Matthew Koma Interview

Working on songs like ‘Clarity’ with Zedd and ‘Wasted’ with Tiesto, you’ve probably heard Matthew Koma without even realising it. A singer-songwriter that has fallen into EDM despite growing up on Rock & Roll, Koma has been on a somewhat natural course into music, collaborating with the biggest names in Dance as well as remixing his hero, The Boss, Bruce Springsteen, with a thumbs up from the man himself. Already seeing a packed year, he is due to release his long-awaited debut album, so we grabbed some time to talk about the music he is making, the people he’s working with and the most random song he has recently purchased.

Hi Matthew, how are you?
Good, how’s it going?

We’re great, thanks! What have you been up to this week?
I just got back from Miami; I was down there playing a show for fashion week. I’m in Los Angeles, which is about 105 degrees today, so it’s quite hot. I’m getting ready to head over to Europe for some shows.

Excellent! So, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that nearly everyone has heard your voice or song writing at some point, whether listening to Zedd, Tiesto or Sebastian Ingrosso, but where did it all begin for you?
I started writing songs when I was really young; I grew up in a musical household – my dad’s a singer-songwriter, my brother’s a drummer – so it was something that I was born into. I grew up playing in a lot of bands, so it’s been a long and natural progression.

We know you for your contribution to Dance music, but you haven’t always been linked to EDM, in fact 2012’s ‘Calling (Lose My Mind)’ by Ingrosso and Alesso featuring Ryan Tedder was the first EDM track you’d worked on.
Yeah, I come from a storyteller background and it wasn’t until I started linking up with artists in an Electronic way that I really found how unique that marriage could be. Coming from an acoustic guitar or a band, there’s only a number of ways you can do something traditionally, and the Internet was really exciting to open a door and see that there was another realm of people to collaborate with. It really felt sincere and influenced me in a way that I haven’t been pushed before. Those first couple of collaborations, like ‘Calling’, ‘Spectrum’ and ‘Clarity’, were really important in discovering my voice.

Well, your first single, ‘One Night’, and the ‘Parachute EP’ were more Indie/Pop; was this a result of being a Rock & Roll fan?
As an artist, you’re always looking for what t-shirt you’re gonna wear, so to speak. We live in a time and an age where everything you do is seen by the public or under a microscope, if you put music out or put a video on YouTube, so I don’t know that those were anything more than steps to finding my voice and who I am as an artist, so those songs were definitely more influenced by where I was in the two years previous. My progression into Dance music has been very organic and natural because I found a love for it in a way that I haven’t been exposed to it before. They may fit into a certain box, but my actual process of writing songs isn’t any different, it’s just the production model that’s made it more genre-specific to Dance music versus those productions which were a bit more Rock.

Your debut album was expected in late 2013, but it’s yet to come out, what’s the reason behind that?
Coming to a place where I wanted to make a record and I’m finishing a record now that I feel is really reflective of who I am and what I want people to hear from me. The few people that have discovered my voice and lyrical perspective from songs like ‘Spectrum’ and all these collaborations, really gave me an insight into what part of what I was doing was really connecting with the audience. Each of those collaborations opened doors to make a complete picture of what it is I want to make as my first record. You only get to put out your first record once; you can bring out a video and an EP and it’s a little less precious, so I wanted to make sure that not only was the timing right, but also the songs and message that I want to build my career on. It’s nothing more than just taking the time to do it right.

Is now the right time?
It’s here, yeah! I feel like I finally have the right culture of songs and I’m really excited for people to hear the record, because it’s going to be a close comparison for those that have already heard my voice and songs, but it also stands very strongly on its own as something different.

You got to remix your hero, Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Rocky Ground’; as we know you’re such a huge fan of his, how did you even begin to approach the task?
I was brought in by a friend of mine named Ron Aniello who produced the past couple of Springsteen albums, and I had previously done some writing and recording with Ron, so he brought me in like, “We’re looking for a different version of the song, it would be good to get your take on it”. At first it was very overwhelming, because it’s Bruce Springsteen and the reason I write songs! Eventually, I took it in a direction with Ron that was quite different from the record and was different from what Bruce initially executed on the first version, so I was hoping he’d dig it and luckily he did! It still is and was very surreal and hearing it on the radio from time to time is the most humbling feeling that I got to be a part of something. It’s as good as it gets when you’re a Bruce Springsteen fan.

What is it about Bruce that personally wows you so much?
There are so many things; he was my first concert and I grew up around his songs so there’s a huge level of him being a part of my upbringing. There’s something spiritual about a Bruce Springsteen show, the way he connects and speaks to his audience, the way he guides us in life through major events and politics – it’s an uplifting spirit that’s larger than music. It’s hard to describe it unless you’re at the show and witness to his presence. From a musical point, his are some the greatest songs ever written – ‘Thunder Road’ is the reason I write songs.

You’ve said previously that your favourite songwriters are those that “tell stories rooted in real emotion, but who find a way to get there that isn’t obvious or direct.” Would you say that Bruce does this?
I think Bruce is one of the most direct lyricists, which is what I love about him. He can hit something on the head and I find that unbelievable. On the opposite end of that spectrum is someone like Elvis Costello. You really have to study Elvis Costello and his songs and his perspective to even try to understand it sometimes, which is equally as incredible. So, I love the directness of Bruce or Steve Earle, but I’m just as intrigued by Leonard Cohen.

You mentioned that you’re coming to Europe, so what has been your favourite performance of 2014 so far?
That’s a hard one! I had a lot of fun doing the festivals this year; it was cool to walk around and hear a bunch of the different songs that I’ve worked on played on different stages. It’s one process to be in the studio and it’s another to actually see the songs connecting with people. Being down at Altro was awesome, EDC was great and SXSW was great to pick up an acoustic guitar and do an hour of songs and be a bit more intimate. It’s been fun!

Well, you’ve done so much already, but what’s the one thing you want to do before you’re 30?
There’s so much it depends what day you ask me! I really am excited to put my album out and to start giving the fan base the songs that I know they’ve been waiting for. It doesn’t matter how big or small that base is, but for people to subscribe to your perspective and your song writing and want to hear what you’re doing and join you on the trip of a lifetime, it’s exactly where I want be. When I’m 30, 40 or 50, I wanna have people who connect and appreciate listening to it.

What’s the most random item you’ve purchased?
There’s a song called ‘Birds’ by Andrew Goldstein that is definitely the most random song that I have purchased on iTunes.

What persuaded you to purchase it?
Hearing the drop that has birds chirping.

Ok… Cool.
[Laughs]

Following on the theme of random, here’s a random question: If a camel and a kangaroo got into a fight, which would win?
I think the kangaroo because it would probably have something hidden in its pouch, maybe a tool or weapon or magic power for them to use to their advantage.

Brilliant answer. Thanks, Matthew!

Watch the video to Tiesto featuring Matthew Koma ‘Wasted’

By Charlotte Mellor