Matt Wertz
Interviewed for Riffin' by Webjockey Fashionboyz
Check out Matt Wertz' Rifflist: Everything in Between
Missouri-born soulful rocker Matt Wertz tears it up with his recent album about a relationship that tore him apart. "Everything in Between," explores the rollercoaster of emotions that a tumultuous relationship brings from the cotton candy flirtations to the stomach dropping freefall of heartbreak.
His songs are cozy and familiar, wrapping around you like a favorite cashmere sweater on a brisk fall night. From the opening guitar riff on "The Way I Feel" to the hooks of "Heartbreaker," the entire album is road-trip worthy. Honesty is tantamount for Wertz, and "I Will Not Take My Love Away," shows he has learned the lessons of love. "More than any other song on my album, that song is truth," he says. "It's about unconditional love, a love that is bigger than any of us. We all know it's out there, but we keep looking for it in the wrong places. It's a song I need to listen to and receive from every day."
Riffin': Tell us about your most recent album "Everything in Between."
Wertz: It was written over the course of a relationship, and it is unique because every song on the album is a reaction to what I was going through at the time. It is a narrative of a tumultuous chapter of my life.
Riffin': How did your ex react to the songs?
Wertz: (Laughter). Well, she was flattered, but it didn't win her back. I just don't know what is so attractive about someone who doesn't want you.
Riffin': Will the vestiges of this relationship carryover into your new work?
Wertz: I am ready to move on to new material about other human emotions than just heartbreak, although that seems to be the most universal song for musicians to write about.
Riffin': You have been living in Nashville for the past 6 years. What is the creative environment like there?
Wertz: It is full of energy, and there are lots of young people who are moving into the city to follow their dreams. Also, the song writing industry is so prevalent down here that you learn a lot about how to craft good lyrics.
Riffin': What do you mean by "songwriting industry"?
Wertz: The bulk of country songs are not written by the artists who perform them. There is an industry of people who just write the lyrics, and Nashville is a hub for that.
Riffin': Right now you are an independent musician. What would it take for a major label to woo you?
Wertz: Finding a label that will give me what I want is hard. I need to continue to foster good relationships with fans. That is the most important consideration. I can't neglect how I got here, which is word of mouth and lots of grassroots marketing. I would, however, love to get some radio airplay, and that is hard to get without a major label behind you..
Riffin': You have become involved with a human rights group called Mocha Club. Tell us about that
Wertz: Well, the concept is that we want people to donate the equivalent of the cost of two mochas a month to help people in Africa. I went to Uganda in January, and I saw the village where the money I have been donating and raising has been going. It is amazing to see the monumental difference such a little amount of money can make on an entire community. Check the project out and donate at mochaclub.org
Riffin': Do you have any tattoos?
Wertz: Nope... I still haven't figured out anything I would want on my wrinkled body when I am 70. Maybe one day I will come up with the perfect dolphin or unicorn, but until then I am tattoo free.
Riffin': Boxers of briefs?
Wertz: I could never decide, so I compromised with the boxer-brief.
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