Slowcity.ca: Tell me about Germany - when and why did you go and what did you do there?
Matt Gunn: “January 1st 2017, I left my corporate job to pursue my solo music career. The first step was to record some songs and start getting more gigs. Then word got out that I was no longer employed and I received a phone call from a company in Germany asking if I’d like to come work for a year. It felt like I hadn’t slept in 5 years after the last job so I was reluctant to go. But in the end I went because I couldn’t think of one good reason not to. I make all my albums at home so going wasn’t going to hinder my progress, plus a change of scenery is always good for the creative mind. I left at the end of April and returned just before halloween. 6 months, I could’t commit to a year.”
SC: Were the songs on this album written in Germany? If yes do they draw on that experience?
MG: “Yes and no. I had a few songs I had been working on before I left. Songs for both my band Eight Five Two, and my solo stuff. Turns out the drastic change of scenery put me in a weird hesitant writing state. I don’t believe in writer's block, to me, I just wasn’t feeling it. Two months into my trip I moved, and all of a sudden the ebbs and flows of music writing switched into flow mode. I started firing off songs. I finished all my partial tunes plus wrote 4 more. Most made it onto the last album I was recording at the time except for 2. These were the songs I was working on for Eight Five Two. These songs didn't make it on the roster, so I decided to record them for this new album. So technically they were only finished in Germany, not organically created. Do they reflect on the experience? Not lyrically, but the vibe and emotion of the songs bring me back to that particular writing flow, that blast of energy I felt when the song parts appeared at my fingertips.”
SC: I've always thought of you as an old soul, are you a man born out of time?
MG: “It’s funny that you say that. As a kid I would get random feelings that this life was a rerun. In my youth, I was heavy into Punk and Ska. I wore the checkerboard and skinny tie. I can’t say that the parents of the girl’s I dated in high school were pleased when we were introduced, however in any of these situations if grandparents were involved I was safe. I’ve always gotten along well with grandparents. Is it a bit strange that a 16 year old and 80 year olds can relate to so much? Maybe you’re onto something.”
SC: I don't think I know so much about you, some bio bits, where were you born, grew up, got into music - there is something about going back to this album, what would you go back to in your own life if you could?
MC: “I grew up in Uxbridge, On. Small town, especially 20 years ago. There was nothing to do most of the time, but once a month the local bands from surrounding areas would put on shows in our town. Turns out we became a bit of a hot spot because every show had a great turn out because there was nothing else to do.
“My brother played bass in the school band and he brought it home to practice for the weekend. He was going out with his friends that night and I asked him if I could try it. For some strange reason my older brother actually said yes to me. For the first time ever, I could touch his stuff! He had a book of tabs he printed out (dial up internet) and showed me how to read them. By the end of the night I could play the entire book. I was hooked. later that year I received a bass guitar for my 12th birthday. I immediately started a punk band with my friends, and played backyard shows we set up. We were as good as 12 year olds playing punk can be. 2 years later, high school, Grade 9. I got a Squire Bullet 6 string for Christmas. I joined a Ska band, painted my guitar pink and wrote an E in sharpie on my guitar to make it an Esquire. You couldn't get any cooler. We started playing the circuit of local shows we had been attending for the past few years. It was honestly one of the coolest feelings I’ve experienced. Playing: in town, Newmarket, Mount Albert, Oshawa, Aurora. Opening for bands that inspired me to play. Bands like: The Heatskores, The Throwaways, The Flatliners, Constable Brennon, They probably have no idea who I am, and you may have no idea who they are, but at that time, 15 year old me was opening up for legends!
“Right around then I bought a cheap drum set off a friend. I didn’t tell my mom, she was going to find out anyway. I set my three instruments up in the dark dingy concrete corner of the basement in a triangle. When playing the guitar I would be staring at the drum kit. 20 minutes of guitar and I couldn't take it anymore, I had to play the drums. When playing the drums I would be looking at the bass, the bass looked at the guitar bla bla, I would cycle The loop for hours on end every night. I played music for at least 3 hours a day for a constant 12 years easily. One day I stole the family computer and set it up in the basement so i could try to record my friends and I jamming. This led to me going to school for recording and the rest is history.
“If I could go back to any part of my life I would go back to when Ska was still a thing. Back to when nothing mattered and everyone was there to have a good time. Back before people filmed concerts on their phones, Back when people skanked and didn’t care about looking silly. I would do anything to have a good old fashioned skankin’ circle pit. I miss the energy and the unity of misfit strangers coming together to let loose. To me the Ska scene was somewhere to go when you had no where to go. I feel so much of the world could benefit from something like that today.”
SC: And speaking of old soulful tech - released digitally on Sept 30 - not on cassette, and vinyl for Christmas?
MC: “Unfortunately no Cassettes. Cassette in my opinion, does not have the greatest audio quality. They are vintage, but thats about it. Vinyl has such a pure sound, the lack of overall compression, the space it allows you to hear in the mix. Cassette doesn’t do that. its just retro portable music. I bought a cassette a few years ago at a show. I still haven’t heard it because who has a cassette player that still works?”
