Interview: Matt Stevens

So, I’ve finally gotten down to what I want to do with this site, and that’s also giving you some info on the artists themselves, by means of an interview with yours truly. First up is loop-guitar maestro, Matt Stevens. I have reviewed 2 of his albums on the site, and with his side project, The Fierce and the Dead, also making waves online, I thought it would be a great place to start our interviews. Apart from that, he’s one of the first guys to make the “pay-what-you-want-even-nothing”-model of music distribution work.

1. Which was the first guitarist/song/album that made sense and inspired you to play guitar, or did you first aspire to as a guitarist?
I wanted to be Slash when I heard Guns N Roses in 1988, like every other metal kid. Amazing band, they changed my life, shame it all went horribly wrong so quickly for them.
2. If you had to be left on an island with an ipod and a choice of three bands, who would you have on the ipod?
OK. King Crimson, cause there is so much of it so I won't get bored, The Beatles for the best songs ever written and The Smiths - I love Johnny Marr's guitar playing.
3. How do you compose? Is it jam, melody, chord- or theoretical?
Normally chords but lately more melodies. I normally come across chord progressions when I'm watching TV or doing something else to be honest. I love chords, love inversions, trying to find different ways to move around. Once I get going I get really into writing songs, sometimes its quick, sometimes it takes years.
4. Would you ever sing on an album?
I'm coming round to the idea. I want my mate Derek to sing on a song soon and my friend Kevin Feazey does backing vocals to a guitar "lead vocal" on one song on the new album thats out later this year. So we shall see.....
5. How important will album artwork be in the new digital era? Do you think this will be a culture/experience that’ll be lost to the current and next generation? Lying on the couch, listening to the CD, reading the lyrics/checking out the cover art?
The reason I do digipack CDs of my music is because I like packaging, I was the kid reading the CD inlay and vinyl double album. I remember all those great old metal albums and I'd consume every detail of every Iron Maiden record cover.  The reality is people consume music in different ways now, some people just listen to music streaming on Spotify or on Youtube, some download legally or illegally. Its just the way it is, maybe it makes less sense to release albums now, perhaps singles are a better option? Nobody knows the answer and it varies from band to band, artist to artist.
6. What software do you use to do your demos? Know of any really cool free apps for aspiring songwriters to use to compose music?
I use Garageband, which is free and great but Mac only. Its great for just chucking stuff down. For the electronic project I played on, Yonks, we used Reaper which is an amazing piece of software. Reaper is free as well.
7. What guitars do you own/play?
Two main ones an old Ibanez acoustic guitar which is knackered with a hole in it, it sounds great though. I put an LR Baggs pickup in it and I'm really pleased with it. The other guitar is a Telecaster, a mexican one that I use for the Fierce And The Dead which has a vey specific sound that I like. I really cuts through, I run it through a transistor Fender amp.
8. Do you have a favourite song from your albums? One that you just never get tired of playing? Kirk Hammet of Metallica once said he dreads “Seek and Destroy” in every show, since it’s been done 10 000 times, but others he can play every night.
My favourite to play is Big Sky, I just like the way it builds and builds up and up. 
I did get sick of Burning Bandstands for a while just because I've been playing it for 5 years and all that. I get fed up with them sometimes, but I'm proud of the catalogue of songs, it took me years to get 30 or so songs I like. Its such a great thing to have an audience who wants to hear them and I'm very grateful for that, I'm lucky really.
9. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Touring, abroad, festivals? Or would you like to maintain an exclusive following, almost as a muso to musos? Online gigs, advertising revenue driven?
I'm not sure really. The next record will be the last loop/acoustic guitar album as I don't want to repeat myself. I'd like to do a year of gigging next year and make a live DVD/CD and then thats the end of that really. After that I want to do more of the electric stuff, playing with a band perhaps. I'm not sure really - I might wake up tomorrow and want to do more acoustic but I don't want to compromise the music, I want to keep moving and not bore myself or the audience. The online gigs won't continue forever either, I would like to work on films really, to license the music, that would be really cool.
I would love to tour internationally at some point and I've been offered some cool gigs, just need to make it work financially really. One day!
10. Apart from creative composition, do you dabble in other forms of “commercial” music, like sound-tracks, licensing etc?
Not much so far, I wrote the soundtrack to the short film Daddy's Little Helper by my friend Dan Wilson and his film won all sorts of awards. He was a lovely fella Dan, he sadly passed away last year. I'd love to do more of that, just looking for the right project really.
11. If you had all the budget in the world, who would you like to produce/direct a music video for you?
Um, not sure. The obvious one is David Lynch but something animated would be very cool, like an Anime type thing, I'd really like to do that.
12. What did you do before you were a pro muso?
I worked in music retail and I loved it for the most part and I miss being part of a team. The music retail industry is pretty much dead and its no longer required as digital distribution pretty much cuts out the need for CD retailers. Musicians never made much from retail in shops, it all went to recoup record deals or pay the retailers, when people buy CD's in record shops they would be amazed to hear how much the artists actually gets, its virtually nothing.
13. Beer or wine?
I love Beer and Wine but I've given up booze for lent so sadly neither. Looking forward to drinking again when I do though.
14. Curry or Pasta?
I like both but Curry is great, fact. Mmm Curry.
15. Worst experience on stage?
I used to play in metal bands and we played at a restaurant once. We had no idea and it didn't go well. No one wants Celtic Frost with their romantic meal.