Matt corby - monday 

Helen Hennessey

If you love a big voice, you’ll love Matt Corby. The man's ethereal voice and powerful instrumentation have the power to transport a listener (at least spiritually) into a elven forest. Matt has been releasing music since 2009 starting with the Song For... EP, but has recently taken a two year hiatus. Breaking his silence is the new single Monday, which is absolutely gorgeous. “Enough time has passed now for me to clear my head of everything that I’ve done before and have the balls to do it again. It’s not a very good thing to say but that’s kind of the truth,” Matt said about the new release. He then continues to explain that, “Monday is about being able to appreciate where you are and thinking that maybe you don’t need anything much to depend on, you just need accept what’s going on right now.” The instrumentation is minimalist, which not only highlights his voice, but seems to keep with the theme of not needing 'anything much to depend on'. Jenice Heo, the single's cover artist, has said: “It's the deep pause, the space between words, the space between the notes in music. Negative space is positive. It's the blank space you fill in, the mind floats free... ". This sort of approach to music is stunning. It recognises that music does not come from notes of a song alone, it is also a product of the silence within it.

Monday starts with just a steady series of snaps, and the rhythm of the entire song is established. A chorus of voices, lead clearly by Matt’s, then joins in creating a very spiritual sound while the instrumentation builds; the snaps are replaced by a steady drum beat, and the harmonies grow more diverse and powerful. It’s simply a beautiful song, and a great predecessor to what will to be the upcoming work. Matt started out recording his music on his own in Australia, but was signed to Ben Lovett (Mumford and Sons) and Kevin Jones’s (Bear’s Den) label Communion Records in London in 2010. He has since released four EPs, toured Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom, had his songs featured on a handful of TV shows, and worked with artists such as Passenger and INXS. While he has played a countless number of gigs in traditional music halls, in true DIY fashion Matt and his band have created what they call “Secret Garden” shows. These are shows for which one of Matt’s fans and/or friends offers up their gardens, yards, or living rooms to the band for the evening, making for an incredibly intimate event. Pictures and videos from these shows are up on the Matt Corby website, and are great to flip through for inspiration, or to procrastinate on work.

Matt Corby is an extremely talented musician who everyone should take the time to listen to. His old work is wonderful, and his new stuff, headed now by Monday, is shaping up to be a gorgeous practice in minimalist music. He plays to a deservedly sold-out Glasgow venue on November 26th.