Artist of the Month > 2008 Artists
ARTIST PROFILE
NAME: Matt “The Specimen” Gorny
LOCATION: Brooklyn, NY
ORIGIN: Poland
ART: Singer/Songwriter/Producer
MAIN GENRE: Indie dance rock
TRAINING: Jump rope and chin-ups
LATEST WORKS: “Do U Damage” Remixes – album released Apr/May 2008 on Peace Bisquit Records / Sp Lab Records
INTERVIEW
Please describe your artistic themes
I get a lot of inspiration from thinking about people and situations… relationships; whether romantic or platonic, how I react to people and how they react to me give me ideas for what I want to say. Sometimes really small incidents can inspire to write a song, or just become a taking off point for an imagined situation and story to tell.
Please describe your creative process
I used to sit and play acoustic guitar a lot, but over the last few years I’ve had less time to just sit and play around, so songs have had to come out on the go. I usually start with a melody walking down the street; sometimes the tempo compels me to think of a melody that would go well with the beat, and so whatever words happen to hit my mind I sing just to help me form the line. Hopefully something cool happens and I keep singing and refining the melody. If I’m at home I’ll record what I have so I don’t forget it. Then I start working on a track in my home studio. I also love to do collaborations, where I get an instrumental track and have to come up with melody and lyrics to it. It’s a lot of fun, especially when I get an amazing song like Plastic Lover which I did with Risque.
What are your artistic goals?
This year I’m working on completing a full length album. It will have awesome melodies and grooves, be diverse and cohesive and hopefully modern and yet timeless. It’s a tall order, so it won’t come out till next spring, since I need the time to do it right.
What are your views on the industry?
The industry is tough and crazy, but there are a lot of things happening where it’s possible to get the music heard and people who want to get involved on different levels that I feel it’s quite encouraging.
What advice could you give to emerging artists?
I’m not sure I am really able to dispel any wisdom, but I heard one really important line of advice from Davit Sounders at the Billboard Song Awards Show; “Those at the top, simply work harder”
WEBSITE: Matt Gorny on Discogs
