Matty Mullins speaks on touring, new music & his Unconditional Love
Hey, Im Andrew of Music Mayhem, I’m Here today with Matty Mullins of Memphis May Fire in Philadelphia, PA at The Electric Factory while on tour with Yellowcard & Emarosa. How’s this tour going so far for you guys?
It’s been great man, No one ever actually thought this tour would happen, you know I mean, we've been friends with the dudes in Yellowcard for a long time and we always jumped around and talked about it but it's that kind of tour that everyone in the music industry says that that's a bad idea you know. You shouldn't tour with bands on the opposite end of the spectrum but we wanted this to happen we wanted to make it a reality and so we did and needless to say it's been a huge success so far and were already more then halfway through the tour. You either came out to see us or you came to see Yellowcard or Emarosa, and everybody's there supporting each other and having a good time. We put a lot into this tour and the preparation of it bringing out a crew, who's been doing such a great job and I just really have faith in what we're doing out here and I think it's really special. Anyone who comes to these shows is going to get an experience that’s really unlike any other. We're just really proud of this and we can't wait to see how the rest of tour turns out. It is kind of an odd pairing, but we did that on purpose but we wanted to put kids that wouldn't usually be together in the same room together. Yellowcard fans and Memphis fans.
With Tour being halfway finished, What has been a highlight of this tour for you guys so far?
Everyday, No I don’t know. Um, Anaheim, Orlando, Man I just don't want to leave anybody out. All the shows this far have been incredible. I think its just been some of the dates where we played venues that we've never played before have been exceptional.
So you released “Unconditional” back in March of 2014, What has been the fans reaction to this album so far?
It cool man! I don't read a lot of that internet stuff, but one on one interactions with fans man I’ve just seems lives that have been change by the album and that is not of my doing. I think that a lot of songs are maybe discovered by us but not written by us. I think God does a huge part in our writing and even bigger part in what the music actually does for people. So it has just been really cool to be apart of that.
I know “Unconditional” is an album filled with meaning, What is the meaning behind that album title “Unconditional”? How about the album artwork? (2 hands holding each other)
The meaning behind the album title is God’s Unconditional Love for humanity. I’m learning about that everyday more and more and thats the only reason I find a purpose in living. The artwork is supposed to symbolize man reaching for something greater then himself and God’s arm coming down and embracing.
Out of the 11 tracks on the album, which song would you say has the most meaning?
The Answer, for sure.
This album has been out for 8 months now, & fans want to know is there any new music in the works for Memphis May Fire?
Yes, We’re writing. We’re always writing, I think everybody knows that. We are the kind of band that never stops. So we've got a lot of touring planned before we actually put another album out ya know? We are going to tour on Unconditional really hard and we have been. Yeah, A new album is being written and you can expect a New Album from Memphis May Fire. No matter when that happens, it is going to happen.
You recently announced that MMF will be playing South By So What?! How stoked are you to be playing that festival?
Stoked man, We played it before. We’re a Dallas band so played it a lot. Its cool and were actually headlining this year.
Other then SBSW?!, What is in store for the future of Memphis May Fire? (Any new tours?)
Can’t talk about it much but a bunch of America, a little bit of Europe but nothings been announced yet so I cant say exactly when.
Aside from Memphis May Fire you also recently released your solo self-titled album “Matty Mullins”, What made you decide to make a solo album?
I had the ability, the time, I had the resources and it just made sense. I’ve been wanting to do a solo record for as long as I can remember. It was just cool because at this point in my life I was able to record, Stay home spend time with my wife all at the same time and you know make music out of it. It was great, so I flew my producer out to where I was and tracked with him in my own setting. We wrote the album together, it turned out great and I’m gonna do more of it in the future too.
How did you find time to make this solo album, being constantly busy with Memphis?
Yea, I didn't have to that was the beauty of it. I didn't have to spend my time at home away, Go to phoenix and do an album or anything like that. I was able to fly my producer to me in Nashville and in Seattle, We kind of split the album up 50/50 and we just did it in my own element, it was great.
How was the writing & recording process on this solo album, how long did it take to make this album?
Over the course of a few months, Cameron Mizell did all the music for it and then I obviously wrote all the lyrics and the vocals for it. It’s a very vocal driven album obviously its a solo record, but it wouldn't be anything without the music. So I need someone who I can really trust to put out instrumentals that were good for what I was trying to portray and he did an amazing job. We sent tracks back and forth for a little while and then when it was time to track vocals, flew him into me and created it.
The first single released off your self-titled solo album was “My Dear”, what made you choose this song to debut your solo work?
Well, I think that this song sums up the entire record. I guess the same message that Unconditional has, I think a lot of people feel unloved and I feel like a lot of people don't feel deserving of love and what I wanted with that song was just to really portray the message of Grace. God’s Love is always there and it is Unconditional, It’s unending, It’s powerful but you have to be willing to except it. I think a lot of people view God as like an angry all powerful being, but the fact of matter being that God’s core value is love, so that is what is showing in that song and that’s why it was important to release that one first.
What factors do you consider when writing music to decide if the song is for Memphis May Fire or for your solo stuff?
Yes, totally different, Im alway’s writing in my head. Although a lot of what happens up here doesn’t ever actually make it onto paper but there’s a lot lyrical content, melodic ideas that I have that just wouldn’t work for Memphis, It just wouldn’t. I was raised in a really Christian Contemporary household, I was raised on christian pop music, I still love Christian Pop music. So when I have ideas like that they kind of just get thrown to the wayside because I never had a project to do it with, now I do. So now I can now write christian pop album and heavy metal records at the same time.
How do you hope that your music impacts your fans?
Dude, I just want people to see God working in my life. I want to be the light you know? When people look at me I want people to say What does he have that I don’t have. That has nothing to do with money, success or fame or anything like that. Simply, the fact that I’ve acknowledged the fact that I’ve been forgiven and Ii think thats incredible. I want them to know the same thing. I want everyone to feel Unconditionally Loved.
What goes through your mind when a fan meets you and tells you that your music has “saved their life”, Do you believe Music can really save lives & has it ever saved yours?
I think the messages in music could save lives, absolutely. I think just instrumental music can be really powerful, it just really depends on who you are But when it comes to my life I’ve always needed powerful lyrical content and their were bands that did that for me: Blind Side, Embodiment, Show bred. Bands that just really put a lot of energy into their music. So I think God could use music as a medium to show himself to people and I think that can save lives. Whether people acknowledge it as that or not, It is God and I think thats amazing.
Describe that moment in time Memphis May Fire felt that they have finally made it as a band?
The Unconditional Tour, It was our first Real and Proper headliner with production and everything. Every night of that tour was sick but it was out headliner there was no bands above us, we were a band that supported for 7 years. Can you imagine that, I mean like a lot of bands early on in their career they'll kind of break into headlining whether it big or not. We never really did that, I mean we did some really crappy headlining like the Rise Records tour back in the day that was like D-Market clubs but that Unconditional tour, I mean just a few days in realizing that it was for our band, it was unreal dude super amazing. I prefer the headlining show and I love headlining also.
Anything you have to say to your current or future fans?
Jesus Loves You, Man thats all that matters anymore. You could go pick up our album if you want “Unconditional”. Buy our Merch, Come to a show that’s cool but really all that matters is that Jesus Loves You All.
Thanks for taking the time to sit down and talk with us, we appreciate it and look forward to your set soon!
Awesome thank you very much for taking the time to interview me.
Check out Matty Mullins & Memphis May Fire!
