Matt LeGrand

Matt LeGrand

Interview:

How did you get your start in music?

I got my start in music at 12 years old when my mother got me my first guitar. After years of practice, I wanted to try the drums, which I loved. I started playing in numerous rock bands and loved the energy!

Who are some of your biggest musical influences?

Some of my biggest influences are Justin Timberlake, One Direction, Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift.

You grew up in France for part of your life and then you moved to Chicago. Have those cities affected your sound or style of music?

I don’t think they have necessarily affected my sound. But I do incorporate French into my songs. It has been fun creating different styles and being able to experiment with a different language.

You have two singles out at the moment: “Fire” and “Spring Break GRL”. What were the inspirations behind songs? What was it like shooting the videos?

“Fire” is a cool track. It’s fun, energetic and upbeat. It was a collaboration between myself and an up and coming Chicago artist named VERSE. We were just sitting in the studio and decided to write a fun song, and “Fire” is what we came up with. Of course it was awesome shooting the video with my man Twista. “Spring Break GRL” was created with Atlanta music producer Arnold Hennings. I have always liked the spring break vibe. It was close to the end of school and summer’s on the horizon, so I thought I would write a song about it! This song is cool and has a crazy story behind it. It’s about how I connected with a certain girl on social media.

When can we expect more music from you? An album/EP? What has the recording process been like? Who are you working with?

You can expect an EP soon! We are releasing singles for right now. The recording process is a really good time. I love creating and feeding off of other people’s energy. It’s really all about vibing and connecting. It’s been a blessing so far collaborating with producers and artists that I never thought in a million years I’d be able to work with!

Who are some artists/writers/producers that you’d love to work with in the future?

Max Martin is the number one writer that I would want to collaborate with. I mean his track record speaks for itself. He’s just an extraordinary talent. Others would be: Dr. Luke, Benny Blanco, Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, Drake and Justin Bieber.

You’ve been doing some live shows here and there. Can we expect a mini tour with the release of new music? What is it like to perform your music live in front of your fans?

Everybody can expect a whole lot from me, so a tour is on the list! You know performing is a special moment for me. It gives me a chance to see my fans in person. As much as they are excited to see me, I’m excited to see them. I get to look at each and everyone of their faces and just say to myself “I have the most beautiful fans in the world.” You will probably catch me smiling a lot while I’m performing because that’s when I’m truly the happiest!

What has been the biggest “pinch me” moment of your career so far?

One night in Chicago I was on a hotel rooftop chilling with my friends and I happen to run into R. Kelly. He said, “What’s Up Matt?” (Someone Pinch me)

Looking forward to the future, how do you hope to pave the way for your career?

Work extremely hard, never give up on myself, push the haters aside and stay as humble as I possibly can. In the end having belief, hope, and love will pave the way for my career!

What’s something interesting that your fans may not know about you?

I can juggle extremely well!

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Make sure to check out my website www.mattlegrandmusic.com for updates.

Check out Matt’s videos for “Fire” and “Spring Break GRL” below! - http://popculturedaily.guru/

Matt LeGrand is a pop newcomer, but he's coming onto the scene hot and full of fire. "Roof On Fire" (ft. Twista) in fact is the name of his first single which you might know as a contender up for voting in the MTV U The Freshman competition where fans vote to decide which video from new artists has what it takes to enter into MTV rotation. ("VOTE EVERYBODY!!!" Matt says.) "Roof On Fire" is a whimsical and sugary club banger with smoking hot beat and a video (below) featuring some Bieber-esque choreography and a lot "young love in the dance club" heat. And while the career of this MTV Freshman is still in its early stages, Matt has a lot planned, and YE was fortunate enough to be able to chat with this fresh name in pop about the past, present, and future of his music.

Matt is a Chicago native, a city with a rich history of activity in the jazz and blues scene, a history that Matt directly benefitted from as a young music fan. In addition to blues, Chicago is common tour stop for many names in blues-inspired rock. "The first concert that I ever attended was with my mother and it was The Rolling Stones. I was 11, and my ears hurt a lot after the concert. It was that good kind of hurt though. I was completely captivated with music after that. Seeing musical veterans performing on stage gave me hope. If they were still at it, then I could do it too! Classic rock is really how I got started in music."

Classic rock was Matt's initial inspiration, and citing bluesy guitar god Eric Clapton as an early favorite, it was around this time that Matt became interested in creating his own music. "My mother bought me my first guitar at the age of 12. Some of my favorites then were The Rolling Stones, The Who, and U2. I always try to add guitar in my music now because that’s just where I come from."

After getting into classic rock and learning guitar, Matt says "I don’t think I went through a day of high school without dreaming about making music my career."

Some other influences and inspirations Matt cites are Michael Jackson, Queen, Marvin Gaye, and Kanye West. But one artist definitively rules Matt's world. "My ultimate biggest influence is Justin Timberlake. I honestly worship everything that he does."

So basically, he'd kill to work with JT. But who else fuels Matt's musical fire? "I'd honestly break down if I got to work with Max Martin, Drake, Kanye, or Taylor Swift. Who am I working with next? That’s a secret. You'll just have to wait and see!"

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So what precisely is up next for this fiery pop newbie? He's super excited to get light the fire on the next phase of his career, but he wants to get all his ducks in a row first before rushing into new projects. "Finding the right producers to work on a whole album definitely takes a little time. I'm in the middle of building an empire that is going to make an impact in the music industry. But I will be releasing singles throughout these next couple of months while I'm building the rest of my team. And touring is for sure on the list!! You can expect a lot of new stuff real soon. I am just at the start of my career! I ask everybody to be patient with me. Mark my words, there is a lot to come!"

Smart and ambitious cookie. This kid sounds like he has not only the talent, but also the tenacity and fortitude to make those dreams of a musical empire into a reality. And what of his success so far, of finding fame and reaching fans through the holiest of holy, MTV? "It's definitely very exciting for me! Being able to see my family's reaction was awesome. Attention towards me has for sure elevated since the competition started. And the fans [who call themselves The LeGrand Girls] are everything. Absolutely everything. Love you guys."

If you enjoyed getting to know Matt here, check out his other single "Spring Break GRL" below!!! - http://youngentertainmentmag.com

Interviews Interviews - Music

Matt LeGrand – Fire
By starrymag | September 2, 2015 0 Comments

By: Jamie Steinberg
Q) How would you describe your sound?

A) I describe it as a “trendy and easy to listen to” sound. It’s always very catchy but not obnoxious.

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

A) I get this question all the time and I always change up what I say because its kind of a “in the moment” type of question. Right now, some artist that are influencing me are The Weeknd, Queen, Kanye West, Big Sean and Jason Derulo. My all time biggest influence though is Justin Timberlake.

Q) Your new single “Fire” is out now. Where did the idea come from for it?
A) “Fire” was a collaboration between myself and another Chicago artist named VERSE. We were in the studio one day and decided I needed an upbeat catchy tune. So, we came up with “Fire.” It’s a real simple song about a girl that was a part of my dreams.

Q) What kind of fan response have you gotten to it?
A) The song is still very new, but the response has been extremely positive from my fans!

Q) What is it about “Fire” that fans have connected with?
A) “Fire” is all about that excitement and that burning feeling that you get in your heart when you truly like a person. That’s what I think people connect with.

Q) What is your process like for creating your music? Do you need music before you can write the lyrics?
A) My process for writing music is recording everything I say into my voice recorder on my iPhone. Then, since I know it’s saved, I go to the paper and just write about something random. Something that makes sense, of course. I start singing the melody that I recorded into my phone with the words I wrote. I usually come up with very weird things. Every once in awhile though, I find a gem.

Q) What can fans expect from a live Matt LeGrand performance?
A) You can expect a whole entire experience, a storyline that takes you on a ride of different emotions. It’s called “The LeGrand Experience.”

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?
A) Kanye, Drake, Taylor Swift or Ed Sheeran

Q) What can fans do to help promote your music?
A) Fans can help by just interacting with me on social media and being involved in the starting stages of this empire I’m about to build. Show all your friends and keep spreading the word!

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with fans?
A) It’s a very useful tool when it comes to getting in touch with my fans. I can literally tweet out something and its crazy that my whole entire fan base will be able to see it. I’m very fortunate to have the ability to use social media!

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your music?
A) I’d like to say I love you times a million and thank you from the bottom of my heart for getting on this rollercoaster with me! It’s gonna’ be a fun ride!



www.mattlegrandmusic.com
https://twitter.com/mattylegrand
https://www.facebook.com/MattLeGrandMusic - starrymag.com