Got to have a chat with Brooklyn based Matt C. White about his upcoming 'Creepshow Peepshow Act 2', previous music and a little bit of an insight into his creative process.
Hey, thank you for taking the time to talk with me. How are you doing today?
I'm doing great! Thanks so much for taking the time to interview me.
I want to start by asking about your current project 'Creepshow Peepshow Act 1 and 2', how did you decide to have this as two seperate acts?
I wanted to build up some steam behind the project, and thought that rolling it out in two parts with different themes, but a collective overall vibe made the most sense. I knew I wanted to call it Creepshow Peepshow so breaking it into two acts helped me further that idea.
What can people expect from Act 2 and how would you say it differs from Act 1?
Act 2 definitely carries the creepy, heavy, and spooky motifs established in act 1, but I would say it has a bit more of a focused vibe, I think act 2 is a bit more catchy or pop influenced. Additionally, Act 2 features some more acoustic guitar work and slide which sort of harkens back to my first release "wallow in the hollow".
What was the process like for recording these albums?
It's different from song to song. Some of them start with writing guitar ideas, while some focus more on the groove, so I'll start with drums on those. Once I get the main idea and parts I start layering bass and additional instruments. Act 2 was a bit different because ALL the vocals were written after the music which was not the case for Act 1. It wasn't intentional, it's just sort of how it played out.
Do you play all the instruments within your solo music?
I do! Being that I can play drums, guitar, bass, vocals, I wanted to have complete control with each in figuring out how they play off of one another.
Photo by Jake Calonius
Why did you decide to create a solo project?
I just had some ideas that didn't really fit with any of my other projects. Grandpa Jack's guitarist Johnny Strom has a very unique, very awesome style of playing so I don't typically write guitar parts for Grandpa Jack. A lot of wanting to do my own thing was because I miss playing guitar and I also just want to do whatever pops into my mind creatively.
I read that you spent some time playing open mic's before finding a band. What advice would you give to a musician that is just starting out?
I would say the biggest thing for me was finding a community of like-minded musicians. Find out where people with similar music ideas hangout, practice, or perform. Having a network of people that all work to elevate one-another is really what makes your music community.
'Mr Bloody Bones' your newest single is the first from 'Creepshow Peepshow Act 2' why did you decide to release this one as the first song?
I just wanted to start right out of the gate with a super catchy heavy banger. It's very quick and to the point. I really wanted to lure the listener into the rest of the album, so I felt like Mr. Bloody Bones was a good starting place.
I also wanna ask a bit more about the theme of 'Mr. Bloody Bones' as I found the use of folklore very interesting. You stated that you believe the character could be misunderstood. Do you think that you were able to use the character to reflect humanity?
I wouldn't say that bloody bones is a metaphor for humanity. I wish it was that deep hahaha. It's more just me having fun with the creepy murk and mire. More creepshow themes. It's like, being bad and evil is fun, if you keep the right company. It's like, don't be so quick to judge. Sure, he's essentially the boogeyman, but everyone needs a friend.
Are other songs on 'Creepshow Peepshow Act 2' going to feature folklore characters as well?
Not specifically folklore, but there is a bit of play on old expressions and idioms. I enjoy working with common expressions and tweaking them or playing with them.
What are your main writing inspirations?
I like words that have staying power and longevity. I'll never write a song that references modern ideas like social media, the internet, phones etc. I want the way I speak to feel like it could have been written in any era. I don't know why by teeth, bones, blood, stones, leaves and the woods are almost always featured somewhere in my lyrics.
Do you have a favourite song that you have released?
That's a tough one. I think one of my favourites would be a song from my old band, Dead Seconds. It's called Temple and it has all the heavy and trippy that I love.
I see that you play many instruments, what would you say is your favourite one?
I am definitely best at guitar, I think, but as far as performing live, playing drums while singing is probably my favourite. When you're playing drums and singing it's like you don't have anything more to give to the audience. You have to be committed 100%.
Do you have any hobbies that you enjoy outside of music?
I play a LOT of pool. I would say other than going to shows and playing shows, pool is a close second. I try to play at least one game every day.
Thank you again for your time. Do you have anything you would like to add for people reading this?
Thank you as well Kayleigh! Be sure to check out Creepshow Peepshow and if you like what you hear, give Grandpa Jack a listen as well, because we have some new heavy, creepy tunes in the works! Thank you so much for listening to my music and I hope you enjoy!
Interview by Kayleigh McKenzie
Listen to 'Mr. Bloody Bones' one Spotify HERE
Follow Matt C. White
