Born from navigating the confronting moment of falling in love, Godspeed is a weightless, intoxicating and endlessly playable slice of genre-bending electro-pop.
Reflective, and self-aware, Godspeed is a showcase of Matt Taylor’s impeccable songwriting.
Sharing a little more, Matt explained
”Godspeed was a big step forward for me with my production. I use songwriting to try and understand a situation that I’m finding it hard to wrap my head around. I wanted to try and capture that feeling I get just before I allow myself to fall for someone, cos you kind of just have to roll with it without knowing whether it’s even gonna work.
A lot of Godspeed was written in late July & early August. I think it was just after clubs & social gathering had just started to open up and I know I was feeling very overwhelmed. In the weeks leading up to it I felt very distanced & pushed away from a friend I caught feelings for, but I also felt a disconnect from myself. Realising this link is what prompted me to write Godspeed.
I didn’t want anything serious with anyone, but that conflicted massively with how I felt about him. What I learned from this whole situation is that you can’t truly let someone in until you know yourself what you are & what you want, and in that time neither of us knew”
Originally from Dublin, Ireland, Matt Taylor has been honing his craft over the last few years, pulling inspiration from the energy and courage in music such as SOPHIE’s and looking to the storytelling and songwriting in the likes of Taylor Swift’s and Lorde’s music.
Tell us about your story as an artist
Well I’m Irish born & moved to the UK at 16! I started writing sad piano songs, then joined a punk band before realising I loved all the music I pretended to hate! I’ve only been releasing properly since around 2020 with my EP ‘The Breath Within Your Chest’, which kind of kickstarted a lot of the opportunities that allowed me to record this current EP. Last year I got super into production so Godspeed is the first track where I properly took the reigns with it, and I’ve been so delighted with the response.
What do you think is the most important aspect of your life right now?
Definitely my work, I’ve been really enjoying it lately! I took some time off towards the end of last year to focus on my own wellbeing, which was great but made me really eager to get back into the swing of things. Aside from music though I would probably say traveling, now that things are opening up a bit more I can’t wait to get back to traveling around, I have some plans for the summer already!
What makes this song special in your opinion?
Godspeed was the song that made me realise I wanted to make an EP. It was also the first time in a while that I had something specific to write about. I’ve always used my writing to help me kind of process things, it’s just a plus that I get to put them out & make a living off them too! I also think the production makes this songs special. I didn’t really know what I was doing while I was working on it so I think that led to some really cool sounds, and then having my friend Jomo come in and add the string section made it sound really cinematic, I like that it’s such a dramatic launch to the EP!
What inspired this track?
So the whole EP is is written & inspired about one situation & one guy, which makes it sound deeper than it is, but it’s just because I like to have a project have a clear setting. Godspeed is one of the first tracks & about how I tend to fall a bit too quickly even if I am aware of it. I think my writing is always inspired by wanting to learn from my mistakes, in the same way that someone keeps a diary, when I write about this stuff it gives me a chance to reflect on everything from my emotions to my own actions. It always feels a bit weird releasing songs that mean so much, and to me are so obvious & forward, but once they’re out you realise that people make their own interpretations of the meaning anyway!
What are some of the core messages here?
When I write I’m usually only thinking about two people, myself & whoever I’m writing about. It’s really important to me that I try to take in to account how they would feel about what I’m saying, cos I never want it feel targeted. So I think the main message is communication, I’m not very good in the heat of the moment when talking about how I feel, I’m either too passive or too argumentative ahahaha. When I right though, it gives me a chance to think & really consider what I’m saying, and I think that’s why these songs always mean so much.
How do you think tik tok and social media are contributing to change an artist’s career?
I have a lot of mixed feelings about social media. On one had it’s the greatest & most accessible tool for artist exposure because you essentially have unlimited reach to your current & potential future fans, but on the other it can feel so toxic & draining. I don’t spend a lot of time on it, I only really use it when I need to post. That doesn’t necessarily have to be for music, I just mean for anything, but I still get nervous about how I look, how I act, if I sound too fake or if I sound unenthusiastic. I get told all the time that it doesn’t matter anyway because not that many people actually care, and that’s true, but there is always a small & therefore more vocal minority that do. When you can stop caring what other people think about any aspect of your life it becomes so liberating but that’s always much easier said that done. As I said though, if you can get to that point social media is the greatest tool for building an audience, so I do think it’s an essential component in an artists career, but you should always put your own wellbeing first if you need to.
What excites you about your life?
Again it’s mostly my work! I’m so excited for all the music I have to come out, not just this EP. It feels like the the progress lately has been good, and it’s really reassuring that the people who listen to my music like the direction it’s going with Godspeed. I’m also just excited for it to be sunny ahahaha!
What are some of your core values as a human being?
I think the most important one to me is to listen. There’s so much going on in the world at the moment that it gets really overwhelming, I think although it’s important to be aware of the bigger picture, it’s just as important to stay grounded and help your friends, family & people who are close around you. You don’t need to actively go out in search of fixing peoples problems, just be there when they need you to be. Asking for help is super awkward sometimes so it’s important to notice if somebody might need it. It sounds like I’m making myself sound like a saint but I’m not trying to lol, I just think I’m very lucky to have been shown that by my friends.
What are your projects for this year?
I have soooooo many songs ready to come out! I’m so excited for this EP run but I’m just as excited for what comes next. I really want to get back to gigging asap too, it’s one of my favourite parts of music & I’ve missed it so much. Lastly, a goal of mine is to get more into fashion. So many of my friend dress so cool & I wanna steal their wardrobe, so maybe that’s a good place to start!
Isobel Williams
