Digital Native Artists — Team Interviews: Matt Brombley
As part of our Digital Native Artists (DNA) programme, young people taking part in songwriting and production sessions have been interviewing members of the team. In the first of the series, Chris interviews Matt Brombley.
Matt Brombley (He/Him/They/Them) has worked with Southampton Music Hub since it was formed in 2012, and before that, he worked at Southampton Music Services. He works online, and in-person: both around the city and at the Music Studio at MAST.
How did you get started in music and with writing music, and how did that get you here?
I started when I was about seven, and started playing drums. Weirdly, I always thought that as a drummer, songwriting wasn't for me. But when I discovered the world of samplers and making music on computers, I found a way to really get into songwriting. Since then, I've been writing and producing music, including getting a degree in music production from Solent University. And now as well as making my own music, I work here at Southampton and IOW Music Hubs, and at Solent University, helping young people get opportunities to make music and express themselves.
What genre(s) of music do you create?
Mostly electronic and pop music. But within that I like to bring in elements from other genres too, including hip hop and indie. I really enjoy listening to a wide variety of music, and I find I get inspired by all that music, even if the thing I make at the end doesn’t sound anything like it.
What instruments and tools are you using for recording?
I use a Mac laptop to create most of my music, and I either work in Logic or Pro Tools. I also use a phone app called Auxy a lot for sketching out song ideas on the go. I have an SE mic for vocals (they don’t make the one I use anymore, but this one is similar) which I connect with a Universal Audio Arrow Thunderbolt Audio Interface. I use a bunch of instruments, some on my Mac, and some hardware synths like my Juno which I use a lot.
Which other artists inspire you?
I love artists like Frank Ocean, PinkPantheress, Ryan Beatty, London Grammar, Piri & Tommy, Drake, FKA Twigs, Sampha and James Blake. Those are the kind of artists I feel like my music sits well alongside too. But then I also find inspiration in artists whose work sounds nothing like mine, but there is something about the way they create melodies, or craft lyrics, or express themselves vocally which I find can spark new ideas, including artists like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Billie Eilish and Kendrick Lamar. Plus I have all the music I remember from growing up, music from the late 80s, through to the 90s pop, RnB and dance music, then the indie disco and nu rave music of the early 2000s too.
Your new song, ‘Something in the Water’, what is the song about?
I often write music to help me process and understand what is going on in my life and in my head. This song started earlier this year when I was having a really tough mental health patch. As someone who experiences a lot of anxiety, writing this song helped me get my head around why that is, and how it doesn’t just make me weak, but is also what makes me strong.
You’re releasing and promoting your own music, what are the different steps needed to make that happen?
The basic steps are:
Songwriting
Production / Recording
Mixing
Mastering
Distribution
Promotion
So, the first three steps are all about creating the music: songwriting, production and mixing. Some people think of these as separate steps, but for me, I work on them together. I know other people who write a song, then work with someone else to record and mix it, but because I create most of my music on my own, I work on them all the same time.
Once I have a track I’m really happy with, then I will master it. This is the process of polishing the track up, and getting it ready to be listened to on streaming, radio, download, or whatever format the song will be released as. This process has a bunch of different elements, and can be pretty complex and require a lot of expertise and experience to do well. Some people send their tracks away to be mastered, although this can be quite expensive. Online tools like LANDR are cheaper and can master a track using AI, but the results aren’t always as reliable as a professional doing it. This time round, I’ve been mastering my own music, which has been a challenging but exciting process.
Distribution is the next stage. Lots of people use SoundCloud and YouTube as they’re both free to use and can help you reach a new audience. But most people listen to their music on streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, and if you want to get your music on those, you’ll need to use a digital distribution service. I use Ditto, but there are loads of others. Usually it takes at least a few weeks from uploading your track until it appears on streaming services.
The final stage is promotion, although you can be doing this all along. Social media is great for finding new people who will enjoy what you make, including TikTok and Instagram. To reach new audiences, the BBC and local radio stations have ways to upload your music to be played on shows like BBC Introducing and Voice FM’s South Coast Music Show. If you’re sending your music to radio, blogs and other sites, its always good to have a press release and Electronic Press Kit (EPK) which contains a biography, photos, song artwork, and a copy of the song to listen to (if it’s not already out yet). There is so much more you can do with music videos, jumping on TikTok trends, physical promotion and more. It’s an area I wish I was better at, and wish I had more time for. But at its heart, it’s about seeking out and getting your music in the ears of people who might enjoy it.
Check out some of the tools in our ecosystem of music hub to find out more about making music your career.