You Mean Something To Matt Thompson

interviewed by Sydney Ling

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Photo Credit: Lean’s Vision

“The only boxer in the ring/ you know I only go so far / I’ve got the battle scars / while you’ve gone unmarked,” Matt Thompson’s voice pulses against an electronic beat. The song cover art matches with the low lights, dance pop rhythm of the track - an outline of a neon upside down triangle, glowing ultraviolet and red, with crumbling rubble floating like asteroids.

Matt Thompson is a DC-based pop artist, who explores his relationships through dance pop mixed with electronic beats. After recording his first demo at 18, Matt began writing songs for other artists before becoming a solo artist. In 2019, he released his first single, “Wish You The Best(Wish You The Worst), amassing 1.5 million streams. He dropped his debut album, No Shame, in 2020, garnering over 3 million streams. Recently, Matt was nominated for four Washington Area Music Awards.

Matt’s latest single, “Mean to Me,” describes fighting for a relationship, and he hopes for listeners to know that they are worth fighting for in their own relationships. He makes music so you don’t feel alone. You matter to Matt Thompson; you mean something to him.

Rice & Spice: Tell us about yourself!

Matt Thompson: I was born in Washington D.C. and grew up in Montgomery County, Maryland. I went to middle and high school in a really small town called Damascus, MD. I started writing songs when I was 11, and during lunch time I would go to the school media center and just write.

 

RS: What first got you into the music industry?

MT: Writing was my first passion and strength, musically. I became a full-time songwriter when I was 23. I bounced between D.C. and the greater-Miami area to write and record for other artists and label projects. I did that for about 3 years before becoming an artist.

 

RS: When and why did you start becoming involved in the music industry?

MT: I grew up watching this show called Instant Star. It was a Canadian show, and it really resonated with me. I would hear the songs the main character was writing and recording, and it made me say “I wanna do that!”. And I wanted to make the kind of songs that moved other people the way the show’s songs moved me.

 

R&S: Where do you get inspiration from?

MT: Mostly from my life, but sometimes I’ll watch a movie or listen to my friends’ stories and think, “ohhh, that’s a song”.

 

Listen to Mean to Me on Spotify. Matt Thompson · Single · 2021 · 1 songs.

R&S: What was the inspiration behind "Mean to Me"?

I wrote “Mean to Me” back in September. I kinda fell in love with one of my best friends and it was a tricky situation to navigate. You like this person as more than a friend, but can’t really hold them to the standards of a significant other. We went through a spell of not talking and then I saw him for his birthday and it felt like we were picking right back up. Then our communication kept falling through and it felt like he didn’t care, and this song was a plea for him to show he cared like I did. I was going through a bit of writer’s block that summer and after his birthday this song came together quickly and really effortlessly.

 

R&S: What is your songwriting / producing process like?

MT: Each song is different, which is the magic of it! Sometimes I’ll sit at that piano and come up with chords, other times I’ll write to track or come up with melodies a capella and build music around that.

 

R&S: How would you describe your music?

MT: I kinda think of myself as a pop chameleon. I grew up on so many different genres and sounds that I like when it’s all fused into my music. I love songs that tell a story and I love making anthems with epic choruses.

 

R&S: What gets you in the zone?

MT: If I’m in the studio, I like to record with the lights off. It makes me feel like I’m the only one in the room and I can get lost in the song.

 

R&S: What is your favourite part about being in the music industry?

MT: It gives you a thick skin. You'll hear 'no' a lot, get rejected, and not everyone will like what you're making and learning to accept that.

 

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R&S: What message do you hope your music communicates, and how do you want your music to impact your audience?

MT: I really just want to write and sing interesting music. Almost every topic has been written about, but it’s all about how you say it and what spin you put on it. I want people to hear my music and not feel alone.

 

R&S: If you could change anything about the music industry, what would it be?

MT: That’s a loaded question but I'll stick to one. Streaming royalties. I think the pay rate should be higher. As an independent artist, you put in so much to make the songs and promote the songs just to get so little in royalties. It’s not fair. 

 

R&S: What does music mean to you?

MT: Music is my therapy. It’s how I feel I can be vulnerable and empowered all at the same time.