Mathew V Talks New Music and His New Song ‘Around Here’ | The Q Review

A new day has dawned for Canadian rising pop star Mathew V and with it has come music in the form of his new song ‘Around Here’. Things are heating up for Mr. V once again so it seemed like the perfect time to check in with him and get some details on all that is happening in the world of Mathew V.
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Hi Mathew, thanks for chatting today. How has 2021 been for you so far?
2021 has been great, thanks! Wild to think that it’s already flying by as fast as it has.

Your recent single “Halo” gives us a bold sense of “new”. New journey, new confidence, new direction. Why was “halo” the right song for the start of this next chapter in music for you?
Halo is a declaration of me stepping into my confidence. I wanted to lead into this new era with my head held high and claiming my voice. With this being said, there are also many vulnerable moments to follow. 

Recently you’ve been collaborating with various artists including Raaban, GAB and Braaten. Have those collaborations been helpful to give you some space between your last album and your new music?
It’s been a really fulfilling experience working with different producers and artists. It helps me get out of my head from my solo project and just make music with pals. Collaborating has definitely been keeping me busy as I don’t like to do anything halfway. I think a few more of these will see the light of day in 2021. 

Your collaboration with Raaban was on a cover of Rihanna’s “Umbrella” – which sounds phenomenal. Were you nervous to take on such an iconic song?
First of all, thank you so much. To answer your question, I’m always nervous to take on songs by the icons. But I remind myself to change it up enough that it hopefully feels like a new thing. I would be silly to take on Rihanna in the style of Rihanna. 

The new single is “Around Here” and is a truly beautiful vocal. It really captures your blend of classical training and pop sensibility. Where did this song come from and what are you saying with it?
I wrote this song with the talented gentlemen from “World’s First Cinema” in Los Angeles. I was in Vancouver at the time and we made the entire song from sending voice notes and files back and forth. I wanted to touch on the realization that so many physical places from my past carried such powerful emotions for me. Four simple walls or a bland street block would trigger an emotional response for me no matter how much time has passed. I think that is something a lot of people experience. I wanted to touch on that, and how sometimes those places keep a hold of us. 

Musically “Halo” and “Around Here” are elevated soulful performance pieces. “Around Here” also has both the orchestral and anthemic energy. When you started writing these new songs what were the things that you were inspired by?
I’m really going to my roots for this one. I have always been inspired and ultimately connected to music because of  emotional vocal performances. I’m leaning not only into what I’m singing but how I’m singing it for this project. I’d like to think that I could sing gibberish instead of the lyrics to these tracks, but you would still be able to capture the emotion based on how I’m singing it and how the melodies and phrases are shaped. 

What can you tell us about your upcoming EP “The Outer Circle”?
It’s just the beginning of something more….Ohh la la!

What challenges have you specifically had creating new music during a world pandemic? Or has it been more helpful than hindering?
It has been a welcomed challenge. Hopefully a temporary challenge but a challenge none the less. I’m proud that I was able to make the whole thing with collaborators that weren’t in the room with me. However, I look forward to airplanes once this is all done. I never thought I would miss the airport. 

What has been your favorite part about creating this body of new music?
I think some of the bonds that I have formed. Making music with people is such a vulnerable yet connecting experience. I feel like opening up in this way has fostered some beautiful relationships that I wouldn’t trade. 

2020 was a very strong year for the emergence of so many LGBTQ artists. How are you feeling about the current state of LGBTQ representation in music in Canada and what other LGBTQ artists have you been following?
I love seeing Queer artists winning. Our experiences need to be heard, and not just by fellow queer folks, but in the mass market. I’d love to see queer artists celebrated in not only queer playlists, but playlists for our overall genres. Queer people have always been able to relate to cis/straight storylines from some of our favourite artists. We’ve had to… that’s all there was. Cis/straight people are more than capable of connecting to our stories as well. Some feelings are universal. Some artists I’m loving right now are Tafari Anthony, Cory Liner & Ria Mae to name a few! 

Acknowledging your strength as a vocal and live performer, when we do get back to regularly being able to have live music, is there a specific venue you envision performing this new music in or a dream venue you would want to eventually play?
Oh wow that’s a great question and I really appreciate the kind words. I’d love to perform anywhere that I’m welcome. I miss connecting with folks in that way. I’m eager to get back to it.  

Aside from the new music and the coming EP what else can we expect from you this year?
Roots! Maintaining this blonde hair is impossible, haha. 

Press Release
Encapsulated by soaring harmonies and powerful vocals, Vancouver contemporary pop artist Mathew V offers an emotional look into his past with the release of “Around Here” – available for streaming today via 604 Records. Following his early 2021 release of “Halo,” Mathew is embarking on the next era of his career with the announcement of his forthcoming EP The Outer Circle, set for release this summer. 

“Around Here” is the second track released from his new collection. Speaking on the song, Mathew states,

“I wrote “Around Here” when I was mentally and emotionally diving into the past. It’s about the town where I grew up. I wanted to finally look back with some perspective on my formative high school years and how they shaped me for better and for worse. I think everyone has times in their life that they associate to certain places. For me that place exists actively in my mind and this song helped me process that. I worked on this song with the very talented gentlemen from World’s First Cinema in Los Angeles. It has live strings, big harmonies and feels emotionally on the bullseye of how that time of my life makes me feel.”

​Giving his fans a glimpse of his past with “Around Here,” The Outer Circle EP marks a reintroduction of Mathew V. Maintaining his crystalline vocals and distinctive tone, Mathew gets intimidate in his songwriting process for the EP, revisiting the places and plights that molded him into the artist he is today.

He draws inspiration reflecting on his move to London, England at the age of 17, where he found his signature sound, blending his ten years of classic operatic vocal training with a more contemporary soundscape. Upon his return to Canada, Mathew quickly found success with the release of his debut single “Tell Me Smooth,” which went top 40 on Canadian Radio (Hot AC/AC)for 18 weeks. His debut album The Fifth came out in the spring of 2018 and charted in both Canada and the US. In 2020, the sophomore album Two Faced helped Mathew breakthrough 25 million catalogue streams. The albums earned critical acclaim from tastemaker press such as Nylon and Billboard, marking Mathew as an artist on the rise.

With the forthcoming release of The Outer Circle, Mathew is pushing his boundaries and setting his sights on new highs. ​