Vancouver based singer, Mathew V has just released his latest single “Stay By You” on (604 Records). A song that Mathew describes as a love letter, “I spent a lot of time writing a lot of sad songs, a bit of Adele syndrome. This is the first song where I wanted to kind of switch it up a bit, make something more lighthearted. I wanted to kind of write a love song which is something I haven’t really done on the optimistic spectrum. I went into the studio and we started doing Stay By You and it turned into a bit of a song that I kind of used as a love letter to my partner, and it was kind of the moment in my relationship where I realized I’m an adult now, and I need to act like an adult, and I need to treat people the way I want to be treated. So this is kind of my love letter, my olive branch saying that I’m going to smarten up and be an adult.”
After 10 years of classical operatic vocal training, Mathew V moved to London, England at the age of 17 to teach himself how to write pop music. Now only 22, Mathew has accomplished a lot since returning home to Vancouver. Mathew penned a deal with 604 records and his debut single “Tell Me Smooth” went top 40 on Canadian Radio (Hot AC/AC) for 18 weeks, peaking at #18. Mathew has written with the likes of Dan Mangan, and DiRTY RADiO and on stage he’s opened up for the likes of Betty Who, Hanson, Daya, MAGIC! and more. His debut album “The Fifth” came out in the spring of 2018 and charted in both Canada and the US. The album earned critical acclaim from press outlets such as Nylon and Billboard, marking Mathew as an artist to watch.
Despite his accomplishments, like many artists, Mathew still struggles with songwriting, “It varies, sometimes I’ll sit down and tell myself I have to write a song today, and then I’ll dissect it mathematically and create. Those ones always feel a bit more stiff and rigid. Most times it’s in the most inconvenient place, like I’m out grocery shopping, I’ve got ninety bags in my hands, I have eighty things going on that day, and then I’m like ‘what a wonderful melody’. I’m an unbelievably embarrassing person in public, humming into my phone. I have a bunch of voice notes that are just melodies and a bunch of notes on my phone that are just lyrics. Then, when I have a bunch of those bottled up, I sit down to write and kind of mix and match, and see what melody feels like what vibe lyrically and kind of put things together and go from there.”
With strong roots in the LGBTQ+ community, Mathew has never shied away from expressing himself in his music, “I feel a responsibility to speak about what’s honest and authentic to me. For me growing up, I remember listening to Lady Gaga’s music for the first time and I felt like there was someone championing my community. I felt like I wasn’t alone, and that if all of these people were cheering for this message, there must be other people like me feeling this way out there. So for me, it’s less of a calculated responsibility and more me holding myself accountable to speak my truth. For me, as long as I’m writing honestly about what I’m going through, I feel like there are queer people out there, especially queer youth who are hearing that and feeling represented in some form, realizing that there’s someone one there who understands the struggles they are going through. I think there is a beautiful sense of community that can come through music in that respect.”
Now with a catalogue approaching 10 million online streams, Mathew is making new music, pushing his boundaries and preparing for what’s to come.
For more on Mathew V visit: https://www.facebook.com/mathewvmusic