Matthew S. Horner On the Making Of ‘The Dark Room’
What was the creative process like for this particular 'The Dark Room?'
The process was to not let myself be restricted by insecure thoughts or self-talk really. I always have a ton on my mind. Music should be therapeutic. I did what I wanted to do on this rather than write what I thought would be popular or what labels wanted to hear. I just got tired of feeling like I was writing to suit. This is me locking myself in my studio which is a small room with deep purple lights and a mellow atmosphere and a pink neon light that reads "lets get weird" surrounded by the merch from bands I love and souvenirs from travels.
Can you talk about the recording and production process for 'The Dark Room?'
I switched to mic'ing up my guitar amps and creating my own tones with a tube amp and my Epiphone goth thunderbird bass. The guitars are two Les Paul's that I love to use. I typically start with drums and build off of them with rhythm guitar then bass and leads then vocals.
Production is all my friend and producer Adam Buckley. He is in the U.K. and I am in the U.S. so it's a lot of email. I have never been as excited and shocked by the things he does. He just gets me musically.
Which song do you like the best and why?
This is really tough... it would be a toss-up between "storms" because it is by far the most exciting and therapeutic song I've put together. It's also one of the most personal songs. It felt great to get the past off my chest and add a motivational verse to it. I also love "dark heart" because it is pure honesty from me. An inner look at who I am and how I move forward. I will always have a pop punk dad element to me cause I am a dad and grew up with bands like Blink182. That’s what "Dark heart" brings to the table.
What inspired you to pursue a career in music?
I don’t know if I'd call it a career... I’m pretty small potatoes at this point. I just love music. It’s the universal language of life. I’m still learning and always will. I'd love for people to know my music. Really, I just want to leave something behind after my time is up.
Are there any specific themes or messages that you aim to convey through your music?
Just to let loose and don't hold anything back. Don't write for anyone but yourself. If you like it then write it. There will always be haters and harsh criticism. That's perfectly acceptable. Music is subjective. As long as you dig it then you're doing just fine.
