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Louis Mattrs on debut album, touring with Chase & Status and future goals
RnB/Hip Hop | Wednesday 22nd November 2017 | Patience
Following on from his stunning hit single 'Bow Down' in 2016, Louis Mattrs returns with his first full-length LP, On The Rocks. Louis's dedication to creating quality content has paid off and gone on to win the young vocalist a number of famous fans, from G-Eazy, P Diddy, Meek Mills and more recently Kylie Jenner.
However, Louis is far from content, hoping to grow his fan base internationally, the Brighton born singer is creating a unique r&b sound that is already making waves. Littered with neo-soul vibes and sincere lyricism Mattrs is a name to remember in the coming year.
Now with his album out Louis lets us know how he's feeling since the release, his thoughts on mental health and how writing the song 'Lost & Found' for Chase & Status changed his whole life.
Describe your current state of mind.
Very happy.
That's great to hear!
Yeah, I am very happy, relieved that the album is out there and people seem to like it and enjoying it. So it is a good feeling.
Let's take it back to the beginning what was it like growing up in Brighton?
It was fun, great nightlife, lovely people, it was a fun little place to grow up at. I used to do lots of sport, wasn't so into music in my childhood but I was always around it, and in the end, I guess I just sorta fell into music as I was growing up.
So was there anyone in particular that got you into music?
My dad really, he has always been in amateur bands, he's never forced any music upon me but it has always been around the house. So I sort of took it upon myself to pick up a guitar and that's how I got into it.
I saw that you tweeted about #WorldMentalHealthDay in October why was that day so important for you?
Well, a lot of musicians sort of go through mental health issues not pretty sure why. Maybe it is because of the whole creative side of your brain which doesn't really help you in that sort of way. But yeah, it is something very personal to me and I thought that I would just have to share something, my thoughts about the situation and try and spread the word.
So what inspired the track 'Fear In Me'?
So I wrote that with a friend of mine and we were sort of going through each of the situations of you want to release this fear that you have in yourself and feeling like you are not good enough. And that sort of was the grounds on what we wrote the song about and sort of a release and stress relief, and just a way of getting it out of your head.
Talking about music tell us about your debut album On The Rocks?
I just really hope that people enjoy it as much as I have making it, it's got a couple of tracks on there that are happier, and then there is very emotional tracks on there too so it's a bit for everyone really, if you like that sort of music. So just hoping there is more and more positivity that comes from it and hopefully, everyone enjoys it.
So how does it feel to have the album out now? It must be exciting?
Yeah, it is very exciting! It was quite nerve-racking, it was like 'oh shit I have got an actual album coming out'. But as soon as it was released it was quite a relief off my shoulders, so it is quite nice for it to get out there. It's been very nice feedback from very kind people, it's nice to know that your work doesn't go unnoticed.
So if there was a message you would like to get across with your music what would it be?
I wouldn't say there is a specific message, the songs are varying in what they are about but yeah, just hope people take a bit of me away from listening to the album hear different sides to me.
Knowing that Kylie Jenner & Meek Mills are also fans of your sound, will you reach out to do something with them in the near future?
Things like that it is quite hard to get in contact. Although they will promote and listen to your music but it is hard to pin them down and get something from it. But hopefully, you never know.
So what if you got a chance to work with Kylie Jenner?
Maybe perform at one of her events or something like that would be nice, which would be pretty exciting. So you never know, fingers crossed something like that could happen in the future but who knows.
Well, let's hope Kylie reads this interview! So you also toured with Chase & Status, any highlights?
There were a few, my first ever live performance was at Radio One Big Weekend two years ago with them which was a pretty mental thing walking out to 5-10,000 people and you have never sung into a live microphone in your life, which is absolutely mental but I think that is one of my big highlights of playing with them.
So if you could gig anywhere in the world - where would you like to play?
I would like to go to Vegas and perform out there, don't really know why I think there is something about it when you see it on TV it is quite mysterious and magical. So yeah it would be quite cool out there.
One of you your goals is to also see your music "connecting around the world" - would you say you are on your way to achieving this?
Hopefully, on platforms like Spotify if you are in control of your account you can actually see where your top cities are of where you are getting streaming from and see these completely random countries that are popping up on my Spotify which is amazing, so hopefully, that can grow even more as well.
Would that be the ultimate goal - the whole word knowing Louis Mattrs?
Pretty much, that is the ultimate goal. But who knows if that will happen but that's definitely the ultimate goal.
Musically who are you feeling right now?
I actually found this rap group from China the other day called Higher Brothers and I don't know if you know about them but they are sick so if you get a chance check them out.
So what do you bring that's special?
I don't really know, just a bit of me which I think is special but everyone's mum says they are special, don't they. So yeah, a bit of me, a bit of realness and a bit of fun.
Tell us something about you that's weird.
I am quite weird as it is, so which is the weirdest one to say that is not too embarrassing, oh okay so basically I only eat pizza and chips, that's kind of weird I guess.
That's not weird...
But I am talking three or four times a week here.
What ideas changed your life?
I would say the idea of the song that I wrote for Chase & Status pretty much changed my life. Writing that in my bedroom and getting passed to those two guys was pretty life-changing. From sitting down doing nothing, it is a pretty drastic change in lifestyle, from sitting playing play station all day to getting up and you don't know what country you have just arrived in is pretty insane.
If you could fill a swimming pool with anything what would it be?
Beer, straight up beer. You won't have any problem drowning in that.
Any specific type you would prefer?
It's normally Lager so I would probably go for Abigail or Peroni that would be quite nice.
Nice! So what next for you?
Looking to do some shows hopefully, so trying to get my lives back together basically, so hopefully that and then crack on with making the next body of work.
You can find Louis on Twitter // Instagram // Facebook
