Exclusive Matt Costa - Interview - page 2

16-03-2006 10:10

Do you still get on your board much?

Matt Occasionally but I have to be careful that I don't break something, like my arm, because if I do I can't play.

What was your best trick?

Matt I don't know, like, even if I named it, there are too many, too many tricks I like to do.

When did you realise you wanted to be a musician?

Matt I don't know, (laughing) maybe like, last year? I never really considered myself a musician. I was just drawn to it. When I was a little kid I used to play piano and in school I played the trumpet. I got a guitar when I was twelve and I always played music and enjoyed it. Even when I started writing songs I just did it because I liked to and I could do it alright. But when people started liking it and it started catching on and people where helping me get shows and recordings and things like that, I started pushing myself to write more and get into it. Last year when I started going on tour and put out the record on a major label then I guess I had to consider myself a full blown musician. I guess that's what everyone expects out of me so that's what I gotta do.

But you're enjoying it right?

Matt Definitely Yeah. I wouldn't choose anything else because I like it and it comes natural to me.

Who are your musical influences?

Matt Well Donovan is and, there are so many bands that I like, they influence me because I hear things and I think I just want to go and write a song. I like Belle and Sebastian, The Shins, Dinosaur Jnr and all the great old time classics like, Mississippi John Hurt and The Carter Family. All those greats.

Tell us about your new album 'Songs We Sing'?

Matt Well there are fourteen songs on it here in the UK; it's kind of a collection of all the songs I've been working on for the past two or so years. Every song is about something that I was going through each month, whether it was a book I'd read that month or some kind of problem I was having, big or small, or an imaginary place I wanted to go to at that time. So each song is like a little snap shot of that place.

Tom Dumont of No Doubt, gave you your first break, do you guys still work together?

Matt Yeah I still work with him. It started off at the beginning with me going to his place and recording songs. That's what we still do, I go to his place and we record songs and demos, ideas, anything. He plays for me sometimes. He plays bass in my band when I need a bass player. It's good to have genuine people around, the most important thing is that people are genuine, and he is. I try to surround myself with people who are the same, likeness that I am.

Have you been to the UK before?

Matt No this is my first tour over here.

What do you think of it so far?

Matt its cold and (laughing) there are a lot of castles. Everywhere you go people have a different accent, you can be somewhere and then go two miles away and people have a different accent. Here in Cardiff, they speak Welsh and its some kind of weird language. We went to the Cardiff Castle and they showed us around there. But everywhere they've got their own things, which is interesting. I guess we have the same thing in the states. In Texas they have their accents and in California we all say dude and talk really long, like 'Heyyyyy, mannnn, howzit goinggg.'

Do you think you'll come back and do a solo tour in the UK?

Matt Probably yeah, I would imagine. Hopefully after all the people I've played in front of I'll get to come back. The response has been great.

Is there any UK artist around at the moment that you'd like to collaborate with?

Matt Ah Jeez, I don't know. I'm really bad at contemporary music. I've watched a bit of TV over here and seen a couple of the artists coming up like the Arctic Monkeys, they seem cool. I don't know that much about there music, but they seem cool. I don't know who I'd like to work with? Maybe Belle and Sebastian, that'd be great.

One of your songs 'Lullaby' features on the Curious George soundtrack...who was your favourite cartoon character as a kid?

Matt Lets see, I can't even remember last week! Do you know who He-Man was, I liked He-Man he was pretty cool. I had a He-Man bike.

Now that you've gone from an almost pro skater to touring, having an album out and a song on Curious George, have you found the transition hard to adjust to?

Matt No, I've put so much time into my song-writing, travelling and doing the shows its like, I guess if I could step back and look at it, it might be kind of weird but I'm so focused on the next thing already. I don't really sit back and think about it all. I just go, right, my work paid off and I'm proud of what I've done but your always thinking about the next thing.

So what are you plans for the rest of 2006?

Matt Just keep touring, when I've finished Europe, get back home and do some more. I've got a bunch of some really good festivals lined up in the states, like Coachella and Lollapalooza and keep promoting the record.

'Songs We Sing' is out now on Bushfire/Island Records - for more info check outMatt Costa