Single reviewsThe Other Side Reviews

Matt Saxton – Rough Patch (2025)

Laidback and easy, yet simultaneously poignant and weighty, Matt Saxton’s music explores both sides of that proverbial coin, celebrating life with its highs and lows. Melodically and lyrically, the UK-based singer-songwriter can lift your spirits but also dip you in those poignant pits of profoundness. We came across Matt Saxton a while back with his 2021 release ‘Animal’, and we continued to follow him with tracks like ‘Take It Or Leave It’ and ‘The Edge Of Things’. Today, we take a listen to his most recent release, ‘Rough Patch’.

Following his well-received single ‘Feel It Again’, Saxton showcases another side to his multi-faceted musical persona with the rock-tinted ‘Rough Patch’. In his songs ‘The Edge Of Things’, ‘Take It Or Leave It’ and ‘Feel It Again’, a leaning toward more folk-inspired tones is evident; however, a rougher, grittier tap to old-school acoustic rock can be heard in the new single.

Produced by Mat Leppanen, ‘Rough Patch’ is soothing, gentle and brims with laidback sincerity. Each instrument weaving emotion into a kaleidoscopic sonic tapestry, the drums add steadiness, while the lingering piano is that “staring into the distance and just thinking about stuff”. An acoustic guitar is that toe-tapping tenderness, but it is the saxophone that ups the ante with its “ok, this is serious, but we can still smile, can’t we?”. Include Matt Saxton’s gruff vocals, and it’s a heartfelt narrative of personal intimacy.

Delivered as a conversation with a loved one, Saxton unpicks the complexities of a relationship from its highs to its lows in ‘Rough Patch’. He explains:

“Here I am on the cover artwork, sanding down my house during the Covid lockdown. Smoothing those rough patches. However, this song is about how a couple survive a rough time in their relationship. They realise they’ve been both loved and hurt but decide to carry on and get through it as they did before.”


In addition to the single, Matt Saxton released an official lyric video for ‘Rough Patch’. You can view the video below and/or on his YouTube channel.



Find out more about Matt Saxton on his official websiteFacebookInstagram, TikTok and Spotify.

This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator


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