The Mic's newest Social Media Officer and Welfare Secretary, Cat Jordan, chatted with Matt Thomson from The Amazons about the exciting prospects of post-lockdown life and their newest record.
Matt and I had a brief conversation before the interview started. When I told him I hadn’t used Zoom for a while, he seemed very pleased. Maybe that small, conversational comment represented an affirmation of freedom after lockdown. Throughout the interview, Matt's joyful mood towards this next chapter appeared highly reflective of the new record they're putting out, one brimming with exciting, feel-good songs.
Matt: My best mate went to Trent, I never went to university, but I’d come up to see him at Trent and we’d go to Forum and Market bar, and the Bodega- who could forget the Bodega? Indie Wednesdays, hell yes they’re amazing- love it.
Me: Are you at home right now?
Matt: I’m at home right now, in Reading. I used to live in Brighton, I wrote a lot of the record there, but I moved here a couple of months ago.
Cat: Do you have a little bit of time off then, before everything kicks off?
Matt: NO! We just played The Hundred Cricket halftime show… which was brill. After this, going into London and recording podcasts and this and that; we’re fifteen days from the album coming out <at time of interviewing>, so I don’t want free time! I’ve had 2 years of free time, I want to be busy!
Cat: The Amazons have been together for eight years now which is a really impressive feat. Which performances or achievements are you most proud of?
“September 9th is definitely going to be one of the highlights of our journey. It’s the album that we always wanted to make”
Matt: I mean, considering everything; considering where music’s at at the moment; considering the pandemic; considering being able to do two records so far, having the opportunity to make this record (which I think is our best so far), and being able to put it out, and hopefully it kickstarts another adventure, September 9th is definitely going to be one of the highlights of our journey. It’s the album that we always wanted to make. Not that the last two weren’t, but this is the one that we wanted to do. More generally, I think being able to realise how far your music can take you, just in terms of geography, like to be able to play Australia and South Korea with our last record - those are pinch-me moments. You think “we’re here and we’re walking around Tokyo because of our music”: those are real moments of gratitude for these opportunities. And of course the big gigs and stuff like that, but those kinds of overwhelmingly stimulating moments of being thousands of miles away from home, and you’re there because your music is like your Willy Wonka Golden ticket.
Cat: I can imagine it must be really crazy if you’ve never been to a country before (somewhere like Japan) and then they know the words to your songs.
Matt: Especially Japan! We’re lucky because when we go there the promoter will give you a translator who will take you to restaurants and facilitate your time there. But I have friends who have been to Japan and it’s not easy to get around without knowing the language! So with that all in mind, to play the music out there and have a crowd sing it back in English it’s like “what the heck?!” it’s amazing! That’s really cool.
Cat: Earlier this year you supported Royal Blood on their arena tour playing venues such as London's O2 Arena and Nottingham's Motorpoint Arena. Did the Royal Blood boys do anything either on stage or backstage that you’re going to do yourself when you’re on tour?
Matt: Good question, that is a good question. It’s just the example that they set… They were just so accommodating and friendly and one of the things they did was, when you’re playing these big arenas there are just endless amounts of rooms (like dressing rooms and offices), and they converted one of these rooms every night into what they called “the jam room”. So they had keyboards, bass guitar, guitar, drums, and a PA (there was some poor person who had to set it up and take it down every night!) And straight after Royal Blood played their show, everyone would be in the jam room, playing covers and going crazy. That’s something we’d love to do on our October tour. I don’t know if we’ll be playing venues with rooms or offices, but a jam room is amazing for morale. It's terrible for your voice because you’ve just played a show and then you’re screaming Aerosmith or something like that. So we will do that! One thing I won’t do on our tour is Ben (Royal Blood’s drummer), after our soundcheck, would be waiting for us in our dressing room with shots of tequila. Every day, without fail. And also, before we played, he’d be there. And then after we’d played, he’d be there with a bottle of champagne. Which sounds fun on the first couple of nights, but if you’re a couple of weeks in, and it’s been every single night, you’re dreading walking into that room and seeing him there! Because you’re going to have to suck it up <Matt laughs>. Even if you’re really hungover!!! Those two are a really special band.
Cat: On the subject of champagne, I really enjoyed watching your tour TikToks! You mentioned in your final tour diary that hot sauce is on your rider, what else do you guys normally have on your rider- do you keep it the same for every show or do you mix it up?
Matt: It’s really hard to mix it up between every show. Basically, before your tour, you submit your rider to every venue, and it will be there EVERY DAY. I’m thinking I’m going to tweet soon, asking other bands and artists to give us their rider tips before October, because we’re actually pretty rubbish at doing it. A tip would be not to put stuff on there just because you have a past fancy for it. For example, Elliot really fancied some skittles for the first show, and now it’s been on the rider for fucking YEARS- I know it’s not very Rock ‘n’ Roll! Hot sauce is a good one; we basically asked for the hottest sauce that they could find in each city. It got gnarly in Frankfurt, <the band> were like hurting and crying.
Cat: Were those the hottest sauces from their countries, or literally the hottest sauces they could find?
Matt: It was whatever the hell they could find! <In Frankfurt>, it was some sort of Carolina reaper pepper in what the boys were having. Some German sauce, with skulls on it. The hot sauce started off funny, but then it got serious. That’s when you know it’s hot.
<Matt could’ve continued talking about hot sauce, but my fire alarm rang painfully loudly. Unfortunately, my new landlord decided not to tell me this would be a weekly occurrence before I moved in…>
Cat: In your upcoming headline tour, you will be performing at Rock City, which I think is Nottingham’s best venue.
Matt: So do I.
Cat: How would you describe an Amazons' gig to someone who’s thinking of coming for the first time on the 9th of October?
“Like, if you’ve seen a great film, you just feel different when you come out. So I think that that’s the highest thing anyone can aspire to when they come into our show”
Matt: Ooo, that’s a great question, how would I describe it? Well, it can get pretty wild! I can tell them what I want it to be. I want it to be a space where people can let go and be in the moment with us. I found playing shows but also going to shows is such a great reset button for whatever is happening in your life… I saw Haim at the o2 the other day and I was laughing. I had a little cry at the beginning of the set, and I just kind of forgot about the world. I read something the other day, and I can’t attribute the quote to anyone, but really when you think of the best set and the best gigs you’ve ever been to, it’s less about ‘wow his vocal performance in that song was so good’ or ‘wow her dance moves were really incredible on that song’- it was less about the specifics, but it was about the way you felt coming into that show versus the way you feel coming out… Like, if you’ve seen a great film, you just feel different when you come out. So I think that that’s the highest thing anyone can aspire to when they come into our show.
Cat: Another fun thing is that you can go to a concert on your own and then come out and you’ve made friends with everyone around you. In the post-lockdown concerts, you’re singing along with your hands in the air, holding hands with complete strangers, which is just so fun!
Matt: I couldn’t agree more, that’s awesome. And isn’t that just so unique to music? It really doesn’t matter the genre, it’s just that communal and celebratory aspect. Honestly, I think that’s why the songs on this record sound the way that they do- we want that. That’s what we’re hunting for.
Cat: Last night I got to listen to your new record, How Will I Know if Heaven will find me? and Northern Star really stuck out for me, it’s a really beautiful song. Can you explain the writing process for that track?
Matt: Yeah, I think that’s one of my favourites too. The first four/five/six songs on the record are probably my favourite. I don’t think we can do life alone- I know that’s not the case. We actually need people. I know there’s all self-help stuff at the moment, and I know that it’s all about you and your relationship and the world, and only you have the power to get yourself out of tough spots whether it’s mentally, or your situation in life. But I think that’s fundamentally wrong. I think we’re social animals and we need people. Northern Star is just acknowledging that- if you’re lucky you have one or two people in your life who are a Northern Star. That phrase actually came from a phrase called “lode star”, which was coming in conversations between me and my girlfriend and me and my friends. Lode stars are people who take the weight for people and who give people direction, and all that stuff. Of course, lode star doesn’t flow melodically as well. So I was just thinking, maybe I could say Northern Star. It’s acknowledging and celebrating and telling someone thanks.
Cat: Finally, which track that fans haven’t heard yet are you most excited for them to hear when the album comes out on September 9th?
Matt: Say It Again. <this is a song title but caught up in the moment I thought he meant he wanted me to say the question again. We both laughed about it>. The song Say It Again; number three on the album. I love that one! The second half of that song- the middle 8, the breakdown-y thing going into the solo into the last chorus and the outro- every time I hear it, it still gives me goose-bumps and makes me feel alive. It’s like fireworks under my skin. With that song, I think “wow, we did that? Cool! The Amazons did that!” It’s not a typical sound for us. It’s very expansive: it makes me think of open roads and escape and possibility and adventure. That song is someone putting themself out there, taking a risk and saying that they love you. And you go “What? What the heck? My life’s just been turned upside down, explosion, my door has just been kicked through and we’re in this new world, and everything is fucking different”. And you’ve got a spring in your step and you’re thinking “I can do anything, I can take on anything”. And you’re like: “Say it again. This is my fuel, this is my food, this is incredible”.
Cat Jordan
Edited by: Roxann Yus
Cover and in-article images courtesy of The Amazons via Facebook.
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