MATIAH: Behind The Goth/Purple-Haired Girl

Apart from being a singer-songwriter, who is Matiah?

I’m definitely the purpled hair, goth girl that you see. I love everything music, art and anime. I’m very spiritual as well and I’m often the one people come to for guidance and advice. By day I work as the audio production manager at local radio station Fresh 92.7. It’s a great job and allows me to be creative in the media world. I also produce for and mentor other upcoming artists on the side when I can as I love to help people pursue their music and guide them in the industry. I teach as well whether it be music production or radio. And I also run my own side business called Sugar Monster where I make natural body products. If you can’t tell, I like being creative! And I’m always busy with all my projects. I’m constantly working hard and creating my art and love to help and inspire others to do the same. 

At which point in your life did you realize or discover that creating music was what you wanted to do? How has your journey been, so far?

Music has always been the biggest part of my life. Since I can remember I’ve been teaching myself how to play instruments and connect with different genres and artists. I think it was after going to my first rock show at thirteen and discovering the power of the band singing and playing on stage that I knew that was what I wanted to do. I began writing my own songs after that and eventually began to learn how to produce them. The steps of writing a song to then recording and producing it is such an amazing process and one that I will always continue to do.

Tell us more about how ‘Ember’ came to be. The songs seem to be telling a story of the slow process of being free from an unhealthy relationship or attachment. How much of your personal life played out in the creation of each song? 

It sounds a little corny, but I was sitting by an open fire earlier this year and it was around this time that my other music projects had fallen through and I was left incredibly uninspired. I was watching the flames and began writing lyrics down in my phone. I had written down “You are like an Ember, starting out so strong then you disappear” and it just sparked something in me. I got up, went straight to my piano and had Ember written in about 30 minutes. Originally it was just meant to be a stand-alone single but I continued to write and had more to say. Every song I write is from personal experiences in my life and I try to tell a story through my words. One that hopefully people can relate to. The meaning behind the EP stems from a few things. It tells the story of being overpowered by a very strong, negative influence. A shadow that always follows you that you feel you can’t get away from. Let it Burn tells the story of giving into that shadow and giving up essentially. Dark Fire is almost glorifying that shadow. It’s about pursuing that darkness even though you know it’s not good for you. Then Ashes is about waking up and realising it wasn’t as strong as you thought it was and trying to start again. This story is about a person who was that shadow to me for so many years. But I also wrote these words to myself. Sometimes the one thing that holds you back is you…and this EP was also about breaking free from that.  

What advice can you give to those who still haven’t broken free from their own shadows?

The first thing I’ll say is it isn’t easy. Even acknowledging that shadow is something most people refuse to do as it involves going deep within yourself and resurfacing things that need fixing. It takes so much strength to want to heal from past trauma so if you’ve acknowledged it, well done! It takes no strength to pass blame, gaslight and continue toxic behaviours. Hence why this person in my life turned out to be so incredibly weak.

The first step is wanting to break free from that shadow. Most will want to live in ignorance because it’s easier. But the first step is stopping and asking yourself, what isn’t working? Why am I in this situation? What needs to change? Make a list and be honest with yourself. That’s the most important thing because once you do, you can begin to heal. And only then will you break free from it. And I promise whilst it’s not easy, it’s worth it.

If love is an all-consuming fire, what can quench its flames? 

If the love is genuine and pure, then there shouldn’t’ been the need to extinguish it. There absolutely should be that fire, that passion and all the emotions that go with it. But it’s when it turns negative that it’s time to take a closer look. Whilst this EP has a theme and is played up through the imagery, it’s also a message of strength to those who’ve felt weak in a similar situation like mine. Your strength can quench the dark flames and you ARE absolutely strong enough to do it.

Who are you musical heroes, and how have they influenced your music, especially this EP?

Anyone who knows me knows my biggest influence is Amy Lee from Evanescence. That first rock show I spoke about earlier was theirs way back in the day. I’d grown up listening to blues and rock, eventually finding bands like Nirvana which sparked my love of songwriting. But it wasn’t until I saw Amy Lee sing on stage with her piano that I wanted to make my own music. I grew up never really fitting in. I was the only 12-year-old I knew who only wore black, liked Tim Burton and watched anime. But seeing her on stage and then discovering her music was a game changer. It was like looking into my future self and let’s just say, over ten years later nothing has changed. As I began to produce my own music, I drew from so many artists. Bands like HIM, Tool and Slipknot have always inspired me with their dark melodic sound. I taught myself how to sing listening to bands like Paramore and My Chemical Romance. Noah Gundersen has always been a huge influence as well when it comes to storytelling. I suppose it’s a mix of so many different artists and genres, especially orchestral. I wanted to challenge myself with this EP to produce something with a dark, orchestral/cinematic feel. Ember and Dark Fire definitely showcase that vibe whilst Let it Burn and Ashes are a little more stripped back and raw. I wanted to create the light and shade dynamic to go with the theme of the EP.

What’s your next project?

For the past couple of years, I’ve been working on my debut album. It was supposed to be out this year but that was one of the plans that fell through. I’m preparing now for a 2021 release and I’m so excited for that. As well as that I’m in collaborations with a few artists for some upcoming singles, which I hope to be out next year as well. It’s full steam ahead at this point and I can’t wait for all these projects to come to life.