Matthew Stewart

When you think of the term “sex was gold,” the first thing that comes to mind is definitely not light-hearted acoustic instrumentals with the guidance of an indie/folk vocalization. Be that as it may, Matthew Stewart has somehow made it work. His newest EP Sex Was Gold is ready for your eager ears right now.

The title track is phenomenal. Though you may be expecting some sort of club banger with that title (as we are all well aware that this could have been the case), there really is a tranquility in the beginning of the track. Perhaps it’s because the song is largely mournful in referencing a love that was doomed from the beginning. “Oh baby, your sex was gold, didn’t take long before I was sold/I knew then that this could not last, our love was fire but our hearts glass,” croons Matthew as the first song hits you with emotion and an electrical undercurrent.

“A Cheating Affair” follows “Sex Was Gold” with an even slower, more melancholy vibe. Thinking on it, it almost has the same variables as a dark Johnny Cash song, with a sentiment to match. The strings tie in gorgeously as the EP trails to “Electric”, a song with an undoubtedly more upbeat tempo. This is a song we can see ourselves toe-tapping until the early morning hours to. The last song–“Never Be Your Man”–brings the tempo back down, and also introduces a bluesy crooning element, similar to the musical stylings of Michael Buble.

This is what Matthew had to say about his work and its inspiration:

Inspiration comes to me when I am mentally clear, or impaired. For some reason traveling gets me nice and clear. Hanging out with my dog Miles, he’s my best friend, although he doesn’t inspire me to write so much. I also attend buddhist classes just north of San Francisco, they help me manage all the thoughts inside my mind, like going to the gym for your body, but with meditation it’s with your mind, you can hold heavier weights if you choose to get down with meditation.

The whole concept of this album went out the door the second I started it. For me, It’s really hard to have an idea of what I’m gonna do in the studio, it kinda takes the fun out of it. The main idea/concept was to create the best EP we could, within a certain amount of time with the instruments we had at our disposal. I had the core parts down but everything else was created at the studio in a matter of hours. I had vague concepts in my mind of arrangements but I was letting the river of thoughts flow and just went with it. - Impose Magazine

June 29th folk-inspired San Francisco indie singer/songwriter Matthew Stewart released his new EP Sex Was Gold, along with the four-track album of the same name. Opening with Stewart's soft guitar strums, it quickly dives in with the first line: "She listens to love songs to fill the hole in her heart". Shortly after, the main sentiment of the song is established: an emotionless relationship pursued for the sake of great sex, as exemplified by the line "Our love was fire, but our hearts glass".

The record takes a softer turn with the slow-burning "A Cheating Affair", showcasing Stewart's darker side along with some pretty impressive finger-picking skills. Things get upbeat again with "Electric", the throwback rock-inspired romp about the elation that comes with figuring out exactly where you're supposed to be. Wrapping up the album, "Never Gonna Be Your Man" returns to the somber, as Stewart finds himself abandoned and alone, once again bathed in the turmoil of wanting what he can no longer have. - The Hook