Interview with Matthew & The Arrogant Sea: "Every day I try to look at the world from other peoples eyes."
Hi, thank you so much for joining this interview! Can you tell in short about yourself as an artist and what kind of music you make?
My name is Matthew Gray. I am the founder and frontman of Matthew And The Arrogant Sea. We are an Indie rock band from Denton, TX. Since 2001 we’ve been bringing the weird, And the wild to the North Texas and national music communities.
Listen to Music by Matthew And The Arrogant Sea at:
MakeAmericaWeirdAgain.com
To come to the results you have right now as a musician, you must have made a lot of developments in your career. What are you the most proud of in your career as an artist?
The people I have shared these experiences with. I’m humbled to still be here after 20 years. I don’t believe I would be, if it wasn’t for the people in my life, my band, the labels, and everyone in between who believed in our art and cheered us on.
What does your day look like? Do you work from home or do you prefer to work somewhere else?
I have a very strict routine as an artist - especially in the sense of writing & creation. Daily I dedicate time to re-evaluate and balance myself, my chakra's, and my craft - to learn something new about who I am. My words are immensely personal depictions of my crazy mind. Every day I try to look at the world from other peoples eyes. It often breaks my heart. It always inspires me. I believe it always will.
What makes you are (not) on the road as an artist? Do you feel like the average person or do you have a different lifestyle as an artist?
We travel as much as we physically can. It’s always been important to us to get out there on the road and see our fans and family. Nothing truly inspires me more then hearing from them, and knowing what our music means to them.
"I have a very strict routine as an artist - especially in the sense of writing & creation. Daily I dedicate time to re-evaluate and balance myself, my chakra's, and my craft - to learn something new about who I am."
People have a big influence on each other. Which people are you surrounded with the most?
My beautiful wife, and all of our family. My band family, our friends. My furry son Samson. Truly any soul who shares the mutual feeling of kindness, love, and respect for everyone.
Do you feel your art or music is influenced by other people / music / art? Can you tell us more about it?
We as artists are always finding inspiration from other artists. Most recently I’ve been inspired by our friends in Midlake. Their beautiful new music literally brought tears to my eyes, watching it unfold after a 9 year hiatus. Tears, y’all! It was true beauty to witness and experience.
How do you see yourself and how would you describe yourself?
Hi, I’m Matty—super awkward, often strange. Definitely weird. Sometimes I make movies.
What can we expect from you in the near future, being your audience?
We have a brand new concept album dropping this year called, “If you find yourself floating away” it’s absolutely my best written work to date and the best record from MATAS yet (but I’m biased) The idea sparked during conversation with a dear friend of mine. We spoke of this planet—and how truly small we were in comparison. It really resonated with me. I thought out loud in that moment..Are we really just floating away? The record wrote itself almost instantly. It’s deep and personal, and very far from the alien days of MATAS (watch Nosebleeders if you’re curious).
Thank you so much for sharing your story with us Matthew I really enjoyed this interview!
