New Scott Matthews single ‘My Selfless Moon’ is the fourth to be lifted from his latest album ‘New Skin’, an album that came to fruition when the Ivor Novello Award winning songwriter was forced to scale a musical Everest due to Covid-19, setting himself the challenge of writing his very first electronica album.
‘My Selfless Moon’ is a gentle dreamscape of Brian Eno-esque electronica built with haunting synthesizers, chiming electric guitars, subtle yet bold organic drum beats and Matthews’ characteristic warm, soulful, soaring vocals. Matthews’ experimental journey into the electronic has created a soundscape of mesmeric, dreamlike alchemy in ‘My Selfless Moon’.
On the new single, Matthews explains, “My Selfless Moon is a song that has existed for at least 15 years. I recall finishing my debut album, Passing Stranger, back in 2005 and sketching the basic idea to the track not long after those sessions. With each record I always felt the song never quite bonded with my albums – post Passing Stranger – until now. Equally, I never knew this song had always needed an electronic twist for it to truly blossom.
Lyrically, words didn’t form until 2019. Dealing with a tone of fragility, I wrote the chorus line “I bend, I bow more weak than strong. Carefully the fragile break, tender from the night, I’m her fear; I’m miles from moonlit sky, guiding her blind”. When you strive for the perfect marriage of music and words, it’s worth the wait.”, he adds.
The song’s boldness comes in the space Matthews creates and the intricate detail of its seemingly minimalist composition that is at times reminiscent of the space-like vision of The Album Leaf, while at other times echoing the heartbreak of Beck’s Sea Change. ‘My Selfless Moon’ is one of the new album’s standout tracks, an instantly alluring sonically stunning gem, that shows Matthews has well and truly mastered a new genre with ‘New Skin’.
‘New Skin’ was released earlier in the year to much acclaim including BBC 6 Music breakfast show airplay and rave reviews from the likes of MOJO, Uncut, The Scottish Express Prog Magazine, RNR Magazine, The Upcoming and more. Alongside the new single release and fresh from supporting Led Zeppelin legend Robert Plant’s Saving Grace at major shows in the summer, Matthews is also now set to take ‘New Skin’ on his own headline tour dates this Autumn / Winter.
On the tour and performing live again Scott said, “It’s felt like a long time coming for these new songs to be heard where I intended them to be heard, especially having finished ‘New Skin’ back in August 2020. I always envisaged the electronic beats and rhythmic pulses bouncing off the walls of an old 14th century chapel, something that sounds incongruous but has always intrigued me. With seven studio records having fled their nests, I can’t wait to play the songs that have changed my mind-set towards composition, harmony, texture, lyrical content and my whole being as a songwriter.”
Buy ‘New Skin’ now: https://www.scottmatthews.uk/products
Scott Matthews Tour Dates: https://www.scottmatthews.uk/tour-dates
Fri 01-Oct-21 UK Porthcurno Minack Theatre
Sun 03-Oct-21 UK Chester St. Mary’s Church
Wed 06-Oct-21 UK Liverpool Leaf
Tue 12-Oct-21 UK Leeds Brudenell Social Club
Wed 13-Oct-21 UK Glasgow Oran Mor
Thu 14-Oct-21 UK Edinburgh Voodoo Rooms
Sat 16-Oct-21 UK Manchester St. Michael’s Church
Wed 20-Oct-21 UK Brighton Unitarian Church
Thu 21-Oct-21 UK Ashford St Marys / Revelation Ashford
Fri 22-Oct-21 UK Cardiff St. John’s Church
Sat 23-Oct-21 UK Bristol St. Stephens Church
Tue 26-Oct-21 UK Guildford Holy Trinity Church
Wed 27-Oct-21 UK Isle of Wight Quay Arts Centre
Thu 28-Oct-21 UK Newton Abbot Newton Abbot Church
Sat 30-Oct-21 UK Sheffield Upper Chapel
Sun 31-Oct-21 UK Swansea The Swansea Fringe Festival
Thu 25-Nov-21 PT Lisbon Auditório Carlos Paredes
Fri 26-Nov-21 PT Caldas da Rainha CCC Caldas da Rainha
Sat 27-Nov-21 PT Ponte de Lima Teatro Diogo Bernardes
Sun 28-Nov-21 PT Porto M.Ou.Co – held
Thu 03-Feb-22 UK Cambridge Portland Arms
Fri 04-Feb-22 UK Shrewsbury St. Marys Church
Sat 05-Feb-22 UK Stowmarket John Peel Centre
Sat 12-Feb-22 UK London Union Chapel
Sun 13-Feb-22 UK Birmingham St. Pauls