by DAVID KERN

Singer/Songwriter, and newly anointed pop sensation (thanks to his many appearances on several T.V. shows), Matthew Perryman Jones, took the time to talk with Into the Hill about his great new record, “Swallow the Sea,” his song writing process, and the evolution of his music from the troubadour-like folk of his early albums to the indie pop rock that describes his work today.

We here at ITH love this album and think you will as well. Perryman Jones is one of the most creative and thoughtful musicians of our time, and on “Swallow the Sea” he offers a series of focused, thought provoking, emotional songs that compare favorably with most anything this year.


Q. Who were/are your primary influences, both in terms of your sound and in terms of your song writing?



A. I grew up in the 80’s. When I was 14 the first record I owned was “October” by U2. My first concert ever was the Joshua Tree Tour. Needless to say U2 has had a huge impact on my musical taste. I like to hear struggle and yearning working together in the music. I’ve never been a big fan of the cute or clever…music has to move me and at times jar me. Bands and artists like the Pixies, R.E.M., Echo and the Bunnymen, Patty Griffin, Rufus Wainwright, Travis and Sigur Ros (to name only a few) have done that for me. I want music to pick me up and take me somewhere. Naturally this is what I’d like my music to do.






Q. Your third album, “Throwing Punches in the Dark”, seems to have been a fairly substantial departure from your earlier albums. A bit more pop rock maybe than, say, the folk/Americana which described your earlier ventures. Would you say that was a conscious decision on your part or did it just happen, did your sound just evolve in that direction? Was that direction a result of targeting a more broad - or at least, more specific - audience?



A. Yes, the change was very deliberate. I was tired of the folk guy with a guitar. I played in a rock band in high school and that’s kind of how I always saw myself making music. Though for a good part of my early twenties I was stuck in my bedroom with my guitar. Naturally the songs became more folky and introspective. Whereas those songs came from an honest place, I was a bit naive about songwriting. I focused almost solely on lyrics–sometimes, if not most of the time, at the expense of a good melody and song structure (I should have just written a book!). It was a bit self-indulgent at times. I wanted to make the kind music that I liked and listened to. I also wanted to step away from over-thinking the songs and give some room to breathe. I developed more of a stream of consciousness type of writing. I wanted to practice being more impressionistic and less literal. The change was not dictated by trying to target a certain kind of audience. I have always wanted my music to simply reach people–not a specific group or demographic. The change was mostly for myself.




Q. Speaking of “Throwing Punches in the Dark”: it was your first album that was created with the help of producer Neilson Hubbard, correct? Can you say a little bit about working with Neilson? Is it a coincidence that your sound changed when you began to work with him?

A. Yes, “Punches” was the first album I did with Neilson. I had known some of his work from other artists he had produced. I really liked his approach. He was making the kind of records I liked listening to. We also wrote some together for that record. I continued the stream of consciousness writing but I did it with him in the room. I would just start singing words to the melody without giving much thought to them and he would transcribe what was coming out. Then we’d both go back and find words and phrases that would reoccur and then start shaping the song up. To me I felt like that was a more honest form of songwriting-it was coming straight from the gut. I don’t think that Neilson changed my sound. I think he helped me get the sound I had always wanted. We both come from the same music background and share a lot of the same influences. There was definitely a musical connection there. 





Q. The new album, “Swallow the Sea”, seems to be a bit more epic than your past albums in that it contains more moments of extended rockin’-out and perhaps even a little bit of a harder sound at times. Do you see yourself heading even further down that path in the future? Perhaps, you see yourself heading back the folk/americana way? 



A. On “Swallow the Sea” I went in wanting to make something big. I was combating the temptation to do a low-fi, stripped down indie sounding record. That’s kind of the thing these days. However, that’s not what I wanted on this record. I wanted to go for something that bordered on ridiculous at times. I wanted the sounds that I grew up on. I wanted to sort of tip my hat to my influences. Who knows what I’ll do next? Some things I’ve been writing lately lend themselves more to an orchestral type of arrangement. The next project may very well be quite different. I just want to keep working on writing good songs the best I can. The songs will determine the kind of production and arrangement. We’ll see. 





Q. You have been compared to notable musicians like Bono, Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley, Daniel Lanois, and others. Do you think these apt comparisons?

A. I always appreciate those comparisons because I’m a fan of all of them. You can’t escape your influences I suppose. Often times I get Coldplay comparisons. I think it’s funny that I get that. I like them, but don’t consider them an influence. If you go back to some of the mod rock bands of the 80’s like Echo and the Bunnymen, The Church, The Cure, U2, The Smiths, etc., you’ll find where it’s all coming from. The ringing guitars, rocking 8th notes and big sounds are straight from that era. It’s not a new thing that Coldplay came up with. They’ve just done a modern reinterpretation of that kind of music…but I digress. Again, my biggest influences came out of the late 80’s. I think I carry some elements of all my influences.





Q. You have developed a pretty devoted fan base and are becoming known for your emotionally driven and soul-baring performances. What has the support been like for the new record?
A. Well, the record came out mid August. So far it’s been really good. I’ve had a lot of great feedback. I’ve also come across a couple negative reviews from critics or bloggers (there’s always a few grumps out there), but for the most part it’s been very well received and I’m always grateful when I hear when the music has connected with someone. I have already received emails from folks who tell me how much the record or a particular song means to them and how it’s hit them right where they are in life. There’s nothing better than that.





Q. Thematically, your music seems to be communal-centric. In other words, it seems to center around relationships and the way that the various aspects of relationships (i.e., forgiveness, reconciliation, first - and enduring - love, etc. ) can lead a person towards truth and beauty. Songs like “Save You” and “Feels Like Letting Go” are perfect examples, i think, of this. Is this due to a conscious effort on your part? Or maybe I am wrong? 



A. Those are all things that are a part of my life in one way or another, so they’re bound to surface in my songwriting. That’ s why I value writing from the gut and not approaching it thematically. “Save You” is a great example of that. I had no idea what I was writing when I started that song. I knew it had a sense of tension in it, but didn’t know what I was writing about specifically. I wrote that song with Neilson Hubbard. It came out of a writing session while we were working on a completely different song. During a break I just started strumming and sang ” I wanna rock-n-roll/I wanna give my soul….” Neilson perked up and asked, “what is that?!” and I said, “I don’t know”. We started working on the song and finished it in less than an hour. We didn’t impose a lot of thought on it, but the song had a certain feeling. I rarely, if ever, approach a song with a certain thematic thought or agenda. I just kind of start and see where it takes me. Whatever is in my life or worldview will naturally work it’s way into a song without being imposed. 






Q. Another key theme to your music seems to be Hope - its an almost ubiquitous theme throughout your records. That being the case, a sub theme is necessarily that there are reasons to be hopeless. Hope is meaningful only so long as there is change or good to be hopeful for. I find that your music avoids sentimentality because it is realistic in that way. What is your perspective on that? Do you purposefully attempt to steer clear of the cliff of sentimentality? Where does this emphasis on Hope come from? 



A. I have never written a song about hope. I think it’s something that is just in the language and the feeling of the music. Somehow hope is conveyed. Again, if one is writing from their soul and hope is in their soul then hope will emerge whether you intend it or not. I write out my tensions in music. I often come against a sense of hopelessness in my life, but I also have a deeper conviction of hope. I think that deeper conviction sneaks out even when I’m singing about feeling hopeless. Again, if there is a sense of hope in my music, it’s not something I’m intending…though I’m glad it comes out. 





Q. What typically goes into a Matthew Perryman Jones song? Is it a long process where a song endures several different washings, surgeries and alterations? Or, are they usually spontaneous - a shorter process?



A. It’s starts by just sitting and “noodling”. I usually try to search for a feeling in a melody and sounds. I usually go with whatever comes off the top of my head (even if it doesn’t make any sense). I just spend some time exploring without thinking about it too much. After a while I notice specific words and thoughts recurring. Once I discover the idea or thought, I begin working it out. That can take a day or it can take 6 months. It all depends. I’ve only written a handful of songs I like in a sitting, but that’s pretty rare. They usually have to stew for while. When I find myself thinking too much about a song or what I’m saying, I put it down and come back later. I’m not a prolific writer by any means. I have tons of melody ideas all the time, but lyrics come slowly.






Q. Until recently, you were a part of the Square Peg Alliance along with notable Christian artists like Derek Webb, Andrew Peterson, Sandra McCracken, Andrew Osenga and others. What prompted you to leave the Alliance? 


A. As SPA grew publicly, it was moving in a direction I was not going with my music career. There were 3 others in the same boat. It was just making things too complicated by having a few folks who were not moving in the same career direction as the others. It was something that everyone in SPA agreed with and understood. We all support each other just as much now as we did before it all started.



Q. Since you were once a part of it, and have since left, what do you think of the state of CCM currently? How do you foresee things going for the Christian music industry in the future? Should there even be a distinct Christian music industry in the first place?


A. I have never considered myself a part of that industry. My records have never been promoted or distributed within that market. I toured with a couple bands who worked on the fringes of that market, but I would not consider myself as being a part of it. So I wouldn’t consider myself as having left. As for my perspective of that industry, there seem to be only a very small portion of artists who are writing honest music that conveys both truth and beauty (you mentioned a few of them in the previous question). But those guys are the mavericks [insert Sarah Palin joke here] who aren’t going to be the most popular…mostly because they’re not writing the bubble gum cliche pop. Overall, I’m just not a fan of the way that industry works. 




Q. With the previous question in mind, do you believe you are called to sing and perform and speak to a specific target audience?



A. No. I just want to write and play music that connects with human beings. I have no personal concern for targeting anyone.







Q. And finally, where can Into the Hill readers go to listen to and/or purchase “Swallow the Sea?”

A. itunes, local independent record stores, www.theconnextion.com. You can also download my previous record, “Throwing Punches In the Dark” for free at www.noisetrade.com…or just visit my myspace page (www.myspace.com/mpjmusic) and find the widget. Thanks for listening!

ARTIST: Matthew Perryman Jones
ALBUM: Swallow the Sea
RELEASE DATE: Now Available
OUR RATING: 8.5

This entry was posted on Monday, November 3rd, 2008 at 10:38 am and is filed under Interviews, Print Interviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.