Q: Hey, can you tell us a bit about where you come from, and what made you want to start a career in music?
A: I come from Scandinavia, from Finland, to be more precise. From a small coastal town called Kotka. I started already as a kid, with drums. Which I used to play for many, many years.
Q: And what other artists have you found yourself listening to lately?
A: Lately I have been listening to some of my favourite acts: Prong, Cancerslug, Goatwhore and Benediction. I am a metalhead. Extreme metal soothes my mind. Which is very important right now when there is a massacre going on in Ukraine. Maybe the situation there reflects on my musical endeavors right now. Extreme conditions demand extreme responses, so to speak…
Q: Who were your first and strongest musical influences, and why the name ‘Matyascorvinus’?
A: There was a lot of music in my family when I was born. My parents were into singing, my grandparents were into singing. My sisters were in their teens, listening to rock music all the time. So the seed was planted already when I could not even walk. I was so little. The first song that I remember to be influencing was Norwegian Wood by The Beatles. The second was Boris The Spider by The Who. My sisters had this split album Backtracks by Jimi Hendrix and The Who and I remember the cover of it; a small boy smoking a cigarette. That was over the top, for me. Another album cover was Bonzo Dog’s The Doughnut in Granny’s Greenhouse. That cover really blew my mind! It was out of this world. So, the visuals have always been an influence. Matyascorvinus is a sum of different things. First: my real name is Matti and my father in law calls me Matias. Second: I’m a history freak, and once there was a Hungarian king called Matias Corvinus. Who happened to have a feud with a man called Vlad The Impaler i.e. Vlad Dracul, who inspired the iconic character Count Dracula. Third: corvinus comes from complete latin name corvus corax, a crow. Which is my favorite bird. Matyascorvinus hereby has rather dark connotations. Which is very natural to me, being a ”gothic” person. Even though my music may sound full of light, there are sad stories behind.
Q: You have just released your new single, ‘Her Shadow In The Flame’. Is there a story behind it?
A: Her Shadow In The Flame started as an ordered work. It was supposed to be a cover song, requested by my friend. I did the job but his contribution never happened. So, I decided to keep it myself; in my opinion it turned out good. I made little changes to the original version…and here it is. The original song covered is by Cathedral (Hopkins the witchfinder general), which is one of my favourite songs ever. And as you already noticed; the story is about witchcraft and inquisition. In short: unjustified violence against defenseless human beings , a war on women. A dark page of history, true insanity and a rich source of folklore and stories familiar to many. For me the times of witchery has always being an intriquing era and I have studied it a lot, being a diehard fan of gothic subjects and things related to dark arts etc. But: instead of a horror story, this little song turned out to be a soundtrack of longing. The great missing of a loved one, maybe gone forever. And today, when unjustified violence against defenseless human beings a-g-a-i-n takes place in Europe, it is right to remind what it is to be a human to a human. It should be peace, love and understanding. Unfortunately, in Ukraine, it is pure evil and hatred. However, I believe it’s love that prevails. Some day dark days will be over…again.
Q: Can we expect a new EP or even an album from you in the near future?
A: I think so! I’m plannig to re-release my second EP with some extra pieces. Maybe in the beginning of next year.
Q: What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?
A: Key elements are simplicity, melancholy and beauty. Which, I hope, are able to stop the listener for a while and listen to her/his mind. People seem to sense different things while listening to my music. Some say it brings summer to their minds, for some it has brought tears, some of them are getting sleepy…various feelings. But peace of mind seems to be the strongest feeling.
Q: Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfillment as the amount of work you are putting into it, or are you expecting something more?
A: To be honest, I’m happy right now. I’m doing what I’m doing when I’m doing, without anyone else involved. I have the full control over everything: composing, rehearsing, recording, mixing, producing, visuals, marketing, promotion….And creating music is always rewarding. Gaining listeners is also nice. I mean, I would not do what I do without any expections. Of course, I do recognise that you don’t get million streams with this kind of music. However, there is always someone who gets it. And now, operating basically from my study at home, it is uplifting to get greetings from distant locations like Chile or South- Africa.
Q: Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song?
A: It is a mystery for me; I never have anything in my head when grabbing the guitar. Everything comes out from somewhere deep within. My fingers are exploring the fret board and if it sounds nice, I will memorize it. The music makes itself, there is never anything planned. Sometimes the entire song comes quickly, sometimes there are fragments floating in my mind for months. Only to be shaped into a song, later. The creative process takes different forms. I don’t have any patterns or schemes to work with. It’s pure intuition. Afterwards, I do not even remember when or where it came from. The music just is. Right now. Also, I never write anything down. If the song has potential, it sticks to my mind. Weaker efforts just fade away. And it’s ok.
Q: What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?
A: Oh, there has been so many difficult things that I do not want to bother the readers with. But one thing is alcohol. I have been sober for almost eleven years now. To quit drinking was maybe the best decision I have ever made. Well, I did not entirely make the decision by myself, my wife was very decisive in matter. Basically, I had to choose between booze and marriage. I chose the marriage. However, I still sometimes notice loathing myself for the things I’ve done in the past. Being ashamed of yourself is a destructive feeling. We humans often tend to find someone else to blame, but understanding that there actually is no-one else can be crushing. That’s my burden. But making music makes it easier.
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