Music
Press
A FEW weeks ago if you'd logged onto the Myspace UK America/Country daily charts, you would have seen Point talent Colin MacLeod – The Boy Who Trapped The Sun – occupying the number five slot.
Yet, also flying the flag for island musicians one space below was another Western Isles singer/songwriter, the newly disclosed Mata MacDonald, originally from Lewis, now living in North Uist.
"I looked on the chart and was pleased to see where The Boy Who Trapped The Sun was as he's from the islands and his music is excellent, and then I saw that there was someone with the same name as me sitting in the number six spot beneath him – it took me a wee while to click on that it wasn't someone else, but it was actually me!" he laughs.
Although a new kid on the island's music scene block, Mata (Matthew) has been plodding away at his unique brand of Folk/Americana/Country for the last 15 years with only close friends and family as an audience.
But now Mata is quickly making a name for himself and releasing a selection of excellently heart-felt, original and beautifully melodic tracks via the internet after a recording session at Keith Morrison's 'Wee Studio'.
"Getting the music out there was really more to do with my family as it was them who bought me some recording time with Keith for my birthday," Mata says, adding with a chuckle: "I think they were getting bored with me constantly singing to them and no one else!"
Having spent so many years playing 'live', setting down his music was a brand new experience to Mata, as he admits: "Going into the studio I felt nervous, I'd just never done anything like that before, but Keith was excellent and settled me in well.
Bolstered by his recording experiences and the feedback received on his tracks, Mata took the next step and only four weeks ago set up a Myspace music site – one small step which has taken him right across the Atlantic Ocean.
"When I was looking at the hits on Myspace I just assumed that most of them were folk listening from the islands, but then someone showed me how to check where people were logging in from and I was surprised that about 70 per cent were people in America checking out the songs," Mata expands.
Now with a taste for a more public audience, Mata is keen to return to the recording studio with plans in the near future to release an EP.
For the full article on Mata and his music see this week's Stornoway Gazette out NOW.
- Stornoway Gazette
Discography
Hope to release an EP titled "Restless Native" soon
Photos
Bio
Matt Macdonald was born and raised in the small-town of Stornoway, in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. http://www.visithebrides.com/ His music is a blend of Americana, Country, and Folk, as well as Celtic influences. Although he has been writing songs since he was 15 years old, it’s only now that he has appeared from the woodwork, thanks to some recording time at wee recording Studios, run by Keith Morrison. http://www.facethewest.co.uk/weestudio/ Like many other people on the islands, he was brought up listening to local musicians such as Run-rig, Dougie Maclean, while also encompassing Americana/country music like Tom Petty, Steve Earle & John Mellencamp, who like people in the Highlands and Islands, wrote about there rural upbringings. The Gaelic name for Matthew, is commonly know as “Mata”, thus the reason for the name change, as there were already to many Matt MacDonald’s in the world, using MySpace. (I’m glad to say it’s not a stage name…Ha) The majority of his songs, are all about life within rural communities, as you should always write want you know and feel. The Outer Hebrides themselves are truly unique in everyway, whether its beauty, culture or wildlife, it doesn’t get any better than this! Although the site has only been up for a few weeks, he has so far reached numerous positions within the Top Ten, on the UK MySpace Charts for Americana & Country; however I doubt it will last! All being well, he hopes to make an EP, and perhaps play some small acoustic gigs in the future, maybe? If you have managed to read this far, perhaps you would consider checking out either of the following sites, to see other local island musicians, who over the last few years have recorded some brilliant songs. http://www.myspace.com/westernislesnumusictrust & http://www.myspace.com/honchopromotionsuk Support your local music! Matt now lives and works in the islands of Uist & Barra, another great realm of the Outer Hebrides. http://www.visit-uist.co.uk/ Thanks for listening.
Links
