Interview with Matthew Mayfield

Photo by Cary Norton

So I got an interview with Matthew Mayfield the day before I was planned to see him in Birmingham for his home show. I was so fortunate to be able to ask him the questions on my mind. I may or may not have cried while I sat down to read this interview because I was so excited. I will leave that up to your imagination. So without further ado, here it is: My interview with Mr. Matthew Mayfield....

How has the response to Irons in the Fire been so far?

It's been killer. I feel like I've grown as a writer between the last two records and it seems that folks are picking up on that with Irons. That or I'm just delusional. Highly possible.  :)

 Which song means the most to you?

 My favorite song on the EP is 'Miles & Miles.' Everything about it feels special. As a writer it can be tough to marry a great melody to a great lyric AND feel like all the sounds are there. That song just feels right all across the board. Gotta take those where you can get them. 

Which song has had the best fan reaction?

 It seems like the fan favorite so far has been 'Follow You Down.' It's a bit surprising to me since it was the one that required the least amount of chasing. It was one of those songs that just happened in a couple sittings. That chorus arrived immediately and the verses quickly fell into the right spot. I love it when that happens.

Irons in the Fire came out just a year after Banquet for Ghosts. What process do you follow when releasing albums and EPs?

I never like to have a formula or a routine. Every time I go into do a record, I need it to feel fresh.  With Banquet, everything was centered around the performance. Most of that record is live takes - super raw. This time around, we tried to keep the closeness of Banquet but add a few more elements production-wise to make the melodies more powerful and have a bigger impact on people emotionally.  

What is your favorite song to cover?

There are so many good songs out there worthy of being covered -- but only a handful make it onto the work bench and get ironed out. I was really happy with the way both 'The Boys Of Summer' and 'Ring Of Fire' turned out. Those two songs are incredibly powerful -- so much so that there's a certain pressure that accompanies covering them. But at some point you just have to make it your own and own it. I love the way those turned out.

           

Not necessarily who influences you, but who are some of your favorite artists? Do you have any favorite up and coming artists?

My favorites are all over the place.  I love Led Zeppelin, Bruce Springsteen, Peter Gabriel, Patty Griffin, Guns N' Roses, Brandi Carlile, The Killers, Foo Fighters... the list never stops. One of my favorite newer artists is a friend of mine named David Ramirez from Austin, TX. Incredible songwriter.

How do your songs find their way to television?

The TV thing is always a surprise. Sometimes it's a specific request for a song, but usually it's a matter of being the right song at the right time. It's gotta fit the scene perfectly, so there's really no rhyme or reason on my end. I always just try to write the most honest songs possible and hope that they're relatable enough for the licensing world.

Has living in Alabama put any limits on your music career? (I ask this because I am also from Alabama)

I've never felt that way. There have been times when I've contemplated making somewhere else my home -- be it New York or Nashville. But I've never really felt like it's been in the cards for me. I've always loved Birmingham and always felt at home here. I feel like this city has help shape my sound in a lot of ways. I'm honored to be a part of an incredibly diverse artistic environment down here.

What has been the coolest part of your career so far?

1.  Making art for a living for the last 10 years. 

2.  Playing music for people that want to hear it and connect. If I see 5 people singing along in a crowd, the night is instantly made.

I always like to ask a random question. What is your inspiration behind the song “Now You’re Free?” It is my favorite! 

For me that song is the sound of the shackles coming off. All of us fight those demons in our own ways and some folks are more sensitive to this world than others. There was a shift in my writing style during the Now You're Free period and I'm so grateful for that. That song seems to be a favorite for folks who say they needed it at a particular time in life. Nothing means more to me than hearing that. It's the nicest compliment anyone could ever give me.

To buy Matthew's most recent EP, Irons In The Fire, you can go here!

Matthew Mayfield and John & Jacob Iron City Birmingham, AL 6/29/13

So, Matthew Mayfield is doing a home show? Ok, when do tickets go on sale? Not only was this a home show, it was the first time that I had gotten to see Matthew headline. The other two times I saw him, he was opening for Needtobreathe (not complaining at all! Both were great shows, but I was due a headline show at some point, right? Right.) When I got to the show, I was the only one in line, so I talked to the security guard. The show was at a new venue called Iron City. This was my first time going to a show there and I cannot wait to go back. When the doors opened, I went inside and was a little confused by the layout. Once I figured it out, I ran for the first row of chairs on the floor. I hate to sound cheesy and stereo typical, but I really did have the best seat in the house: the front row in the middle of the stage. Not long after the doors opened, the opening act, a group of brothers who called their band John and Jacob, came on. Even though they were from Birmingham, I had never heard of them. I wish I had heard them earlier, because they were great. They both had acoustic guitars and Jacob had a trumpet and a tambourine, which is not something you see everyday at a rock and roll show. They played about 10 songs, one of which was a song they co-wrote with The Band Perry. They said, “This next song is not a John and Jacob song. It’s a song that is actually at the top of the billboard charts right now. Last year, we went to the UK with The Band Perry. When we got back, their singer Dillon called us and asked if we wanted to write a song together. We were like did he really have to ask? The result was this song and it’s called Done” The crowd freaked out. I thought that was really cool. Their set ended and it was finally time for Matthew. The stage set up was very simple with two guitars and candles for decoration. When Matthew walked out, the whole crowd went into a frenzy and he played Track You Down. I swear the things that man can do with an acoustic guitar. He followed that with

Dancing In The Dark

(Song I cannot remember!)

Can’t Change My Mind. (He made a Toni Braxton reference because the candles reminded him of her)

Now You’re Free (First time he ever played this acoustic) (My favorite!!!)

Ain’t Much More To Say

Look Me In The Eye

Boys Of Summer (Cover song)

Beautiful

Welcome to the Jungle (Guns N Roses cover) (He said he was going to play a song by one of the greatest bands of all time and if we didn’t know who it was, he would pay us the amount we paid for our ticket to leave. That was hilarious. He also played this because the people in the bar in the back were being loud and it was making him mad.)

Heart In A Wire (He was still annoyed during this song and he didn’t want to be “that guy” that tells everyone to shut up, so he asked the audience if any of us wanted to do it. This blonde girl jumped out of her seat and ran to the stage and said something to the effect of “Look y’all. We have Matthew home for a night. So how about we be quiet and respectful like he deserves?” Everyone cheered and Matthew looked very amused on stage, which made me chuckle more than anything the girl said)

In Or Out

Fire Escape

Seasons In Our Dream (He told us that this song was on his first release and he was excited to play it for us)

Best Of You (Foo Fighters cover) (He asked if we knew who Dave Grohl was. The response was about 50/50 so he said he was the singer for Foo Fighters and the drummer for Nirvana. Then people cheered. I loved this cover)

Miles and Miles

Element (Encore song. He wrote this when he was 19)

Swing Low Sweet Chariot

Fact Or Fable

Even though the crowd in the back was less than stellar, the crowd in the front was lively and dedicated to Matthew. When the show was over, Matthew came out to the merch table. I was excited because I had just done an e-mail interview with him earlier in the week and I wanted him to be able to put a face to the name (even though he had met me two times prior). I told him I was the girl from the interview and he studied me, trying to rack his brain and he finally said “Kinsey?” Yes, that’s me. He remembered that last time I saw him and asked me what happened to my blonde hair. Ha! (I cut it all out). He the asked me how old I was and asked me which part of Alabama I was from. I thought it was cool that he was actually interested in that. He proceeded to talk about how the people in the back really got on his nerves but he didn’t want to say anything about it because he did not want to be “that guy” and “it really fucking pissed him off.” I told him that was definitely going in the blog. He said, very enthusiastically, “Please, put that in the blog!!!” After that, I hugged him, took a picture, and thanked him for the amazing show. He said he would see me soon. That ended my great night and if you ever get an opportunity to see Matthew Mayfield, you need to take it. You will not be sorry, and you can thank me later.