Introducing: Matt Jaffe and his new single Love & Logic
Matt Jaffe has a very unique sound because of his mix from R&B, rock and synth pop, which makes him a promising talent
Let us introduce you to Matt Jaffe, a singer-songwriter from San Fransico. Matt knew he always loved music and started to take it more seriously when he got an offer to produce his first record. Since then Matt’s career is like a rocket ship that keeps going. From playing gigs through whole America to releasing song after song. Today, August 5th, Matt dropped his new single ”Love & Logic”, which is about destroying a friendship. Luckily, Matt had time for a chat with us to talk about his new single!
Our thirst is never satisfied
Love & Logic
Drops Friday! pic.twitter.com/hxVVasUfyh— Matt Jaffe (@MattJaffeMusic) August 1, 2022
Congratulations on your new song ‘Love & Logic’. How does it feel for you when you drop a new song?
It’s satisfying to share a new song, but the truth is that the primary excitement for me is in the completion of the songwriting and the recording, events which are already months or years in the rearview mirror by the time of release. The drop is a happy day, no doubt, but since making music is for personal sanity, the greatest joy comes earlier.
How did you came up with the idea to write this? What was your inspiration?
It’s about confessing feelings to a platonic friend, a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” situation. Either you let it fester or you watch it implode. I actually once reciprocated feelings confessed to me. But more often you see the confessor eight years later at a bookstore in Oakland, CA and make the standard overtures about getting lunch and catching up and of course never doing that. But that’s just a theoretical scenario.
How cute. How would you describe the song if you could only use one sentence?
In an alternate universe, Nancy Sinatra covers this song and, on the merits of its chart performance, gets a standing weekly gig at the Crystal Bay Casino by Lake Tahoe and I become a famous songwriter on the merits of having written that song.
That sounds interesting! How did your adventure actually started wit music? What was your first contact with music?
I started making up twisted little nursery rhyme-esque songs while my parents coerced me into hiking. They also brought along lemon wedges in Ziploc bags which I ate like orange slices and apparently were also motivation for me to hike. These nursery rhymes were populated by baked goods (cherry pies) and flightless birds (penguins) but paved the way for later songs with more mature themes. The hiking itself paved the way for genuine enjoyment of hiking.
Who are your inspirations? Is it someone from your family or do you have any idols?
No need for them to be mutually exclusive. I count all three of my immediate family members among my inspirations (calling them “idols” might cross a line). My older sister played violin and I followed suit. My mom encouraged (and when occasion called for it, enforced) me to practice. And my dad drove me around listening to the music that introduced me to lyrical concepts beyond the aforementioned baked goods and flightless birds. When I win a Grammy, I’m going to weep recounting his role in my musical journey. Yes, when.
How do you start with writing / producing a song?
There’s a scene in Pirates of the Caribbean in which Mr. Gibbs explains how Jack Sparrow waded into the sea until the marine life became inured to his presence and he was able to lash a pair of sea turtles to his feet to escape a desert island. That’s how I write songs. I wade into the oblivion of existential dread until a concept presents itself and I lash it to my consciousness via the iPhone Voice Memos app. Then I escape the desert island by turning the concept into a song. One turtle is the lyric. The other the melody.
What are your plans for the future? Can we expect something?
Of course! While I’m releasing the seven remaining songs on White Roses in the Snow, I’m starting work on its follow-up. We’re returning to the studio next week to wrench on the first half dozen songs. I also have plans to tour supporting Alejandro Escovedo across the Midwest and East Coast.
What’s the nicest thing you achieved so far in your career?
The nicest thing is having found a group of collaborators who I trust and cherish and who prevent me from sequestering myself in a remote cabin to write songs that will only ever be heard by the pines. These are people who make my love of music snowball, keep my creative process from plateauing and offer the friendship that is foundational to happy productivity.
How would you describe your adventure in music so far?
It’s been a lesson in gratitude. I’ve had high hopes shattered by reality and am trying to channel disappointment into appreciation for the things that do happen. I am trying to dismantle expectations, but this is much easier said than done. Dan Bern has this incredible lyric: “maybe all the promises you thought were broken were never really made.” When I started working with Jerry Harrison, I assumed many a promise had been made. There were tacit promises, but I learned (not without a healthy dose of anger) that I can’t get bent out of shape by what I can’t control. But what I can control is more important anyway. For example, I try to lash those sea turtles every single day.
Do you have any gigs coming up where we can go to?
Besides my usual spate of Bay Area shows, I have shows coming up in Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Massachusetts, New York, D.C., Pennsylvania and Southern California. I wish my touring footprint was more like a commercial jetliner’s carbon footprint, but I’m thankful for every gig I get to play.
Thank you so much for your time Matt. ”Love & Logic” is out NOW. Want to know more about Matt Jaffe? Then check out his website.