It's All About The Music
I first met Mattheu Canvas back in January 2007. He was alone behind the merchandise table at Club 111. His thumb and index finger gracefully held his chin, as he focused his attention to friend, and fellow Seattle artist Type on the small Flagstaff stage. For some time, I battled with myself to gain the courage and speak to him. He seemed intriguing to say the least, but his serious look intimidated me a bit. I finally took a deep breath, said "screw it", walked over and took a seat next to him. He turned out to be exceptionally easy to converse with, and I realized that my previous anxieties were completely uncalled for.
In between Mac Lethal Cd's and other Black Clover sales, as well as occasional spurts of chaos, we chit-chatted about life and of course, music. I asked if he was an emcee as well. He says,"Well, sort of. The stuff I do is a little bit different." He slid a cd next to me, with
a man half-pictured holding a guitar on the cover. It was titled "Needs Repair"
He explains that it's not really like the other guys he's here touring with. He was so humble and unobtrusive about it that I had no idea what to expect. He signed it for me and I held onto it dearly. We hung out and continued our conversation until the show was over and too soon had to say goodbye.
When I finally heard the cd the next morning, I couldn't believe it. This soft-spoken mystery-of- a-man has so much talent, intellect, and soul behind that shy mask. Qualities that lately seem non-existent in todays music industry. Canvas voices opinions and realities from his side of the looking glass in such a beautiful, poetic, and yet aggressive manner. He helps you see your own true reflection, and inspires you to look at life from "her" angle.
"Life's not a bitch, she's just tired of being called one, and you putting the blame on everything else except yourself is kind of getting tiresome" [Bold Fists]
The album has a folk twist intertwined with hip-hop that produces a type of Floetry Session, if you will, that draws you into each song like nothing I have ever heard before. It opened a new door for me that I was totally oblivious to. Artists like Ben Harper and Jack Johnson, who I wasn't even aware of at the time, have been inspirational to Canvas through the years, and though he strongly believes that a person should be their own true self, you can definately see the influence that these musicians have had on him.
Every track that Canvas has written has become a favorite of mine. His words have touched me deeply. I urge you to purchase the album and I strongly recommend paying close attention to the lyrics. Mattheu is a beautiful human being inside and out. This is not an artist that should go unknown. I guarantee you will be hooked,as I have been, and will continue being, until I take in that final breath.
Here is my first interview with matt, published in 2008
Hopefully many more to come.
Photo taken @ Club 111 Flagstaff, AZ
by Joaquin Zabala
TL : They say that Home is where the heart is...where does your fleshy metronome tend to find the right rhythm?
"Pretty much for my whole career while playing guitar, Seattle has been the place for me to write music, although, before I started playing guitar I was really into hip hop and wanted to be a rapper, and I wrote alot living in California. I [later] moved to phoenix, and wrote even better content. Then I found ben harper, and really embraced his music, so I got a guitar and wrote my first song In California, and my second living in Boulder, Co. The rest of my songs [I wrote] in Seattle. I even moved back to Cali for 6 months and just couldn't even pick up my guitar or write any lyrics or songs. As soon as I moved back to seattle the music just flowed through me with ease. So I guess Seattle would be the place that makes it easy for me to write, but to be honest I really write the most when there is conflict in the world or just my little life. Now that I don't watch t.v., I really don't write as much. Seattle and Conflict is where I find my comfort zone to write music.
TL : How long have you been doing Tours? How did you come about it?
I've only done two tours so far, the first one was when I met you, and that was only a ten day tour. Two months later I went on a 30 day tour (with no days off mind you, just 30 days straight city to city, state to state). The way I came bout touring was basically just being a good friend of Grieves. I asked if I could come along and do merch, and he agreed. I met Mac Lethal on tour and he asked me to go on tour with them again, and this time I got to perform my own music which was an awesome experience.
TL : Tell me about your first gig. What kind of audience did you perform in front of? Were you nervous?
My first audience performance was at a bar in Boulder Colorado, opening for my friend Type and Murder Dice and a very small bar called Gramazio's. They played hip hop and I just had on folk-like song, my first and only song on guitar at the time. The audience was just a bunch of Type's and Dice's friend's who really didnt know who I was, so I got on stage and was really nervous. I did a spoken word and made Type hold the microphone because there was no stand, and I have this weird fear of holding a microphone, so I need a stand or someone to hold it for me. I did the spoken word and was still shook, so I grabbed my guitar and played my song all the way through, and did pretty well for how nervous I was. I tend to do weird things while on stage to keep me less nervous.
TL : In Love is a Curse Word, you speak of a heartache that many of us have been forced to unexpectedly face. Is this a True story, and if so, how do you think it has made you stronger?
No, this is not a true story, I hadn't really felt heart ache at this time, it was just a story that jumped at me while playing the guitar riff, I usually don't have a song in mind when coming up with a guitar riff, I just play the riff and whatever comes out of my mouth is usually what I end up using for the song. It's like a weird folk freestyle I guess you could say.
Note: Even though this song is not a true story, I suggest that everyone hears it. It's absolutely one of my favorites off the album! TL
TL : Wasted Energy is a beautiful song with excellent advise. Who in your life influenced you to write this song?
I have many favorite artist that I listen to, and the inspiration to this song came from an artist called Mason Jennings. He is a great folk artist, who just signed to Brush Fire Fairytales, (Jack Johnson's label). I've been listening to him for years, and he has this song called "Adrian". It is a song about a father getting hung, and before he gets hung he is telling his child not to fear death and just live life. I just kind of went off that in my own way.
TL : What do you do with your time when you're not drowning yourself in the soundwaves of your acoustic?
I'm a cook at a bar, and when I'm not working I play guitar hero (the game is like karaoke for your fingers if your already a guitar player). I also play the game Skate. I hang out with my roommate,watch alot of movies and television shows on DVD. Right now i'm enjoying The Office, and Curb Your Enthusiasm, but I do revert back to my guitar a lot.
TL : What advise would you pass onto young musicians who see the mainstream music industry as "the way to go"?
I am not a fan of most "mainstream music". I really despise most of it. For the most part they all sound the same. If that what an aspiring musician want's, then so be it. Personally, I think everyone should find their own sound . Just be yourself and don't learn other peoples songs to learn guitar. Listen to a lot of guitar music, then practice from scratch and make you own stuff. I've been playing for 5 years now and only know how to play two Ben Harper songs. The rest is my own stuff. I see it this way, if you learn guitar based on other peoples music, then most likely your gonna make music similar to them, then you're set in this box, unless you really try to do something different. My advice would be to practice and play as much as possible and don't aspire to be famous, just do what makes you happy in music. Music is supposed to be fun as soon as you become good enough.
TL : When can we expect more?
Well, I'm currently working on my new album but I do not know when it will be done. I can say MAYBE mid next year, but I couldn't be sure. My last album had a deadline, which I've learned is not the way to make an album because I became really rushed at the end and didnt get to do all I really wanted. This next album will be done with patience and care.
TL : Any special people you would like to thank?
My parents for always supporting me in all my choices in life.
In between Mac Lethal Cd's and other Black Clover sales, as well as occasional spurts of chaos, we chit-chatted about life and of course, music. I asked if he was an emcee as well. He says,"Well, sort of. The stuff I do is a little bit different." He slid a cd next to me, with
a man half-pictured holding a guitar on the cover. It was titled "Needs Repair"
He explains that it's not really like the other guys he's here touring with. He was so humble and unobtrusive about it that I had no idea what to expect. He signed it for me and I held onto it dearly. We hung out and continued our conversation until the show was over and too soon had to say goodbye.
When I finally heard the cd the next morning, I couldn't believe it. This soft-spoken mystery-of- a-man has so much talent, intellect, and soul behind that shy mask. Qualities that lately seem non-existent in todays music industry. Canvas voices opinions and realities from his side of the looking glass in such a beautiful, poetic, and yet aggressive manner. He helps you see your own true reflection, and inspires you to look at life from "her" angle.
"Life's not a bitch, she's just tired of being called one, and you putting the blame on everything else except yourself is kind of getting tiresome" [Bold Fists]
The album has a folk twist intertwined with hip-hop that produces a type of Floetry Session, if you will, that draws you into each song like nothing I have ever heard before. It opened a new door for me that I was totally oblivious to. Artists like Ben Harper and Jack Johnson, who I wasn't even aware of at the time, have been inspirational to Canvas through the years, and though he strongly believes that a person should be their own true self, you can definately see the influence that these musicians have had on him.
Every track that Canvas has written has become a favorite of mine. His words have touched me deeply. I urge you to purchase the album and I strongly recommend paying close attention to the lyrics. Mattheu is a beautiful human being inside and out. This is not an artist that should go unknown. I guarantee you will be hooked,as I have been, and will continue being, until I take in that final breath.
Here is my first interview with matt, published in 2008
Hopefully many more to come.
Photo taken @ Club 111 Flagstaff, AZ
by Joaquin Zabala
TL : They say that Home is where the heart is...where does your fleshy metronome tend to find the right rhythm?
"Pretty much for my whole career while playing guitar, Seattle has been the place for me to write music, although, before I started playing guitar I was really into hip hop and wanted to be a rapper, and I wrote alot living in California. I [later] moved to phoenix, and wrote even better content. Then I found ben harper, and really embraced his music, so I got a guitar and wrote my first song In California, and my second living in Boulder, Co. The rest of my songs [I wrote] in Seattle. I even moved back to Cali for 6 months and just couldn't even pick up my guitar or write any lyrics or songs. As soon as I moved back to seattle the music just flowed through me with ease. So I guess Seattle would be the place that makes it easy for me to write, but to be honest I really write the most when there is conflict in the world or just my little life. Now that I don't watch t.v., I really don't write as much. Seattle and Conflict is where I find my comfort zone to write music.
TL : How long have you been doing Tours? How did you come about it?
I've only done two tours so far, the first one was when I met you, and that was only a ten day tour. Two months later I went on a 30 day tour (with no days off mind you, just 30 days straight city to city, state to state). The way I came bout touring was basically just being a good friend of Grieves. I asked if I could come along and do merch, and he agreed. I met Mac Lethal on tour and he asked me to go on tour with them again, and this time I got to perform my own music which was an awesome experience.
TL : Tell me about your first gig. What kind of audience did you perform in front of? Were you nervous?
My first audience performance was at a bar in Boulder Colorado, opening for my friend Type and Murder Dice and a very small bar called Gramazio's. They played hip hop and I just had on folk-like song, my first and only song on guitar at the time. The audience was just a bunch of Type's and Dice's friend's who really didnt know who I was, so I got on stage and was really nervous. I did a spoken word and made Type hold the microphone because there was no stand, and I have this weird fear of holding a microphone, so I need a stand or someone to hold it for me. I did the spoken word and was still shook, so I grabbed my guitar and played my song all the way through, and did pretty well for how nervous I was. I tend to do weird things while on stage to keep me less nervous.
TL : In Love is a Curse Word, you speak of a heartache that many of us have been forced to unexpectedly face. Is this a True story, and if so, how do you think it has made you stronger?
No, this is not a true story, I hadn't really felt heart ache at this time, it was just a story that jumped at me while playing the guitar riff, I usually don't have a song in mind when coming up with a guitar riff, I just play the riff and whatever comes out of my mouth is usually what I end up using for the song. It's like a weird folk freestyle I guess you could say.
Note: Even though this song is not a true story, I suggest that everyone hears it. It's absolutely one of my favorites off the album! TL
TL : Wasted Energy is a beautiful song with excellent advise. Who in your life influenced you to write this song?
I have many favorite artist that I listen to, and the inspiration to this song came from an artist called Mason Jennings. He is a great folk artist, who just signed to Brush Fire Fairytales, (Jack Johnson's label). I've been listening to him for years, and he has this song called "Adrian". It is a song about a father getting hung, and before he gets hung he is telling his child not to fear death and just live life. I just kind of went off that in my own way.
TL : What do you do with your time when you're not drowning yourself in the soundwaves of your acoustic?
I'm a cook at a bar, and when I'm not working I play guitar hero (the game is like karaoke for your fingers if your already a guitar player). I also play the game Skate. I hang out with my roommate,watch alot of movies and television shows on DVD. Right now i'm enjoying The Office, and Curb Your Enthusiasm, but I do revert back to my guitar a lot.
TL : What advise would you pass onto young musicians who see the mainstream music industry as "the way to go"?
I am not a fan of most "mainstream music". I really despise most of it. For the most part they all sound the same. If that what an aspiring musician want's, then so be it. Personally, I think everyone should find their own sound . Just be yourself and don't learn other peoples songs to learn guitar. Listen to a lot of guitar music, then practice from scratch and make you own stuff. I've been playing for 5 years now and only know how to play two Ben Harper songs. The rest is my own stuff. I see it this way, if you learn guitar based on other peoples music, then most likely your gonna make music similar to them, then you're set in this box, unless you really try to do something different. My advice would be to practice and play as much as possible and don't aspire to be famous, just do what makes you happy in music. Music is supposed to be fun as soon as you become good enough.
TL : When can we expect more?
Well, I'm currently working on my new album but I do not know when it will be done. I can say MAYBE mid next year, but I couldn't be sure. My last album had a deadline, which I've learned is not the way to make an album because I became really rushed at the end and didnt get to do all I really wanted. This next album will be done with patience and care.
TL : Any special people you would like to thank?
My parents for always supporting me in all my choices in life.
A special thanks to Mattheu for his cooperation, and more than anything, his patience. I really enjoyed our time together. I wish you the best, and I will hopefully see you soon.
Trinity Lost
Trinity Lost
Click Photo to Preview and Purchase
"Needs Repair"
by Mattheu Canvas
Matt & I @ The Nectar in Seattle WA Working his magic on one of his many beautiful acoustics.
Sept 2009
Some of Matt's latest work:
Although Canvas hasn't released any new albums recently, he has been dipping his toes into music in another form...putting his pretty face in other artists' music videos! Now, unfortunately, I cannot with a professional mind put up his video with The MC Type, titled No Homo, but I do recommend that if you have any sense of humor at all, please check it out on Youtube. I can however, proudly present to you the video for Greives & Budo's "Pack It Up", in which Canvas shows us just how sexy nerds can be in this day and age...plus the song is killer!
