A Chat with MatAre (06.09.25)
The brainchild of singer-songwriter Matthew Rousseau, MatAre is a musical project that defies boundaries, blends genres, and is a testament to creating new sonic realms and experiences. We speak with the US-based MatAre about his album, Extinction Burst, collaborations, songwriting and more.
OSR: Growing up in Florida, how did the local music scene shape your sound, and which artists inspired you to start your solo project?
MatAre: I moved to Atlanta later in life, but growing up in Florida didn’t sound as good as it was. I was landlocked in the middle of the state and wanted to leave the whole time. I think that’s why I fell in love with the type of music that I did. Sitting in the bedroom as a kid dreaming of leaving for the big exciting city, listening to the Sundays, The Smiths and, of course, the Cure and Depeche Mode. And at the same time, studying to become a classical musician, learning scales and chords and all of the theory of music.
OSR: Extinction Burst seems deeply personal. Can you share the story behind the album title and the themes you explore throughout the tracks?
MatAre: Extinction Burst refers to a psychological term where bad behavior becomes the most intense at the very end of its life, and if it is ignored just a little longer, then it goes away. Think of a little kid having a temper tantrum. That is what I believe my country is going through right now. A temper tantrum of racism. The very last burst of anger and racism and just everything reverse to the progress that was being made for 100 years is trying one more time to fight that progress. Once this period is over, then we can finally move on to real change. That is what my album is about in essence.
OSR: How do you approach songwriting, and does your process differ when writing lyrics versus composing melodies?
MatAre: For this album, I always created the music and melody first and then went back and really tried to understand what the song was about and how it fit into my theme of an album. I actually wrote out a storyboard for the album (in words) and thought of it like the outline of a book or movie. But, I always try different styles of songwriting, so the next songs I write, I will most likely sit down with my acoustic guitar and build the entire songs with words and chords first. I change the songwriting style for each period of new music.
OSR: You worked with Gabe Wolf for mixing and mastering, and Francesca Pratt on drums. How did these collaborations influence the final sound of the album?
MatAre: There is always a learning period for collabs, I have figured out. So the nice thing is that I have worked with each of them already and knew what I could expect and what not to expect. That way, I could maximize their offerings. Francesca adds an intensity and more of a sophisticated type of playing. She understands where to build up the song and when to break it down with little instruction. Gabe takes my sound and makes it “pop”. He shines when he mixes guitars and more of a rock sound, and this album was perfect for his mixing.
OSR: Your music blends post-punk, new wave, and alternative rock. How do you decide which elements to incorporate, and how do you balance them to create a cohesive sound?
MatAre: Honestly, I don’t really decide. I can’t help the sound that I make. I don’t feel like it’s really anything other than me and my style. I just go with the labels that I see people put on me and use them to help guide potential listeners to me. Sometimes, I do make choices that are obviously playing into that “post-punk” sound (which I still like to call new wave), like on the song ‘Here’s Where Your Story Begins’. That song is a play on the Sundays’ ‘Here’s Where Your Story Ends’, and I deliberately use the bass guitar to play a melody like New Order does. During the outro, I even sang using some of the really nice intervals that are in the Sundays’ song. I’m not sure anyone noticed, and I fantasized that the Sundays would come out of hiding when they hear it and say, “Oh, this bloke is copying us!”
OSR: Each track reflects personal experiences. How do you transform your emotions and memories into music that resonates universally with listeners?
MatAre: I have to make music that I like, and while that sounds cliché, it’s literally the only way to approach this. But that means that right off the bat, I am excluding a whole lot of people who will not like my music. I don’t like mainstreamish music. So, what I try to do and what I consider the not-so-secret key is this. I try to be brutally honest. If I am mad and want to kill someone, then I say it; if I am heartbroken and can’t get over it, then it goes in the song. Lonely, scared, frustrated, it all goes in. I like to think that my music is extreme in its honesty.
OSR: How do you envision translating the intricate sound of Extinction Burst to a live setting? Are there any unique approaches or visuals you plan to incorporate?
MatAre: I am currently rehearsing the songs and am coming up with a way for me to play them solo, singing and playing guitar parts along with backing tracks, but I would really love for my fans to grow to where I can start performing with a band. I imagine the first stage would be a drummer, a bass player and myself. Crossing fingers….
OSR: With the release of this album, what’s next for Matare? Are there new collaborations, experiments, or directions you’re excited to explore in future projects?
MatAre: I am already brainstorming concepts for my next EP. In this age of streaming music, I realize I have to keep up a relentless schedule or people lose interest. This works for me because I feel like I can endlessly write music. The idea so far is to write songs about amazing people and the incredible things they have suffered through or accomplished in life. I want to highlight the good in this world. I spent so much time in Extinction Burst dwelling on the rotten in my country that I need to balance it out with positivity.
Many thanks to MatAre for speaking with us. Find out more about MatAre on his Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, SoundCloud and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
