundscape from Matthew Smith. Even if this song was an instrumental, I think I would still understand the meaning that Smith was looking to achieve and the instrumental matches up with his lyrics and vocal performance perfectly. The penultimate track from the album is aptly titled “Are You Awake?” and the song even sounds a bit like a dream. A wispy vocal performance and a dreamy overall aesthetic sell you on this song’s meaning and, from top to bottom, this one is a real treat. Closing out the album is its longest song, “Let Me Count The Reasons Why”. Encompassing many of the aspects that make the entire album great, this song is a splendid finisher and I really, really like the lyrics in this one - as well as its gripping overall sound.
Now let’s jump into the interview!
How did you get your start in music?
Originally from Texas and was in a hardcore death metal for a few years in high school. Loved it but the older I got, the more I become less about "man I am so angry about this and that!" and more into "man I can really go for a sandwich." I got into music by playing bass guitar for local punk bands. Eventually when my teaching career led me to Korea, I got more into acoustic guitar and found it to be a quick way to say what I needed to say to a small audience; i.e. my kids.
Who were some music artists who inspired you while starting out? Who or what inspires the music you create now?
I listened to a lot of Motown as a kid. James Brown and Elvis were the first two artists I can remember listening to on 8-track tape. After that, moved into pop and rock music. As a young adult, emo and hardcore music was my jam, so Dashboard, Slipknot, and Dead Poetic all had to share CD rotation in my car. In college I got into jazz music and these days I seem to listen most to Lord Huron, Phoebe Bridgers, and Jimmy Eat World.
As far as what inspires me, basically everything around me that isn't music. Art inspires me. Nature inspires. Friendships, romance inspires me. A good cup of coffee inspires me, legit.
What is it like balancing being a single parent with a day job and your music career?
Not easy. I’m a single dad with two daughters, as you know. They are pre-teens now and it's been just us basically since the get go. How we live is all we’ve known, though. I gotta brag on them a whole minute: my girls are top students at their school. Never in trouble, active in after school activities like Musical Theatre, straight A's kind of kids. We are tight and I can't imagine doing this without them. But yeah raising them takes a toll, especially on my social life. Not easy to find other adults with kids but without a partner, you know? Lots of sacrifice.
Can you tell us a bit about your goals and aspirations for your music career?
I don’t know why I make music. I mean, I make it because it happens. A painter paints. A singer sings. A guitarist plays. I have been really fortunate to have something to say and music helps me to do that. Putting out there in the world is almost an afterthought though. I don’t want fame and fortune and I love my day job (teaching). But I can’t not make music, if that makes sense. It’s me.
When it came to writing and recording Back To Me, what were some of your goals? How do you feel like you accomplished those? How did the album evolve beyond its initial conception?
“Back to Me” as an album was such a fun project to work on. My engineer, Dave Yim, he runs 064Sounds Studio and he’s amazing. He’s so talented and works fast. We initially started out just to record a single track but the more we communicated, the more we both realized “oh yeah, we gotta do a whole album together.” And so every weekend for a few months, I was in his studio hammering out the tracks. I feel really fortunate to have found him.
The title track “Back to Me” was written at a tough time in my life. I was heartbroken by someone who was kind to me and when I realized she wasn’t as into me as I was into her, it gutted me. When she’d call later, it shook my resolve. It was a miserable time in my life but now that there’s been time (and this song!) to help me through it, it’s funny, I only look back fondly. No anger, no regret. Legit the music helped me in a cathartic way.
Is there anything else you'd like to share with our readers?
Look, I am just a bald, bearded nobody with a guitar just like everyone else. I don’t have anything profound to say and I’m not movie star handsome. I’m awful at social media and my name is the same as several prominent celebrities so good luck googling me and wondering which Matthew Smith I am. But I do write from what I know and I am taking the time to say this: you might not like my music, but you might, though. It might just be what you were looking for. I’ve got a music video for “Back to Me” that might win you over.
On the horizon for my next project, I have an all-instrumental album inspired by the nature of Jeju island, where I live. It’s heaven on earth. The album should be out sometime around Christmas.
After the interview, I feel like we have a very good understanding of where Matthew Smith came from and where he is going. Smith is a creative artist who brings genuine emotions into the music he creates and the result is all the better for it. Smith is more than just a songwriter; I feel like his skills are much more akin to a craftsman and his ability to flow seamlessly through different soundscapes - sometimes straightforward and sometimes much deeper - is nothing short of outstanding. You can keep up with Matthew Smith through his website and Instagram. We have the entirety of Back To Me embedded below via Spotify - take a listen and send Matthew Smith some love!
