Friday, September 11, 2009
So, yeah...here it is, the 2nd part of our Matthew Santos interview! In case you missed the first part, click
HERE to read it! ...enjoy!
LupENDBlog:
In another interview you recently said that you'll be featured on
another track that will appear on Lupe's upcoming album, "Lasers". What
can we expect from that track? Matthew Santos: Well I will only say that it is a song more on the lines of “Fighters” from “The Cool”. I really dig the vibe.
LEB:
Alright, back to you and your band... How involved are the people of
your band in the process of creating new music? (Like the songwriting
and all that) MS:
The band is pretty involved in the refining process of the songs, but
in the past not so much the conception of the songs. I write the lyrics
and loosely dictate the artistic direction of the songs, while the band
adds their unique touch and musicality.
Sometimes we’ve
spontaneously just started playing and have come up with some amazing
shit on the fly. I’d like to explore that writing process more with the
band for sure, but sometimes it gets tricky with too many cooks in the
kitchen.
LEB: Graham Burris, who's a part of your band is also a part of Japanese Cartoon now. What do you think about that and what do you think about Japanese Cartoon in general?MS:
At first I didn’t understand Japanese Cartoon, but after a few listens
I really started liking what they were doing. It’s definitely a niche
sound, but some great songs came out of that project. I’m really happy
that Graham was a part of it, as well as another band mate of mine Matt
Nelson, for they are both incredibly talented musicians and creative
forces.
LEB: Ok...we're almost done...one more question from me: The Chicago Mag
recently named you one of the top 20 Chicagoan singles of 2009. If you
could choose one girl (a celebrity) that you could take out on a
date...who would it be and why?MS: Hmmm. Well I would have to say
Odette Yustman.
She was in “Cloverfield” and more recently “The Unborn”. She is a
classier version of Megan Fox if I may offer an ignorant comparison
myself, and I think she has an amazing, sophisticated presence. Not to
mention she’s drop dead gorgeous…
LEB:
Yeah, she's definitely cute. Ok...so, I asked our readers to send in
some questions for you as well...here are the 3 that I picked out.... Q: How
did you get your incredible vocal ability did you practice as a
kid...vocal lessons...or are you just naturally talented? and how old
have you been when you learned to play the guitar?A:
I sang a little bit as a kid, nothing serious though. I took a vocal
class once in college that taught me how to warm up and take care of my
voice. But really I just learned how to sing from my influences, like
Jeff Buckley, Ella Fitzgerald, Martin Sexton, Thom York, Bjork, etc. I
started playing guitar when I was 14 and wrote my first song when I was
15.
Q: Which Lupe collaboration is your favorite and why? A: I like “Fighters”. It’s the song that has the most heart in it.
Q:
Have you learned anything from working with Lupe, either about the
music industry or artistically or both? How has that influenced your
career path? Has it affected your ambitions in any way? A: Yeah
I learned a lot from rolling with Lu. Lessons on the industry, on pop
music and performance, on business, etc. Working with Lupe has helped
me to get my name out there to the extent that people in the jungles of
Costa Rica know who I am.
It’s been a little complicated though,
because I’ve since been labeled as a “commercial” artist, or even as a
sell out by some of my peers. I don’t feel that either of those
statements are true, and my modest lifestyle, along with the music I
make is everyday proof of the contrary.
Collaborating with Lupe
opened up a lot of doors for me, and for him as well, but it’s also
made it a little more difficult for me to work with some of the
indie-based companies that I deeply respect--because they feel I’m too
“mainstream” now.
I once envisioned a more grass-roots approach
to success and working with Lupe was a crazy and rewarding detour on
that path. I’m making enormous efforts to get back on that track and at
the same time I am forever grateful for th
Part 2 of Matthew's interview with LupE.N.D. Bloge opportunities that came
from working with Lupe.
LEB: Once again thanks for taking the time to do this and if there's anything else that you want to say...go ahead... MS:
We are looking for motivated people who want to help spread the word
and share their love of music with others, so if you want to be an
honorary member of our Street Team, wherever you are, please hit me up
on
Facebook, Twitter, or Myspace.We
hope to release the album in December before the holidays, and our
first single is going to drop in the next few weeks. Much love to you,
and enjoy the rest of your summer while you can!