Matt Harper On the Making Of “Oh No”
Can you tell us about the inspiration behind "Oh No" and the story it tells?
I've become increasingly annoyed by the way that so many people seem to take the opinions of complete strangers as the truth just because it gets posted online. So much hatred and a lack of empathy for other people's circumstances. I wanted to send a message to remind listeners about how you should live the life you want, not what someone else tells you to, and that love is stronger than hate.
Can you talk about the recording and production process for this track?
All of my songs begin in my head, often developing for some time as I work out the individual instrument parts before I start to record. The lyrics or some of them are usually the catalyst but generally are the last thing completed. As long as I have a hook line and a melody I can get the music finished.
Once I know the basic song I go to my Piano and map out the chords and structure. I have a modest home studio where I record the basic tracks using Cubase 13. My synths these days come mostly from the Arturia V Lab. I then take the stems to Zoo Recording Studio in Tamworth and record the vocals. The final step is to send all of the finished stems to Ryan at RCD Audio for the final mix.
What do you like the best about "Oh No?"
The energy mostly, and also the bouncing 80's synth chords in the verse. I'm a fan of Indie Rock as well as Synthpop so I wanted to make the tracks on my new EP more rocky in feel.
Can you tell us more about you as an artist?
I started out at age 17 following a serious motorcycle accident. My mother bought me a keyboard to pass the time I was in hospital and I got into playing covers of synthpop tracks. Gradually building up a bit of a studio and formed a band that lasted just a few weeks. I was later asked to join an Indie pop band as keyboard player and we gigged around the country for a couple of years before breaking up. Then there was a very long gap where I kept writing lyrics but didn't do anything with them until the lockdown of 2020. I decided it was time to go solo and started to release my own music. Before long I was contacted by Bentley Records in New York and signed up to their Artist Development scheme. I Released an album with them called New Sounds in 2022. The following year Nathan Vogel from Geomagnetic contacted me about releasing a compilation EP which I agreed to along with remixes and instrumentals on the EDM label. These are all under the tile "Collective". We have a common interest in Synthpop so are a good fit.
How do you continuously grow and evolve as an artist?
I trust my instinct more than anything so I try not to let other music direct my writing. I use my observations and memories as the catalyst for a song and let the creative process determine how a song develops. Using synths is quite an experimental process as a sound or rhythm can often completely change the direction of the music. It's quite an exhilarating process of recording a new track.
