What is your Full names?
Matt Jaffe.
How old are you?
I’m 20 years old, almost 21.
What is your genre of music?
I like rock n roll, with hints of country and punk.
Give us a little bio about you.
I started playing violin when I was 5 and started writing songs and playing guitar and singing when I was 10. Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads produced a record for me at age 15, and since then I’ve recorded a lot, toured a lot and tried to write songs that I won’t hate the next morning.
How did you meet the rest of the group? were you friends already?
No, we met as bandmates, all through mutual friends. When you need a bandmate, you ask your musician friends. It’s important to have a dense network.
How long have you been doing music?
For about 16 years.
What made you go in to music?
I love writing songs. If I can do that for a living, I’ll be a lucky guy. Real lucky.
Are you a signed?
No.
You released the video for ‘ Write A Song About Me’, Tell Us more about that
It’s a live video from a show we did opening for Mavis Staples. It’s a honkytonk ballad about the growth and decay of a relationship. The guys in the video don’t play with me anymore, but I enjoyed my time with them.
Will you be releasing an album or EP?
We released an EP last year and we’re planning to release an LP this year.
What instruments do you play?
I play violin, guitar, piano, mandolin, bass, drums and I can even sort of sing.
Who are your influences?
To name a few: Talking Heads, Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, Blondie, The Clash, X, John Doe, Dave Alvin, Hank Williams, Lucinda Williams, Johnny Cash, Billy Bragg, Gram Parsons, The Replacements, The Pogues, Bill Kirchen, Jerry Jeff Walker, Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark…….
Will you be doing any gigs or a Tour?
We have lots of local gigs in and around San Francisco, and we hope to tour sometime soon.
If you are, where are will you be heading?
Most likely, we’ll be traveling around the United States, but hopefully they’ll let us out of the country sometime soon.
How do you get inspiration to write songs?
I listen to people and look at people. You don’t need to travel very far. Just record what comes into your brain and there’s usually something worthwhile there, if you’re attentive to your own weirdness.
Where do you see yourself now in 5 Years?
Writing songs.
When you’re not doing music, what do you do?
I watch movies and ride my bike.
If you could collaborate with one UK Artist who would it be?
Billy Bragg.
If you could collaborate with one USA Artist who would it be?
John Doe.
Where is your dream venue or festival to perform in UK?
I hear Glastonbury is amazing.
Where is your dream venue or festival to perform in USA?
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass.
What was the song you listened to most that influenced you to go more in to the music scene?
One Tree Hill by U2.
What’s the best advice you have ever been given?
Never stop. Sounds corny. It is. But never stop.
What advice would you give to aspiring musicians not about the industry just as an artist?
Be prolific as possible. Either your ratio of good to bad will improve or the overall amount of good will increase, even if you don’t improve your ratio. And learn how to know what’s bad. Lots of people forget to edit.
What quote or saying do you always stick by?
The better a singer’s voice, the less you can trust what they’re saying.
When you are at a gig, what are 5 things you cannot forget?
To be really nice to the sound person. To be gracious to the other bands. To engage the audience. To savor each millisecond of time onstage. To leave it all out on the dance floor.
Do you have social media accounts so your fans can follow you?
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @mattjaffemusic and facebook.com/mattjaffemusic and our website mattjaffemusic.com for gigs and other updates
