MATTY T WALL INTERVIEW

How did you first get into music?

Definitely through my father's passion of music.  He is not a musician, but was always showing us kids live concerts, playing records very loud, etc.  Through that, I discovered my love of the electric guitar at a young age.

My grandmother who just happens to be a virtuoso violin player and multi-instrumentalist, then showed me the basics of music theory, and I took it from there.


What was the first LP/tape/CD you bought with your own money?

Quite possibly the Metallica 'Black' Album, or Pearl Jam 'Vs'.  I generally 'borrowed' all my music from my older brother so I didn't really have to buy much until later on!

Who did you listen to when you started playing guitar ?

AC/DC was the first love for me as a kid - Angus was a hero, then I moved onto Metallica, etc.   I kept coming back to Clapton/Hendrix/Zep though and discovered blues music through that.

Where did you see music when you were younger?

Mainly live concerts on video.   My first 'real' concert I attended was Metallica in 1992.  Epic.

Do you come from a musical family?

Maybe just a little bit.   My grandmother is the only relative I know of who is a musician.

What made you first realize you wanted to pursue a career in music?

Basically when I realized that playing guitar made the audience feel good and made me feel good too, it became a purpose, more than a career.  Unfortunately playing music requires a second-job in most cases!

What are you listening to lately?

Gary Clark Jr's first album 'Black and Blu' is one of my faves, as is Jeff Beck 'Live at Ronnie Scotts' which I always return back to.  I will listen to Tom Petty one day, then Stevie Ray Vaughan another day, so just listening to as much as I can really.

What song of yours are you most proud of, and why?

On the recording, I would have to say Love Gone Away.  It is just so raw and bare and to me has the feeling of a live performance (it was a single take) and conveys a great deal of emotion.

Have you always been a blues fan, or did you come into the genre later in your life?

I didn't really value the importance of blues music until all my guitar heroes pointed out how crucial it was.   After reading many interviews about playing less notes, but at the same time expressing more emotion, things started to click and I went on a journey of discovery that ended in the blues music genre. 

It came later on.

How do you promote your shows?

Facebook and word-of-mouth seem to be the way to do it these days!

As an artist , is there anything special you hope to be able to accomplish?

The ultimate, would be to create a new, signature sound or genre that is a 100% representation of yourself in the music. 
The other thing would be to find perfect tone.   That will never happen, it is an endless quest...

What is your favorite non-musical pastime?

Cars.   Fast cars with big V8s.

What should people know about you?

Well, I don't want to be a traditionalist with blues.  I want to find new sounds and new ways of doing things and I really hope that all blues fans can understand and respect that.   My point of view is that all the strong blues artists in the past 100 years have all been trying to bring something new and fresh to the genre, and that is why the genre remains strong.

Where would you like to find yourself in ten years?

Hopefully, after a bunch of albums recorded and released, playing some great blues festivals around the world.

If you could blink your eyes and be anywhere in the world right now, where would that be?

On holidays with my family getting stuck into a buffet breakfast!

The  last question is perhaps the most important.. what question would you ask a performer if it was up to you ?

If I was interviewing a performer?  Especially if it was an idol of mine?

The question would be - " what is your daily practice routine?"      I find that 'what you practice is what you are' so that is what I would want to know.  That would have been a good question to ask of Prince.