Providence Album

Matt Park  mattpark.bandcamp.com katiesmoney.com
*intro by Craig Berger
*photos courtesy of Amy Quint

February 22nd 2015
Music challenges perceptions.  It takes only a familiar few guitar chords, pitches, and words to pierce your core and see the world differently.  For many songwriters and musicians, the craft is no less than an epic battle to control the soul's deep torrent of beats and waves ever lifting up and then crashing down on them.

With his recent solo album launch, Providence, Matt Park has doubled-down on a single brutal element of that wild flow: time.  With folksy style and bar-stool storytelling, Matt offers an escape from the city grind while challenging his audience to untether from the past and take control of what comes next.



BHM: Which artists inspire you?

MP: I love music because it is immediate, connects us, and a joy to perform. Playing with musicians with more experience than I have drives my passion and want to learn more.  Nearly every musician I've have met, played with, or listened to, has inspired my style in some form or another.  Lately, I've been finding inspiration with Joanna Newsom, Kurt Vile, Songs Ohia, and Morrissey.


BHM: How did you evolve as a musician on stage?

MP: My first long-term on-stage experience was as part of the music comedy duo: Ellis and Park.  We produced and performed a monthly variety show as well as our show called, "An Evening With Ellis and Park" at P.I.T. (The People's Improv Theater) from 2008-2010.  I've also played in a punk band called The Soviets that lasted one gig back in 2006.

For the last several years my focus has been on two bands I helped start: Katie’s Money and Loose Friends.

Katie's Money is a power trio formed with my musician friends Paddy Murphy (drums) and Andrew Hopper (bass/vocals).  I share lead vocals with Andy Hopper and play Rhythm/Lead Guitar.

Loose Friends is a garage-type band that I formed with my friends/musicians: Paddy Murphy (drums), Owen Haimes (bass), and James Woods (lead guitar).  I sing lead vocals and play rhythm guitar.

The album I recently released, Providence, is in the style of an acoustic folk album.  It evolved as a result of playing with all the musicians I have ever played with and also my experience from birth up until the moment we recorded the songs.

BHM: What inspired the name of your album?

MP: My father is from Korea and moved to Providence, Rhode Island, as a teenager at the start of the sixties.  He eventually moved away to start a family in Minnesota, but my grandparents remained in their house and growing up, we visited them often.  Once I moved to NYC in my twenties, in between the hustle and the noise, I often found inspiration by escaping to the memories of that small town simplicity, warmth, and familiarity.

For some years, I worked for Trinity Church in Manhattan and met a fellow musician and Matt there with family roots in Providence.  Matt Everett provided honest feedback on several songs I had been working on and championed some that I had written off.  We became fans of each other's work, and I played bass in his band.  He is great at challenging my perceptions and has helped build up my confidence as an artist.

A few years ago he moved back to his hometown of Providence and into a huge loft space as part of subsidized artist housing that was only a few blocks from where my grandparents had lived.  I traveled up a few times to collaborate and record the album that he helped me produce.  For this album, all roads led to Providence.

BHM: Is there a general theme to the songs you included?

MP: Letting go of the past.

One big lesson I learned throughout the process was to not force the songs.  Be organic.  Allow them to germinate, grow at their own pace, and try not to get too hung up on the past.  Here are a few stories behind the songs:

SATURDAY SUN

I wrote this song about an afternoon I spent with someone close to me who was in a very destructive relationship.  It was just awful to see her suffer through it.  As much as I wanted to, I felt like there wasn't anything I could do or say to help.  She had to realize her way out of it.

The song is everything I wanted to say but didn't.  I wrote it in an hour and sent a recording to Matt Everett, who provided great feedback.  So when we decided to collaborate on my first solo album, Providence, I chose that one because I remembered it made an impression on him.

We set up a recording studio in Matt E.'s apartment in Providence, Rhode Island, including mics on our friend Greg’s drum set in the living room and another on my guitar in the bathroom.  The drums and guitar were recorded together and then overdubbed on the vocals, piano, and backing vocals.

GONE

 This song is about nostalgia and how too much can be bad for you- like Cool Ranch Doritos. Out of all of the songs on the album it took the longest to write.  We recorded most of the song in Matt E.'s apartment in 2011 then finished it in the winter of 2012.  I then changed the lyrics two days before I played the EP release party February 2015.  It’s always an artistic challenge to feel content that you’ve finished a piece, and I don’t feel that way with this one as of writing this article.  I think I’m going to change the melody again.

JULIE ANNE

This song is about an old friend from the past, and I'm saying goodbye to the memory of her.  Matt E. and I recorded this one in a few hours.  Greg wasn't around to play drums, so we improvised.  I played brushes on a tiny bongo.  Matt E. played on the mandolin- a great talent of his which also inspired a solo track on the album.

BHM: How do you plan to promote your album?

MP: I promoted it by having an EP release party for my supporters at Pete’s Candy Store in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.   The multi-talented actress, musician, singer-songwriter Sasha Diamond opened our show.  I plan to play the songs a few more times at live venues and then move on to making the next album.  Although it’s my first solo work, I need to make at least 2-3 more before I begin to submit to labels, managers, producers and media channels that can expand the audience and engage more listeners.

Although, my other passion remains in the theater, so I'm always looking for opportunities to combine the two.  I'm currently co-writing music for a theatrical production of Henrik Ibsen's Peer Gynt with musician Paul Leiber.  We're doing a rock band-adaptation.

I wish there were more media/storytelling outlets like Bloated Hippo Magazine who encourage dynamic perspectives and building creative communities.

In the Spring I’ll be playing more shows with my band, Loose Friends.  We played our first show this past December along with well-received performances during the album release party.  We hope to perform new songs.  So far, I’ve been the one managing the gigs.  I contact the booker, include samples of my music and ask if I can play the venue.


BHM: What's your perspective on social media?

MP: An advantage is that it's accessible and easier to get the word out when you are playing live.  In most cases, it's the fastest way to get people to your music without having to depend solely on a label or published CD.  It's more important to maintain an engaging and up to date website and use social media to drive people to it.

A disadvantage is that it can burn out potential listeners. With all of the promotional noise out there it’s easy to get lost in the fold and not have your posting or link noticed.  Most artists I know are struggling with the same challenge on how to use social media and other digital promotional tools more effectively.

Beyond the tech and after many decades, the still most proven and consistent way to promote yourself as an artist in NYC is through connecting to other artists and building a good reputation. You should always be seeking out, collaborating and performing with other creative minds that you feel a kinship towards.  In the end, practice, experience, and willingness to take risks is the key.  Play out as much as you can...even if it's in a subway.  Something will happen.