es
ENNISKILLEN-BORN musician Matty James has released a new single and video ahead of the release of his first full length studio album next month.
Matty, who as a solo musician has released a number of EPs and a live album, has been working on this release for the past few months.
Having played shows across the UK, Matty told the Fermanagh Herald that he felt he now has an ‘audience’ for his music, and has been enjoying putting this album together.
The new album is called ‘Last One To Die’, while the new single ‘Up In Smoke’, and accompanying video, were released on Sunday.
“I feel like the time is right as I have done the leg work and think there is an audience out there for my music now,” the 23-year-old said.
“I have been playing a couple of the songs live that will feature on the album for a while now. I thought they deserved to be on a proper record and they have taken on a whole new life with a full band sound. But mostly it’s brand new material I have written in the last couple of months.
The album has 10 tracks, a deliberate move to keep the album ‘to the point’. Matty has been working with John Moffatt at Oaks Recording studio, with himself putting down the basic tracks, including: drums; bass; guitar; and vocals.
Guest musicians include John himself on guitar, Roisin Burns on piano, and members of ‘Cadaver Club’, the horror punk band Matty is a part of, on backing vocals.
“It really is an eclectic bunch of tunes, everything from bluesy rock ‘n’ roll to country fused ballads. It takes a few dark turns, but there’s a lot of light in there also. I think everyone can get something from it,” Matty went on.
“I am also pleased to say one of my heroes, Tyla J. Pallas of The Dogs D’Amour, sings and plays slide on a song too. This is a real honour for me as I grew up listening to his music and he is a big influence.”
For the single, ‘Up In Smoke’, Matty enlisted the help of Ronan McGrade and Kevin McHugh. The trio sought out locations for the video in the county’s countryside, and the fruits of their labour can be viewed at www.mattyjamesofficial.com.
The single is available as download on iTunes and Amazon from Friday, with the full album due for release on May 30.
“Although the album is coming out on my own label Pirate Heart Records, I have arranged a distribution deal through Cargo.
“They are a pretty big underground label based in the UK, which I am hoping will help get the music out there.
“After the release I plan on hitting the road to promote it, something I am really looking forward to. In the meantime, I am doing a couple of festivals in May including Strummercamp in Manchester and Camden Rocks in London.”
