Matt Stamm

Kali D. Foxman
December 2007

If you Google “Matt Stamm,” you easily get 380,000 hits. And whether you’ve heard of this up-and-coming musician or not, one thing we’re convinced of is that his musical presence is sure to grow exponentially, on the web and off.
Singer-songwriter extraordinaire, Matt started making music when he was young, influenced by Billy Joel—his very first vinyl record—and his dad’s collection of classic rock. Though he gave up music in middle school to pursue sports with his friends, Matt got back into it in college and is now turning heads with his soulful songs. Not only does he play guitar and piano (though he does prefer keys to strings), he’s busy pursuing both a solo career and a group career as keyboardist with rock band The Rideaways, which is about to sign with a major record label.

Check out our Q&A with this rising Jewish star, and then treat yourself to a Hanukkah present by picking up his new five-song EP, Where Do We Go. You’ll be glad you did!
I’ve really enjoyed listening to your CD. I wish there were more than five songs!
That’s the trick! Always leave ‘em wanting more.
What’s your favorite song on this album?
I guess my favorite song is “Everybody Falls.” I think it has a really positive message, one of those “don’t give up” types of songs. I think just about everybody who hears it can relate to it in some way or another.
What inspires your songwriting?
Anything can spark a song. [I’m influenced by] a lot of things that have happened in my life. Right now, most of my songs have a very positive twist to them. I feel like I’m in a great place with my music, with my career. In my personal life, things are really great as well. I’ve been feeling really grateful for that and wanting to tell other people that. Not necessarily to say, “Oh, look at me, my life is great,” but to say, “Hey, if you’re not doing that great right now, don’t worry because things are going to get better.”
What’s performing like for you?
Performing is great. I love it. I still get nervous before I go on, but it’s not like debilitating stage fright or anything like that. But I love that; the nerves, the adrenaline, it fuels you. Now, the more nervous I get, the better I wind up performing. Somehow I’ve learned how to turn that into a good performance and not let the nerves show onstage.

What is it about being a musician that pushes you to keep pursuing it, even though it’s tough to “make it”?
Right now, it is really a difficult time for the music industry as a whole. But it’s also a really exciting time, because somebody’s going to figure out what to do with all the digital downloading, MySpace, fans, self-promotions and independent labels. At this point, it’s just kind of in me to do this. I can’t stop! Just about every night I go to rehearsal or I go to a songwriting session and keep plugging away. The best way to be in the music industry right now is just to be as versatile as possible as a performer and as a songwriter.
So I’ve heard you’re the perfect Jewish camp advocate! What role did camp play in your upbringing?
That actually is huge, especially as far as my Jewish identity goes. I went to a URJ Jewish summer camp—Camp Harlam—in Pennsylvania. I was there for about 13 summers altogether, as a camper, staff member, unit head and all that. I would say that especially when I was younger, there were two major influences on my Jewish identity. One was my grandfather. He was very, very proud of being a Jew, and that really rubbed off on me.
Second to that, I would say that my Reform Jewish identity comes from my time at Camp Harlam and as assistant director at Eisner Camp, another Reform camp. Those camps in particular do an amazing job of teaching kids and staff members how to incorporate Judaism into your everyday life and love living Jewishly. Every prayer that I know now, just about, is because I went to summer camp. I didn’t know I was getting this huge lesson! It just becomes ingrained in you. And to the point where, tonight, I’m leaving work early to go song-lead at Friday night services at a synagogue out on Long Island. I’m happy now that I’m able to use that skill and turn kids on to that.
Did you have a bar mitzvah?
Yeah, definitely. I remember being really nervous just before my Torah portion. I remember that when I was 13, I was really, really small. I was like 4 feet 10 inches and 80 pounds or something like that. I still had my high-pitched voice; I hadn’t hit the puberty wall. I remember I had prepared for months and months, and being musical, the singing and memorizing of the Torah trope was never a problem for me.
So what’s next for you?
I’ll definitely be playing a bunch of gigs in New York City. Signing to the record label with the other band is a huge thing, and until that happens, I’ll definitely be out and about, pursuing my solo stuff. In the spring semester, I’ll be doing a lot of college shows, hopefully at Northeast colleges. I’m always writing, and my ultimate goal is to get into the studio pretty soon and finish the album.
For more info on Matt, visit www.mattstamm.com. And enter to win a copy of his CD here.
2007-12

Kali Foxman is Associate Editor at JVibe. She recently attended two very different concerts: Kelly Clarkson and the Idan Raichel Project. She recommends both.


• Matt Stamm
• The Rideaways
• Where Do We Go
- JVibe.com

Matt Stamm's first EP, titled “Where Do We Go,” is an uncommonly strong debut that leaves a lasting impression! Matt’s deep and poetic lyrics, delivered by his smooth, passionate, and pitch-perfect vocals meld to create highly alluring songs! The production and musicianship on the CD are totally professional. Furthermore, the songwriting provides melodic, hook-filled songs. “Mr. Perfect” tells the bitter tale of rejection and stands out as the song with the greatest rock edge. “Saving Grace” is a sure-hit, propelled by its motivational lyrics, catchy melody, and climactic chorus. Devotees of Del Amitri, Oasis and Ben Folds, you don’t want to miss out on this amazing album!
-Xavier P. and RadioIndy.com
Check out Matt Stamm's music on RadioIndy.com with link to purchase and links to popular sites - RadioIndy

Matt Stamm is one lucky musician...but lucky in the best of ways. Allow me to explain - every day, millions of people sitting on sites such as MySpace view thousands of artists working on their harmonious craft and decide that a career in music is what they want. Every day, artists of some kind are born - most of which you'll never hear of. This is generally due to a lack of talent, but sometimes a lack of opportunity is at fault, or a lack of experience.

Matt Stamm is lucky because he's been able to absorb the kind of knowledge that makes a true musician successful. Growing up in upstate New York, Stamm took to music at a young age, but didn't begin to take his skill seriously until he arrived at Boston University and met roommate Charlie Diego. As Stamm's talent matured, he met Jon Hartstone, and thus The Perfect Candidates were born. These valuable experiences continued to contribute to the formation of Stamm's current sound, including one tough night at The Kells Pub in Boston, where his first live performance turned out to be a sour but valuable lesson.

Today, Matt is on his own and has recently released his EP, "Where Do We Go?" Building off of the 2005 release, "I Could Be Happy Here," Stamm calls this collection his strongest one yet - "the song writing is at a new level, the production is top-notch (thanks to producer Russ Desalvo)," and thanks to work with renowned vocal coach Don Lawrence, Matt is "the strongest he's ever been vocally."

Look out for Stamm around New York City in venues such as The Bitter End, The Lion's Den, Makor, and The Living Room, and even gigging with The Rideaways on keyboard. Go ahead and get into his XXQ's.

XXQs: Matt Stamm

PensEyeView.com (PEV): How and when did you first get started in music?

Matt Stamm (MS): I have an official and an unofficial start to my music career. Unofficially, I have always felt - since I was 8 or 9 - like there was a musician on the inside trying to get out. I was always singing, always writing songs (even when I was 10, silly little tunes), and I excelled in my school choir, saxaphone lessons, and piano lessons. But like most kids I was not necessarily focused on music alone, and for a while I spent most of my time in athletics - and the musician in me was pushed down a bit. Towards the end of high school when I started playing the guitar, I really started feeling the passion for it, and when I got to college and started writing and performing with friends there, and met other musicians and started branching out into the musical community in Boston, it really started. I would say my "official" start in music happened just as I graduated from college and went into the studio for the first time to make an EP as an acoustic duo with my good friend. From then on it was all music all the time, my musical "education" and training really began, and I knew this is what I would be doing for the rest of my life.

PEV: What was the music scene like for you growing? How did that impact on your musical style?

MS: I grew up in a small town in upstate New York where there wasn't a whole lot of live music going on. As I got older I started coming in to NYC and going to Albany for some bigger shows with my friends and family. My dad had a huge record collection, and that was really my first exposure to music - I was always listening to The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Cream, CSNY, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Three Dog Night, Neil Diamond, Carole King...I could go on forever. He also had a bunch of 8-track tapes and an 8-track player. I remember listening to The Doobie Brothers and The Moody Blues on that. As soon as I was old enough to want my own music, my parents took me to the record store and I bought Michael Jackson's Thriller and Billy Joel's Innocent Man, and I listed to those two records nonstop! I was literally obsessed with my father's records. At one point I even tried converting them all to cassette tape so I could listen to them on my walkman...by the time I finished, tapes were becoming obsolete and CD's were starting to take over! I started listening to the radio more when I was in elementary school, and up through high school I enjoyed what was mainstream and popular at the time...from Def Lepard to Pearl Jam...when it comes down to it though I was always rooted musically in classic rock and the stuff I grew up on.

I think that has greatly influenced my musical style. For me it is all about the song, and I like to think that I am writing music that can be listened to by people of all ages, and hopefully will continue to be popular many years down the road.

PEV: Was there a certain time or event that made you decide music is going to be a profession?

MS: Right after I graduated from college I went to a studio in Boston to make a CD with my songwriting partner from college (we had an acoustic duo called The Perfect Candidates). working in a real studio with a producer for the first time, creating arrangements and parts for the different instruments, working with session musicians - real pros who were such great players - it was a tremendous learning experience and...I found that I was pretty good at it!! I had known that I loved music and songwriting before then, but bringing it to a professional setting and level was so exciting for me. It was during that process that I knew I was in it for the long haul.

In 2005 I saw the Foo Fighters live at Giants Stadium. At that point I had been pursuing music for a while, so I knew it would be my career, but from a live performance perspective this show was huge for me. Dave Grohl, his stage presence and his performance...AMAZING! Obviously our musical styles couldn't be more different, but I really look up to him as an artist and performer, and watching him I knew what kind of performer I wanted to be.

PEV: What was it like the first time you performed live and when was it?

MS: 1998 - open mike night at The Kells pub in Boston. One word...disaster. The set was 3 songs...an eternity for someone who had never played anything in front of complete strangers. I had only been playing guitar for a few years, and I had no confidence in my ability to play. My hands were shaking, my voice was quivering and cracking, and the more I realized how bad I was, the more nervous I got and the worst my performance got!!! BUT, they were pretty good songs, even back then, and I actually got some compliments after I got off stage. Guess it wasn't SO bad after all!

PEV: Since the first time you performed, what has been the most memorable time of your career (so far)?

I've played some really good shows in NYC. Some great ones have been when I have absolutely filled the room at The Bitter End...GREAT crowds are always a huge plus.

One of my favorite NYC shows was at Makor a couple of years ago. It was a benefit show for the victims of Hurrican Katrina, and it consisted of current Broadway stars performing songs that they themselves had written...my friend Geoff Soffer was in charge of the night, and he generously added me to the bill. It was a great show for a REALLY attentive crowd, the sound was excellent. Julie Gold hosted the evening, and she is such an idol of mine...it was a great night.

Another favorite was at The University of Delaware, where a couple actually got up in front of everyone and started slow dancing to one of my songs...awesome!

PEV: What was it like the first time you stepped into a recording studio? What was going through your head?

MS: I touched on this a bit in #1 and #3. I think the most prominent thoughts were, "I am paying A LOT of money for this, so make it good!" and, "Oh man, what I am doing right now is on tape forEVER!". I guess that could have made me really nervous and killed the whole thing for me, but instead it motivated me and made me rise to the occaision, so it was an overall really positive experience.

PEV: When you write music, what kind of element do you prefer to surround yourself in?

MS: I used to only write alone, and I would usually need movement to be involved. I would need to be walking around the block, driving, riding the train, traveling in one form or another, and I would come up with a hooky melody and hopefully some lyrics. Then it was back to the guitar or piano (alone, in a quiet setting) to flesh out the chords, which would usually lead the song in a totally other direction, and the song would eventually begin to take shape. lyrics were usually written while driving or traveling.

Recently I have started to co-write a lot, and that changed things completely. Now I actually go to a scheduled session, and two or three of us sit down and say, "OK, 1, 2, 3, here we go". The first time I did that I was skeptical about the process because I had never had success in a "forced" situation. Songs would just happen for me when they were ready to happen. But I was wrong, and collaboration has proven to be so successful for me. To have another person's input, and to be able to add to or change an idea that someone else originated, I really enjoy it. Still, though, the lyrics usually come last if I am the one writing them. Sometimes we will come up with the chorus or a few other lines or a concept right there on the spot, but the bulk of them come when I can sit and solely concentrate on the lyrics. The ONE exception I have seen to that is when I wrote with Russ Desalvo and Arnie Roman for my new EP, Where Do We Go. we wrote three killer songs in three days, lyrics included. Arnie Roman is an amazing lyricist, and as the chords and melody came, so did the lyrics...he makes it seem effortless. I learned A LOT about writing with those two pros.

PEV: Your passion for music seemed to really develop while you were in college at Boston University. So, what were the earlier days like for Matt Stamm?

MS: Admittedly I didn't pursue music as much as I should have at a young age...peer pressure got the best of me! I was always the one out of all my friends to know who wrote what song, and I really excelled at music during assigned times at school, but when everyone started signing up for sports teams after school, I followed. I was an OK athlete, and I had a lot of fun, but looking back I wish instead that I had been in the high school chorus or band, and especially in my high school musicals. I don't regret the choices I made, but if I had "stayed on track" musically, I would definitely be at a higher level than I am now.

PEV: What can we expect from your EP, "Where Do We Go"? How is different from your 2005 release "I Could Be Happy Here"?

MS: Where Do We Go is certainly my strongest release to date in so many aspects - the song writing is at a new level, the production is top-notch (thanks to my producer Russ Desalvo), I am the strongest I have ever been vocally (thanks to my work with renowned vocal coach Don Lawrence). There are some big difference between Where Do We GO and I Could Be Happy Here. The current release is very focused musically and stylistically...it sounds like an album. When I recorded the last CD I wasn't yet sure what style I was going for, and it shows on the recordings. There are songs with horns and backup singers, songs with electronic loops, it's pretty diverse, and the person who loves one track might not love the next. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE that CD. It is RAW, and a lot of sweat went into making it. I co-produced it with my good friend Mark Kondrat at his home studio in Miami, and it was a BLAST making it. Mark is so talented (he is the guitarist in Universal Latin America band Locos Por Juana), and I couldn't have done that record without him. It was basically the two of us locked in a studio for 10 days doing nothing but arranging and recording. It has a real home-made vibe to it. Still, I Could Be Happy Here was a step up from where I was at that time, just as Where Do We Go is a step up for me now...the great thing is that I am always taking that next step and following a progression that will hopefully bring me to where I need to be professionally. Even then, I will always be growing, learning and improving as a musician.

PEV: How is music on EP, "Where Do We Go" different from your previous projects and how tell us about the creative process behind it?

MS: The music is poppier than it's ever been. The choruses are punchier, the lyrics are stronger. I worked with some incredible people to get the music to where it is on the EP. It started with 3 fantastic writing sessions with Russ Desalvo and Arnie Roman. The two of them have collaborated countless times, and individually have written some amazing songs, including #1 hits. Despite being at a completely different level in their careers than I am, writing with them was a fun and comfortable experience...and an EDUCATION! they are so good at bringing the artist in as the 3rd collaborator, and the process was almost effortless to be honest. we wrote 3 SOLID songs in 3 days - Mr. Perfect, Saving Grace, and I Don't Want To Need You. I am really proud of those songs. during the writing process with Russ and Arnie, they presented 2 songs that they had previously written with Ross Copperman for me to consider recording as part of the EP. I actually fell in love with those songs - Where Do We Go and Everybody Falls - immediately. they are right in the vein of my style, and they just suit me so well. I completely connect with those songs musically and lyrically, and they would up being 2 of the best songs I have ever had the chance to perform.

The recording process with Russ as producer was another EDUCATION. top New York studios, top musicians (Josh Dodes on keys, Patrick Carroll on bass, Frank Vilardi on drums, Russ on guitars and Shane Stevens on background vocals), it was so much fun and the finished product has blown me away. It was a whole new process for me, from the preproduction to the mixing and mastering, and working with a REAL producer this time made so much of a difference for me. Russ really brought a ton of ideas and was the driving force in making the EP sound the way it does.

PEV: How is the music on your EP, "Where Do We Go" different from other music out today?

MS: I honestly wouldn't say that this EP is SO different than everything else out there right now. I think it is really sophisticated, well-written pop/rock, and I think that so many different types of people will be able to connect with it. I think in general my music now tends to have an optimistic theme, and I think that is different than a lot of music out there.

PEV: In all your travels, which city has been your favorite to perform? And which offers the best atmosphere for music appreciation?

MS: It's hard for me to name my absolute favorite city to perform in. I will say that I love most of the college shows I've done. I find that college students really enjoy my music. I have played a number of private house concerts around the country as well, those are really great shows because the audience consists of people who are hungry for new music. I think musically, though, I am biased towards New York. I love my New York crowd, and they always seem to appreciate a good thing when they hear it.

PEV: Who would you like to collaborate with that you haven't had a chance to yet?

MS: Like I said, Dave Grohl is my musical hero. I would love to collaborate with him someday. Marc Cohn as well...he is such a great songwriter. I am about to write with Julie Gold (she wrote "From A Distance"), and I am VERY excited about that opportunity. I am just going to keep on writing and meeting people, and who knows who I will end up with!? New York City is actually a very small musical world where everyone seems to know everyone, and it is amazing how many people I have met in such a short time.

PEV: In your opinion, who is an artist that we should all be listening to now?

MS: Mute Math - GREAT band!! The new Silverchair record is incredible too.

PEV: What's something we'd be surprised to hear about Matt Stamm?

MS: I used to be a Summer Camp Director. I like anchovies on my pizza. I have never seen The Godfather. Hmm...let's see...what else...?

PEV: How have your friends and family reacted to your success?

MS: Total support. My parents come to all of my shows, my friends help me spread the word about my music. I think they are all proud that I have stuck with it for so long, and with every step I take they realize that this could really happen for me.

PEV: What can people expect from a live Matt Stamm show?

MS: Actually, we all have a good time. I've been told that I deliver the songs very well, and I am always joking around in between songs. I like to do covers that no one would expect. If it is a full band show I will only be bringing the BEST band possible.

PEV: How has life on the road and touring been for you? Any great stories?

MS: Thank goodness for Ipods. Long drives with the band, passing around the Ipod so each person gets a pick...some great mixes of music, and I was introduced to a lot of music I'd never heard before.

We played some great shows at various summer camps this summer. one of them was nice enough to let us ride this HUGE zipline from the top of a really high hill down and over a lake. the whole band went...totally radical!

PEV: Describe the feeling of hearing fans sing along with you when you perform?

MS: Actually, that has started happening recently...I can't really describe it...I get the chills! I mean, someone likes my music THAT much that they know the words?! It makes me want to perform better to give them the best version of that song they've ever heard.

PEV: So, what is next for Matt Stamm?

MS: LOTS of co-writing, shopping for a publishing deal. Will get back into the studio with Russ Desalvo and company soon! Going to hopefully find a label who will support me as I turn the EP into a full length and release it. I also play keyboards in The Rideaways, and we are currently signing to a major label. Very exciting times there, and who knows what will come of that!? It's been a long ride so far, and I know I've got a ways to go still. I am expecting lots of ups and downs, but right now all is well, I adore what I am doing, and I wouldn't change a thing.

For more information on Matt Stamm, check out http://www.MattStamm.com
- Penseyeview.com