Maurice Mattei talks about doing music for all the right reasons

Cincinnati’s independent record retailers received their copies of World on Fire: The Best of Maurice Mattei Vol. II last week. It’s his fourth release since 1997, and the 10th overall for the prolific tunesmith, who hand-delivered the CDs himself. This manner of distribution is the logical final step in a record production cycle that sees Mattei write, perform and record his songs, before packaging and disseminating the product himself.

The volume of work, though, becomes a non-issue once the listener is exposed to the quality of Mattei’s music. Rich, evocative snaps of American experience constitute the bulk of this anachronistic troubadour’s output, and it’s a treat to discuss with him his contribution to the local music smorgasbord.

CityBeat: Let’s play a little catch up, you’re on your second Best of … How’s it gotten to this point?

Maurice Mattei: I did three singles back in the ’80s, and then a CD (called Grandview), and after Grandview things became easier for me. I felt I was trying to write like certain people, but around that time, I started to find my own style. The music was getting simpler, which freed me up to do more lyrically. I never really intended to have a bunch of stuff.

I just have always loved music. World on Fire is made up of eight brand-new songs, six from ’98’s Welcome Love and six from ’99’s Girl On Girl.

CB: Your records all bear the MarKey imprint. That’s just you? Do you have any distribution?

MM: Yes, just me. I made up MarKey when I was doing Under Whips and Chains, Best of …,Vol. I, It’s supposed to be a spoof of greatest hits albums. And, no, I don’t have any distribution. I want to try that next year. But I never have the time. Beyond the initial release, I do very little promotion for these records.

CB: So what would you say is your musical purpose?

MM: I love to write songs. I do photography, and I’m an artist in other ways. But there is nothing as thrilling as knowing that you have written something that is good. I understand photography, and I understand painters. But where a song comes from is a mystery. It’s a real kick, regardless of what happens. I like the process of putting together a record: the songs, the order, the art, the finished product. That’s my purpose — to have a finished product that I’m happy with.

CB: Even though the musical elements (i.e., your voice and your guitar) primarily are consistent, your songs occur in a wide range of settings, and they convey a wide range of emotions. How much is written from personal experience?

MM: I think it’s all personal. I used to not think that because a lot of the ideas I have for songs come from photography. I’ve shot a lot of documentary photography, but then it is all filtered through my own sensibility, so it is a personal reflection. I do like to use a variety of “settings” and points of view, because I always felt that the introspective side of Folk music was a total bore.

CB: If you could play for an audience of your choice, who would be there?

MM: Wow, good one. My first thought is Hank Williams, but he’d probably be too fucked up. Jimmy Rodgers, somebody who I thought would relate. Buddy Holly. Chuck Berry is a great influence. It’s a totally different thing from what I’m doing, but it’s the same in the sense that Chuck Berry writes (songs) as he’s talking. They’re not written as poetry.

CB: In a few of your songs you describe a certain boredom with the music scene here. What do you wish there was more of in Cincinnati?

MM: I don’t think that Cincinnati is all that different from anywhere else. The music business as a whole is not a place, for some reason, for creativity to flourish. The financial investment is so great these days that the labels are no longer willing to develop artists. They have no qualms about dropping acts after one unsuccessful record because their promotional efforts failed. Years ago, the marketing wasn’t as sophisticated. Less was at risk, and artists had more of a chance to develop. I don’t think that this condition is at all specific to this town, though. There has been a general degradation of culture.

Everyone used to complain about how Rock & Roll was stupid, or it was just for teenagers … and that’s a lie. That is completely wrong because guys like Chuck Berry, Dylan, etc., they had sophisticated ideas. It was like a mixture of aggression and wit. And now, with television and the fact that people don’t read as much, I just don’t think people get it. In this country educational standards are dropping, and whether you like it or not, I think it is reflected in the music.

Unable to change the current musical climate, the only answer for Mattei is to try to please himself. It’s obvious to me after spending only an hour with him that he’s a man who sets very high standards for himself. It only stands to reason, then, that to check out one of his upcoming shows, or one of his many available recordings, would be an enriching experience for anyone.

This article appears in Aug 9-15, 2000.