We’re proud to say that you might have already heard of this artist, as he’s been playing shows all over the East coast (300 in the last three years, to be exact) and building quite an impressive following both on his tour and his YouTube channel (he makes awesome videos). Matthew Wade of My Silent Bravery sat down with us and gave us a little peek into his musical journey, inspirations and hopes for the future. To him, the moniker My Silent Bravery stands for inner strength and perseverance, but for us- we can hear his message loud and clear. As if it needed to be stated…we like what we hear.
If you haven’t already seen his video for his latest single “Can’t Quit” and are looking for a good tug on your heartstrings, check it out below.
As per usual, let’s start at the very beginning…A very good place to start.
JP: How did your musical journey begin? Take me back to your earliest musical memory.
MSB: When I was about 4 or 5 my mom bought me my first cassette tape – Beastie Boys- Licensed to Ill. I was hooked from then on.
JP: What about the first time you picked up an instrument, or were inspired to?
MSB: Growing up I always loved music but found little time to explore playing an instrument because I was always playing sports. When I was a senior in high school – I chose for a school project to learn how to play the guitar and wrote my first song.
JP: Do you remember what it sounded like? No judgment…
MSB: Interestingly enough – it was an early version of a song called “Side of the Road” – which was the first tune of mine to get some national recognition. The song was featured on the TV show “One Tree Hill” several years later.
JP: Beginners luck?! Not a bad start!
MSB: I guess there was some divine inspiration at play there. Funny how the universe works sometimes.
JP: What was the process like for you, then? Chords first? Melody then lyrics?
MSB: The process for me was just that … chords, melody, then lyrics. That is usually, but not always how songs are inspired for me. The lyrics usually take the longest as I am constantly refining.
JP: How important are lyrics for you? Are they very much connected to your voice as an artist?
MSB: Lyrics are extremely important to me … They are a major part of my voice as an artist. You will find that almost all of my lyrics are substantive and very positive … At the least they have a positive twist to them.
JP: What is the most important part of being an artist for you?
MSB: To hopefully touch people’s lives and impact them along with spreading positive messages through the music.
JP: Is there a specific cause or belief you find important to express?
MSB: On my new record, Can’t Quit, I delve into perseverance and not giving up on the title song “Cant Quit”. On “To Give (featuring Matisyahu)” we focus on giving back to the world instead of always taking from it.
JP: Beautiful. Speaking of “Can’t Quit”- we love the video! Can you tell us what shooting it was like?
MSB: Thank you for the kind words. The whole process of making the video was awesome and was one of those things where everything fell into place. There were three themes we wanted to touch on – soldier re-assimilation, bullying, and natural disaster relief and they all tied in and came together beautifully. Shooting my parts were quick and easy. The only thing was that we were hoping for rain shots – which we got at the vey end. It was cold and I got drenched but was well worth it.
JP: Came out really beautiful,- well worth it!
MSB: Thanks!
JP: So I read that you did 300 shows in three years- pretty nuts! Tell me about that!
MSB: [It was] nuts! I just went on a tear of playing as many shows as I could in order to get as much live experience as I could under my belt. This past year I gave myself a little more breathing room but I like to play … I just try and make sure that the shows I choose to play all make sense.
JP: Did it ever feel too monotonous? How did you breathe life into each new show?
MSB: There are some nights where it got tough… but the show goes on. I really enjoy playing with the majority of the musicians that I surround myself with. They are for the most part, all great players, so it keeps me on my toes. We improvise, we do lots of fun covers, we get good audience participation. We try and always make it fun for the audience an in the process have a great time ourselves.
JP: Where do you see yourself/hope to see yourself in 5 years?
MSB: I see myself continuing to grow as an artist and improve my craft. I see myself still writing songs and playing out live … but on a much bigger stage.
JP: Anyone whose career you look up to? Or are inspired by?
MSB: Bob Marley is my biggest inspiration. I love his lyrics, his message, what he did for peace. There are tons of great artists out there … I could name a bunch… Dave Matthews Band, John Butler Trio, Red Hot Chilipeppers, 311 …
JP: Current favorite artist?
MSB: I have been enjoying the new Chili Peppers disc a lot …There is some funky stuff on there!
JP: Current fav TV show?
MSB: It was Entourage … Looking for a new one at the moment…
JP: Dream show to be placed on?
MSB: I think a placement on Grey’s Anatomy would be pretty cool. That show has catapulted a lot of artist’s music to a much larger platform.
JP: That’s true. Anything you want to let your fans/Jingle Punks community know? Updates? Upcoming shows?
MSB: I have a new record out called, Can’t Quit that has been getting some amazing feedback along with a great new video closing in on 100K hits on YouTube. I got a fall tour in the works, along with an upcoming Anti Bullying/Anti Hate Rally in November in NYC which some really cool people like Lady Gaga, Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosseling have agreed to jump on board and support. Please check in at my website www.mysilentbravery.com or FB www.facebook.com/mysilentbravery for updates. I want to thank JP and the JP community for their ongoing support!
Interview courtesy of Kaitlyn Weiss of The Almost Famous
