Austin, Texas-based composer, singer-songwriter, Matt Kjeldsen, has made an admirable vocation of providing licensable music for websites, film, radio, TV, documentaries, slideshows, presentations, games, DVDs, mobile devices, video art, art installations, web episodes, and more.
In 2012, he launched the collective online-anthology of this work via the platform, Matt’s Music Box, which is essentially a library of over 1,000 (and always growing) musical works of all types and textures, developed to service all manner of visual projects.
Listing the primary influences of, Elton John, The Beatles, Queen, The Beach Boys, Paul Simon, Steely Dan and Pink Floyd; Kjeldsen is also a man who’s gigged in his share of bands, and who also maintains a growing collection of his own private material.
“It’s truly the greatest feeling in the world when you’re first writing a song or a piece of music. If it is unique, it demands that you finish it. Nobody else has heard it, and you don’t know if anyone ever will, but you know you’ve created something special out of nothingness, and you can proudly put your name on it.”
—Matt Kjeldsen
With previous albums such as, Clouds and Cages, and Consequence and Renaissance; Matt’s latest effort, Last Days, is an eclectic and substantive EP with musical moods ranging from folksy-singer-songwriter, to downright dark and dreamy alt-folk/rock-noir.
Specifically, the etheric and dystopian single, What Once Was, with its rolling, mechanical percussion and ominous guitar and vocal offering, immediately reminded me of some lovely and twisted amalgamation of The Wallflowers, One Headlight; and the late-great Leonard Cohen’s, Everybody Knows.
Lyrically, Kjeldsen has joined the ranks of many of his fellow indie songwriters who’ve taken a stern look at the current state of things. I love this song. It is an instant candidate for our 2018 Top Ten…
“While everything crumbles
While everything fails
When everything crumbles
I’ll be blowing on sails
I moan and grumble
And float this boat without a breeze
And then up from another stumble
I’ll add my warm breath to the cold freeze
While everything crumbles…”
WHOSE LOVECHILD…?
The Wallflowers meet Leonard Cohen…
BELOW: Listen to Matt Kjeldsen’s new single, What Once Was, and connect with his website and social media platforms. Please support Matt Kjeldsen by visiting him online, and playing, downloading, and/or purchasing his music! And, as always, thank you for supporting real music!
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