Jen chats to Matt from Mayfair Kytes about their new single ‘Sleepyhead’ and much more.

Melbourne four-piece, Mayfair Kytes have today announced the release of their debut album, Animus (out April 1), alongside quirky and musically dazzling single, Sleepyhead (out March 18).  The folk-art-pop band will be hitting the road to celebrate the release with album launch shows at The Workers Club (Melb) on April 8 and The Vanguard (Syd) on April 28.

Hi Matt, thanks for taking some time to answer some questions. Exciting times for Mayfair Kytes right now, your release of your first single ‘Sleepyhead’ a couple of days ago, after the time of writing your material and the year long recording process, how are you feeling right now?

Right now I am feeling good about it. To finally get it out and available to people is just the best, time to let go.

How has ‘Sleepyhead’ been received so far? I know it is real early days!

Reactions have been very kind. It’s all still a trickle at this point but yes like you said, it’s early days. And we have received some super flattering responses.

I absolutely adore your music video for ‘Sleepyhead’! The concept is amazing. To me the start with Geoffrey running around heavily wrapped up is how I feel when things spiral out of control in my life. I guess when anxiety takes over. (TBH pretty much this week just gone!) Is that the concept that you wanted your video to portray?

The concept was dreamt up and executed by the artist who has worked on all our releases, Thomas Russell. Essentially you have nailed it – I guess he had absorbed the song and conversations with me and his intuition is very good, so he visually captured the spirit of the song. He also has some other angles in there too but yes, it is about shedding that anxiety.

 

I do like it when I understand what the music video is portraying. When I was listening to ‘Sleepyhead’ I was happy with the way it made me feel, almost in a trance, the complete opposite to the video! Your press release states (Matt):“Sleepyhead is a meditation on two themes, one being the creative process versus the logical world and how choosing your own destiny can lead you down a long road of self-discovery that might clash with more pragmatic streams of life.” Is this how you would define your choice of career – your creative side versus the logical world?

Yes, it very much relates to my choice of career. The original verse from the song came to me years ago, when my partner was a dental nurse and had to get up really early for work. I was working pretty much full-time on a different band at the time and did a lot of late nights, late mornings. And the clash of those two schedules kind of stuck out to me. And sometimes you find yourself going against the grain of everything else happening around you. Takes some time to own that. It is also a call to stop being lazy. As much as you can deconstruct the specifics of it, it’s essentially as simple as that. Get up, do the thing.

There are a lot of things in my life over the last weeks, which have all pointed to me that I should take up meditation again, including this song. I used to find it extremely useful to alleviate my stress however when I need it the most I can’t seem to find the time. Is mediation something that you do?

We all need something to do to still our minds from all that chattering. This record is fairly “sleepy” but hopefully that does not mean it’s a drag. It is supposed to be listened to the way you said, or in headphones and immersed. I don’t meditate except for when I am playing and singing, they both induce the same state of “NOW” don’t they? But if I didn’t sing I would really need to. A lot.

Your album ‘Animus’ was recorded in Nick Herrera’s home and a converted Chapel. How was it working in the chapel as well as the extra additions of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra?

The day we spent at the Oratory (the chapel) was the best. The room itself has the most amazing echo and the strings sounded absolutely gorgeous in there. The entire string section was not the MSO, just some of the players we hired have played in it before. They were world class, nailed it.

After listening to the album a few times, I think the song I enjoying listening to the most is Morning Star. There are so many elements and layers to that song; I think I like the variety as well as how it makes me feel. Is there a particular favourite song of yours? I know it is hard to pick one out of all your creative ‘Babies” as some artist see their songs.

Morning star is a special song. It’s written in honour of a dear friend of ours who has passed away. And weirdly enough, some of the phrases in the lyrics are nearly the same as some passages in the book Jitterbug Perfume (Tom Robbins). The weird part is I have never read that book, but became aware of this afterwards. Freaky as. But my favourite is probably Sequence. I don’t know why, I just really enjoy that song. It’s the angriest one on the album too.

I think ‘Seasonal Thaw’ is the perfect opening track. Was the order of songs planned? As I feel also that Felonious Rift is a great closing track when the album is listening to from start to finish, which is what I did laying on my bed with headphones.

Yes! In bed with the headphones is the intended experience. I was very fussy about the tracklisting but at the same time it kind of wrote itself. Seasonal Thaw was the very first song written for this band so it just fit at the beginning. The album is only 32 minutes or something so an entire listen is not that hard.

I hope to make your Launch show in Melbourne as I am very interested to hear how this album will sound live. Can you try and explain how you will perform this album live to encourage our readers to come along?

Well as dense as the album is we finally worked out how to play it all. 12 hands it takes, 6 pairs. And some feet in there, too. Seeing as we don’t perform with an orchestra or string quartet (not this time anyway) we have re-imagined instrumentation and use a lot of synths and harmonies. I really dig what the band has done with the arrangements.

Thanks Matt, I wish you well and will follow your news closely.