Tips and Tricks from Matt Fawcett:
With over 100 performances notched throughout the Midwest, dynamic singer-songwriter Matt Fawcett is no stranger to festivals, charity events, churches and even house shows taking place in the living rooms of his biggest fans. His unique blend of country music with a contemporary Christian twist and a speck of bluegrass is influenced by some of the greatest songwriters and performers of our time, including Garth Brooks and Steven Curtis Chapman.
What is the biggest tip you followed when creating your sound?
Borrow from what you like and always be willing to try new things. We already know things that we like so it’s a good baseline to create something that is somewhat known, but always be willing to try something different. I do this a lot with effects or even different instruments. I know I like a certain guitar sound, but what if I took that same chain and applied it to my mandolin, or even used something that’s just laying around the garage as a percussive element. It keeps things fun, interesting and unique all while still being familiar enough that people can resonate with it.
How did your sound evolve from the start to the finish?
I think it’s still evolving quite a bit and will be a lot more even this year as I’m doing more releases in a shorter time frame. It’ll give me more chances to say things differently musically while all being produced in the same space.
Any tricks up your sleeve when making your latest music?
I’m a big fan of trying to base my songs around groove. I want people to feel the music and for it to be a full experience and not just a lyrical one, so one thing that I use quite a bit is tempo synced delays so that I can have a very simple element that continues to lend itself to more of the groove than just the one part. I also will take things out of a mix after I’ve created it just to hear whether or not it’s actually necessary. Sometimes it is and sometimes it’s not. Not everything that is created serves the song and that’s okay. What makes a good song great is one that only has in it what it needs.
Was there a collection of ideas that you had or did you have a really specific idea on the music?
I typically start off with a thought or idea for a theme of the song and then work backwards from there trying to make sure that how that idea is represented is actually supporting the idea of the song.
How much time do you demand of yourself to focus on your music?
I set aside time every week specifically for songwriting and just playing guitar, piano and singing. When I have a recording project that I’m working on, or more gigs coming up, I will be playing and practicing for those on top of my regular time of playing and practicing so I do spend a lot of time getting prepared to be able to play and sing at the highest level I can.
Do you have any tips or tricks for our audience on how to manage your time when it comes to making sure your music is on track for release?
Set deadlines and stick to them. I just finished reading a really life changing book that was given to me by a good friend. The book is called “The Miracle Morning” and it really forced me to realize that the best thing I can do with my time is be grateful for it. If I truly want to love my audience and the world around me, I can’t just want to get my music out there, but I have to make it happen so I can be the best that I can be. Will there be projects that I “finish” that aren’t perfect? Yup! Every song I put out I have second thoughts on, but it staying on a computer drive won’t help anyone.
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