Artist Glimpse - Mississauga's Matt Zaddy
/Presented in partnership with Mississauga Music and Modern Mississauga Media.
In conversation with Mississauga’s own, award winning singer songwriter Matt Zaddy. Without any genre restrictions, Matt’s music speaks to the soul, with tales of life, love, hardship, and redemption.
Rob Aguiar: Matt, your storytelling lyrics have resonated with me ever since I met you six years ago. Thanks for adding your voice to this interview series. This is going to be fun!
Matt Zaddy: Thanks Rob! It’s been a pleasure to be a part of your journey and I’m glad I can be involved once again.
RA: When crafting a new song, do you prioritize creating a catchy melody, or do you focus more on the depth of a lyric and storytelling?
MZ: When I sit down to songwrite, I sometimes start with some stream of consciousness lyric writing. Other times I get a specific lyric idea that I base the whole song around. With melodies and chords, I typically get one idea that births the rest. Often I’ll come up with the lyrics when playing the chord changes, it draws them out of me. The process definitely varies. I’ve even had times where I had one melody that led to the creation of a whole song, then that original melody ended up not even being a part of it.
“I never thought I’d end up singing about my feelings and emotions to people who want to listen. It has been quite the journey and I’m grateful for all of it.”
RA: How do you navigate the challenge of vulnerably expressing personal experiences and emotions in your lyrics while creating relatable content that resonates with your audience?
MZ: I’m a storyteller at heart. I process the emotions and lessons learned from an experience and then, like I would within a friendship, I take a risk and share my story. I never know for sure, but I trust that it will be well received and that others connect with it in their own personal way. My intention is to connect with as many listeners as possible.
RA: Can you share a time where you faced a creative crossroads and the decisions you made that led to the artist that you are today?
MZ: Where I’m at right now as a musician was definitely not part of the plan. Originally, I was part of a tech metal band playing gigs that can be best described as a chainsaw fight in a circus tent. To put that into perspective, we made bands like Motorhead seem pretty chill and tame. When that journey ended, I discovered the special feeling of telling a story through my acoustic guitar and authentically connecting to the listener. I never thought I’d end up singing about my feelings and emotions to people who want to listen. It has been quite the journey and I’m grateful for all of it.
“I do my best to strike a balance between sharing content I find interesting and honest, and not living my life on social media.”
RA: Last summer you released a new single What Comes Around. You have described it as a song about the struggle to do what you love, with hope on the horizon. Tell me more about how this song came around?
MZ: I was playing around with this one melody, and a set of chord changes evolved around it. Then, some lyrics came to mind that I expanded on until my head and my heart said stop. I basically had the bulk of the lyrics and a really good chorus and bridge, but the verse chord changes were really similar to the chorus. When I went to the studio, my producer and I worked on it together to simplify the verse chords. I find it often helps to have a reference track (song) or two to give you an idea of the general vibe of the tune. We recorded most of the song live off the floor, and it was an absolute blast.
RA: In the age of social media, how do you utilize platforms to connect with fans, and do you find it enhances or challenges your artistic expression?
MZ: I find it to be both a distraction and an opportunity. In my head, I’d just like to write songs, perform them, release them, and that’s it. However, social media gives me the opportunity and potential to reach a great number of people. I have to put a lot of work in to make that happen. There are times when I really enjoy creating social media content, and other times where I can’t stand it. I do my best to strike a balance between sharing content I find interesting and honest, and not living my life on social media.
RA: Although you operate mostly as a solo singer songwriter, collaborations can bring fresh perspectives to music and songwriting. Can you talk about a meaningful collaboration you’ve had?
MZ: One of the most successful collaborations I’ve had is very familiar to you and the Glimpse family. It was with From Far & Wide and our song We Are The North. This song became Mississauga’s official #Canada150 anthem. It was a great collaborative songwriting session between myself, Heather Christine, Arlene and THE iDENTiTY CRiSiS. We all talked about what being in Canada meant to us leading up to Canada150 and it came together very quickly in an afternoon. We were all very proud of the final product.
RA: We’re just a few short months into 2024. How do you see this year playing out for you? What do you hope to accomplish?
MZ: 2024 is going to be a fun and challenging year, but a very rewarding one. I’m planning on recording a new single and writing a new album. I have a handful of festival appearances happening this summer, and hopefully some touring in the fall. I’ll be announcing some of my summer shows very soon. I’m excited for what this year will bring.
RA: Matt Zaddy, thanks so much for giving our community and beyond a glimpse into the heart of a singer songwriter. I’ve enjoyed following your journey and I am grateful to call you a friend and listen to your music. I wish you continued success on your artistic journey.
MZ: My pleasure! Thanks so much for having me take part in this cool new Glimpse direction!
