INTERVIEW: Matt Lande

Hi Matt, welcome to VENTS! How have you been?

Hello, Thank you so much for having me. I’m doin alright in my world.

Can you talk to us more about your latest single “Underground”?

Underground is one of my favorite cuts off the new album. I had a lot of fun writing and producing it…such a drastic change in feel from riff filled verses to the open chorus which came from a bit of an influence from Peter Gabriel. Maybe you can catch it in there.

Did any event in particular inspire you to write this song?

Nothing specific really but I’m sure past life event’s played a part in what came out during the writing process.

Any plans to release a video for the single?

We actually just finished up filming a video for it a few weeks ago so I’m excited to see that come together very soon. Gonna be a super fun one if you like creepy villains, charm, magic and goofiness.

The single comes off your new album Boxes– what’s the story behind the title?

I suppose it’s a lot about how you compartmentalizing your hurts, fears, love, joy, relationships, etc. It comes from a bit of place of struggle and sarcasm in ways, although the album doesn’t  straight out display that vibe when you hear it. It has a lot of movements, contrast and positivity at times too that are mixed in there.

How was the recording and writing process?

It was LONG but amazingly rewarding. J Lot’s of learning on my side for this record and I took a big step and took on a challenge I didn’t know I would ever really take on which was mixing a record myself. I’m so glad I took the time to learn from some great mixing engineers and producers over the years as well as a crap load of studying the art of mixing during the process. I feel a very big accomplishment with ‘Boxes’ and it brought me much more in touch with music than I’ve ever been.

How has Kaiser Chiefs and Bryan Adams influence your writing?

Ya know, I have to say that I don’t know much about the Kaiser Chiefs but I have been compared to Bryan Adams on the rare occasion in reviews so I do suppose some of his influence must creep in there from hearing his music growing up.

Where did you find the inspiration for the songs and lyrics?

I just flow with it all. Sometimes there are specific things in life that inspire me and sometimes I pull from other places and the past for inspiration. I approached this album differently than any other I’ve done. I wanted it to be more up tempo and fun to listen to without going full pop. I wanted the balance of catchy and edgy rock alternative with big choruses but I also wanted pop hooks. From the outside I don’t know that folks initially get the sarcasm at times and pain behind some things but I wanted it that way. I’ve done enough albums with straight forward painful lyrics and dark music. This one needed to be different for me while still ringing truth from my perspective.

Any plans to hit the road?

I have no plans for tours right now but ya never know what will come up. I will be heading to England though in April 2018 for a wonderful charity event called One More Shot with several talented artists. I performed for it in 2016 and it was truly rewarding. You can visit www.onemoreshotuk.com for more info if you’d like to take a fun vacation for a solid cause. J It’s a weekend long event and people come from all around the world to attend. It’s an intimate 300 person or so all inclusive weekend for fans.

What else is happening next in Matt Lande’s world?

I’ll just be pluggin away. I’ve started writing for a new album already because I like to take advantage of the inspiration to write when it comes. Besides that, I’ll just be trying to love others in this wacko world. We can all use more of that.

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