Q&A: Matthew Fowler Is Ready To Return With 'The Grief We Gave Our Mother'
IT’S BEEN SEVEN YEARS SINCE MUSICIAN AND SINGER MATTHEW FOWLER CAME OUT WITH HIS DEBUT RECORD BEGINNINGS - and it is safe to say that he has only improved with time. The Florida-based artist spent the years since then honing his craft and traveling around the country to live his dream of being a musician.
The result is his upcoming album: The Grief We Gave Our Mother, a record that is whittled to perfection. With stunningly poetic lyrics and a warm, woodsy sound, the album feels like coming home. It is filled with nostalgia and reflection as it explores themes like family dynamics, self-realization and vulnerability with impressive honesty.
Fowler, who has received praise from publications including Huffington Post, CMT Edge, and The Bluegrass Situation, for his organic sound and raw lyrics. “I'm Still Trying”, the album's first single, is reflective of these very qualities, and undoubtedly one of the most beautiful tracks on the record. Its heavy lyrics, combined with Fowler's soft vocals, make the song an unforgettable experience.
LUNA: It's been a long time since your debut record Beginning. How would you say your music and creative process has changed since then?
FOWLER: The time in-between Beginning and The Grief We Gave Our Mother was a period of insane growth. I was only 19 when I put out that first record and it started an entirely new way of life for me — I basically went from being in High School to traveling across the country in my car performing music as a career. I had a lot of learning to do, I had a lot of life to live. I started developing my songwriting skill-set, listening to lots of new music, playing shows with lots of other great songwriters, and just figuring out how to be a (semi) functioning adult through all of it. I’m not sure exactly how my creative process changed over time, but I know that I went from wanting to live this life to eventually just doing it.
LUNA: “I'm Still Trying” is definitely one of my favourite songs on the album because of how raw it is — could you explain the story behind its creation?
FOWLER: “I’m Still Trying” was written over a few writing sessions while back home in Orlando, Florida. I was staying at my parent’s house in-between touring and would sit on the back patio in the wee hours at night, soaking in the warm and humid night, and playing guitar. My house is traditionally a pretty loud and crazy place, so those late night escapes were really important and cathartic. The song is about family, changing relationships, and realizing your own shortcomings — no better place to write a song like that than the house you grew up in.
LUNA: Your lyrics are all brilliantly poetic — do you have any personal favorites you have written on the upcoming album?
FOWLER: For this record, I wanted to walk away with a set of songs I could feel connected to for years and years to come. The writing process for this project was a slow one for that reason - I was obsessed with finding the “right” way to express the nuanced emotions I was feeling. As favorites go, I think “Going Nowhere” is one of the strongest songs I’ve written. I still get little butterflies when I sing it, and I love how vulnerable it makes me feel. Another one I’m proud of is the “Marianne / Been A Lover / Reprise” ode for the first three songs of the album. I’d never written a multi-song movement so intently before, and it made me rethink songwriting and structure as a whole moving forward.
LUNA: What has been your favorite part in the process of creating The Grief We Gave Our Mother?
FOWLER: The album was conceptualized over the course of three distinct chunks - the Orlando recording session, the Eau Clarie recording session, and the mixing process. I think my favorite thing about making this entire record has been how EACH part of that process completely challenged and inspired me. The moments of freaking out every time a small change or addition is realized, grappling with those changes to the music as a whole, making extensive notes, feeling both defeated and re-inspired each time, and just the slow crawl of turning a figment of imagination into a very real and audible piece of art. It felt like a real undertaking, and overcoming the challenge was my favorite part.
LUNA: Do you have any anecdotes or lessons you learned during the making of this album?
FOWLER: Patience is the biggest one. This is the first record I’ve worked on with a host of other people involved. I had a real producer, a few bandmates, a mixing engineer, a mastering engineer, and all the communication and logistics that go with that. The mixing process started when the epidemic started, which put a halt on everyone’s life. I learned that it’s a slow climb sometimes — you have to get a little bit done every day and you have to be okay with taking the time to get it right.
LUNA: I love the name of the album — how did you end up choosing it?
FOWLER: The name of the album is actually contained within the song “I’m Still Trying”. It’s one of the lyrics towards the end of the song. I think title tracks sometimes make one song feel too weighted in the album as a whole, so I wanted to call the record something more subtle that you have to catch. A rewarding easter egg for the close listener, if you will. As soon as I had the line written, I knew it would be the album title.
LUNA: What are some major influences and themes touched upon in the album?
FOWLER: Family and self-realization are probably the biggest themes in this record. The songs are real reflections of what I was going through in my life - growing up, moving out, starting a career, falling in love, getting hurt, and finding myself through it all. I know that sounds like a Michael Cera indie move, but it’s not too far off from what was really happening around me. I was in the throes of full unadulterated independence for the first time, and writing about the experience of turning into an adult, essentially.
LUNA: Who are some artists (musical or otherwise) that have been inspiring you lately?
FOWLER: There are four artists that come to mind that have inspired me lately: Leif Vollebek, Blake Mills, The Weather Station and Andrew Bird. All of these artists are fantastic at reimagining their approach, pushing their boundaries, and working on their craft. As time goes on, I find myself more and more intrigued and impressed with the ability to shift and change directions. To try weirder shit out while retaining authenticity. It’s a hard thing, trying something new, or trying something in a new way. Especially when these folks pay their bills with it, ya know? I think something better and more powerful was created because they took risks instead of playing it safe and sticking to what they know worked before.
LUNA: What are your plans following the release of the record?
FOWLER: My hope is to tour as much as possible! Touring is my favorite part of the whole dang thing. The travel, the people, the views, the inspiration, all of it. I’m a hermit when I’m home, so the road is where I like to give in to the universe, go on adventures, and make the most of it.
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