Mays brings party rock for heartbroken to Calgary
Singer-songwriter Mays brings his new album to the Palace Friday
When it comes to his career, Matt Mays is just following his gut.
“I’m not trying to work to a clock or anything,” the 38-yearold Ontario-based singer-songwriter says, explaining the five-year gap between his late 2017 release Once Upon a Hell of a Time and 2012’s Juno Award-winning Coyote.
“There’s a bit of instinct involved, because you don’t want to release music just for the sake of releasing it. I’ve been creative during those five years, but I was doing other important things like travelling. I was also waiting for the right batch of songs to get behind.”
By his account those songs came with a certain amount of pain, detailing death, relationships ending, confusion.
His sixth studio effort sees Mays still firmly in classic rock territory, delivering what he calls a “party-rock record for the broken hearted.”
That’s as perfect a summing up of Once Upon a Hell of a Time as you’ll find, best heard in his first single, the infinitely catchy Sentimental Sins.
We spoke with Mays, who plays at the Palace Theatre in Calgary on Friday, about his latest record, love of rock ’n’ roll, and disdain for releasing music simply to stay current.
Q I guess you’re not really wrapped up in the record-tourrecord cycle that so many musicians find themselves locked into, are you?
A Yeah, it’s like telling someone who doesn’t want to dance to just start dancing. They’ll look like an idiot; for someone to really capture the feeling they have to be into it. I personally don’t like having to dance at gunpoint, so I work with smaller labels and enjoy the dance floor on my own time. Sorry for the bad analogy.
Q No, that’s a great analogy. Do you think that part of the reason for the long gestation period for the new record was that you didn’t want to repeat yourself?
A That might be part of it. Also, I think it’s important to step back, so that you don’t end up looking from the inside out all of the time. I try to look from the outside in, just so I can get some perspective. There are other things in life that I cherish as much as music as well, and those things make me more content as a musician. That puts me in a better spot to create music that I can get behind.
Q Were you able to make it on just music during that five-year period?
A I can support myself. I had three jobs to pay for my first record, and gradually shed my jobs along the way, and it’s working out. It’s contentment I’m chasing, not a bigger house or fast car.
Q Once Upon a Hell of a Time feels like a record where you’re really starting to settle into your sound. Is that a fair comment?
A Yeah. I think I’m starting to not wear my influences on my sleeves so much. It comes with aging ... as people get older their independence grows, as does their self-awareness. Maybe I’m less interested in getting my guitar to sound like Tom Petty or Neil Young, and more into finding a weird amp that nobody has used before. Or not caring about amps at all and just playing the song. You end up with something that’s more honed, and you’re thinking less. Thinking less is good when it comes to creating rock music.
Q That’s definitely going with your gut. It’s also a rare stance to take these days.
A I’m glad to play in a rock band and be one of the rare breed! It’s nice to see young people coming to their first rock show, like on the tour we just did with the Arkells. You’ll see 20-year-olds that have never been to one and their eyes light up. It’s really human; nothing programmed to drum machines, actual people playing electric guitars. There’s a lot more sex in rock then there is in a lot of other music. I mean, I like some electronic dance music, but there’s only intimacy to be found in the lyrics. With rock ’n’ roll there’s so much more; it gives people this confidence, puts a swagger in their step.
Q At its best, rock ’ n’ roll is often just a sweaty mess, which is great.
A Like those out-of-tune guitars on Beatles records. They have the technology to get rid of errors, but what people want to see is the real people playing. I love polished music, but I love it when bass players hit wrong notes on Dylan records because it reminds me that they’re just normal guys playing. Not rock gods, but humans playing music that they love.