Matt Taylor - April 13th (Official Video) + 10 Questions
Matt Taylor reveals the beautiful accompanying video for his new single ‘April 13th’.
Navigating matters of the heart with impressive and cathartic songwriting, Matt Taylor's new single April 13th is a stunning insight into his world. The accompanying video is a dreamy visual that brings the single alive. Born from a conflicting time, April 13th is an emotive dose of weightless alt-pop. Sharing more, Matt explained: “After I took some time away I met back up with him in mid September to put it all to rest, and it’s really just about that whole conversation.
I knew where the conversation was ultimately going to go, but I was kind of shocked by how dismissive he was of it all. It was so confusing to me that everything was changing, from why it had all happened in the first place to why he even spent time with me.
What hurt the most was when he told me that the only reason he had been spending so much time with me was because he had nothing better to do. It hurt so much because it’s so cowardly. He couldn’t even take responsibility for the choices he made. After this conversation, I cut him out entirely and I wrote the track about three weeks later.”
Matt sat down with Wordplay Magazine to answer our infamous 10 Questions:
1. So tell me, how did it all begin? What sparked your love for music?
I don’t really remember if I’m honest, but my earliest music memory is listening to clocks by Coldplay on repeat… I 100% have moments that have sparked interest in different types of music though. The latest one for me was discovering SOPHIE & Hyperpop in 2020, I became obsessed with the production! I love that there are almost no boundaries with that genre, it’s all about “How can I push this as far as possible”, it’s amazing! I think my parents helped a lot too, they’ve always pushed me (supportively) into music.
2. Who are some artists that influence you and that you want to work with in the future?
I mean I’m influenced by so many artists I think. For this EP alone it’s a pretty wide range, stuff like early Kanye, Melodrama by Lorde, Damien Rice, Travis Scott & Baynk. I also re-discovered an amazing album by an artist called Imani Coppola that really inspired me interns of attitude, it’s called “The Black & White Album”. I would be so honoured to work with any of them, but to be honest I’m really enjoying working with my little circle of writers & producers at the moment. This EP was so personal & fast that I owe a lot to them, they helped me process everything In such a healthy way.
3. What projects do you have coming up and can you give us any info on them?
Welllll, this is all leading towards an EP! I can’t give you a release date just yet but I can tell you that it’s the largest project I’ve done to date. It’s also the most varied, I don’t think any of the songs can be compared to one another yet somehow we’ve found a way to blend them all together! I’ve also got a few gigs coming up in both London & Dublin so stay tuned for that!!! … London May 18th ahahahaha please save the date!
4. How would you describe your sound?
I don’t know really know anymore. I mean I’m not fooling anyone by saying it’s not pop, cos it is, but I like to think that it has an edge to it. I love catchy melodies & classic production as much as the next one, but I wanted to make something a bit weirder this time. I think I found a good balance with the EP, there are two tracks yet to come out that are polar opposites, ‘Daydreaming’ & ‘End Like This’. I think they’re both the extreme ends, Daydreaming is full on weird, loud & experimental, whereas End Like This is just a fun bop!
5. What's your proudest moment to date so far as an artist?
It sounds cheesy but it’s genuinely just this EP as a whole. I wasn’t in a good place towards the end of last year, professionally or personally. I was really struggling cos I felt like I had lost a lot, & for the first time I really doubted whether I was good enough for everything I wanted to achieve. Starting from scratch in August with this EP showed me that I am, and so is everyone around me. We’ve all worked so hard over the past few years, and it really feels like it’s finally starting to show some really cool results! None of that would have been possible without “April 13th”, so I think I have to say that is my proudest achievement!
6. Do you have any advice for our readers who may be trying to play the mad game of music?
I’m honestly not the best when it comes to advice… I’m a bit marmite. I can obviously only talk from my experience, but you have hit the nail on the head with that question… You have to be crazy to try and make it in music, we all are, but crazy is also going to be what drives you. I think it’s important to be hard on yourself, not when chasing results but when pushing to be as genuine as possible. People respond best to real people, I feel like I’ve only recently found myself & that’s why this stuff is resonating more than any before. You also need to find people who you trust, whether that’s your family or your friends or even your pets, have those people you can count on when you feel low because everyone hits a peak & comes crashing down. I didn’t my first gig in years last week & I was so fucking happy, but the next day I didn’t even wanna get out of bed… The highs are so worth it but there is always going to be a low after, that doesn’t have to be a bad things though, you’ll just feel even better when you get it back!
7. Are there any artists on your radar right now that we should check out?
Oooo, I mean there is so much good music out at the moment! I really want to shout out my friends if I’m honest, I feel like there is a lot of unheard bangers. People should deffo go check out Cat Marina, Seeva, Emma See, Rosin, Kirsty Grant, Zeli, Kaisha & Domiziana (I’m sorry if I forgot anyone!). If people wanna hear what I’m listening to then I have a playlist on my Spotify called “Weekly Vibes” that I update… Weekly!
8. What albums are on heavy rotation on your Spotify playlist currently?
Oh I love this question, cos listening to albums is so different than just a single. IGOR by Tyler is always on repeat, it’s a masterpiece. There’s a really sick Self Titled Electronic Album called Bronson, it’s continuous and I really wanna hear it live! I was a really big inspiration to me when it came to more electronic songs. Lastly, I would really recommend people check out “The Black & White Album” but Imani Coppola. I will warn you that it’s weird, a bit crass & rough around the edges but the attitude is absolutely immense. Her story as an artist is very interesting too, and she once responded to my instagram DM!
9. What do you like to do when you're not making music?
This surprises a lot of people, but I’m obsessed with Formula 1, it is so sick! I got into it last year and have genuinely lost sleep over it… you know when you find something and become so obsessed so quickly that you start thinking of everything in those terms?? I was having literal cold sweat dreams over pitstop times & driver contracts in the context of writing deadlines & recoding deals… I also love gaming, almost any genre (mostly F1 games tho). On the opposite end of that I also just love walking, I’ll literally walk for hours just because I want to. I think it’s because I process things better when I’m moving? I don’t like to sit & think, I would rather pace around the room! And lastly I’ve been getting really into fashion, I still have a lot to learn but I love wearing things that make people stop & stare, it’s king of freeing!
10. Name Three things you can't live without when in the studio?
Drugs, sex & alcohol… Sadly I’m not actually that interesting when it comes to studio stuff. I like to have a lot of time when working on a track, so that I can mess around with stuff, or just talk to the other writers/producers, maybe watch a video or 2. I do also always need a cup of tea, everything is better with earl grey. I think the 3rd thing would just be my phone, I love to record everything, you never know what you’re going to miss if you don’t & it can also be used to make some really cool samples! I think it’s also quite cathartic to have everything in one place, it’s like when it’s out of your head it’s gone forever!