moodbymatteo
Chicago native moodbymatteo is a music visionary. The artist brings a completely new, r&b/lofi-esque soundscape to every song he makes. This is most evident in his 2020 single “Colors”, as the artists himself says that he “dreams in colors”. The singer has since release two songs independently through his label, Renegade Songs. His most recent, “Motions”, is a continuous display of the artist’s fluidity as a song writer. moodbymatteo’s songs have gotten significant attention as of late, with over 11,000 monthly Spotify listeners and over 200k streams. We recently spoke with the artist about the inspiration behind “Colors”, plans for the future, and more!
How did you start making music?
I just wanted to show my older sister I was cool. She always had her room locked, blasting hip hop and r&b. I started writing songs and performing them for her. I think my first alias was MattyBoi and I was so trash, but she entertained it and would make me rap in front of her friends and my cousins. I just became the freestyle kid, making songs on the spot. I would rap for the hustlers, girls at school, my teammates. I think I was pretty quiet, but that's how I connected to people. Got me out of a lot of trouble too.
What’s something you love to do in your spare time?
Late night drives. I take my camera out at night and go shooting when everyone's sleeping. I usually just take an edible and try to find rooftops or buildings with cool lighting. Grocery store parking lots are eerie.
Take us through your typical creative process. What’s your favorite part of it?
The process is always changing. I usually work on beats with my main collaborator, Daniel Weber. We jam, make like 3-5 beats, freestyle lyrics and melodies on all of them and hope we land on something we love. Some nights we get nothing, but it's all about the feel. I'll usually take all the ideas and go on a drive to listen back. If it sounds good in the car, then I'll revisit. Voice notes are big too.
What was your inspiration behind your song “Colors”?
I wrote “Colors” about a year ago to talk about my own struggles with depression around my identity and my place in society. I’m mixed - Afro-Latino, Black. A lot of colonialism in my DNA. My people are being targeted all over - ICE camps, police brutality, xenophobia, DACA- and I feel the impact personally in every instance. So when I think about my reality in America versus all of the dreams I have for myself, it's a wild juxtaposition. You gotta conquer a lot mentally and then tackle the world afterwards.
This song is so important to me because I know how hard it is walking through life feeling like I'm being targeted for my culture, race - or both. After George Floyd’s murder, I felt compelled to get this song out and give voice to all of my people struggling the same.
What’s a venue that you’d love to play in the future?
I wanna headline a night at Troubadour - sold out. It's just a rite of passage for any musician. I would kill that shit.
Who would you most like to collaborate with?
So many talented people. I think Toro Y Moi is on the top of my list. Remi Wolf, Labrinth, Khruangbin, Mndsgn, xxyyxx (where'd they go?). Boldy James is probably the best rapper out now. Would love to bring him into my world. Michael Kiwanuka would be the top of the mountain though. I'd just like to be in the same room as that man to soak in some wisdom.
What can fans expect from you in the future?
Growth. I'm really hitting my stride now and getting better at everything on the artistic side. The music, visuals, message. I'm a disrupter. I used to want to just make music that felt like therapy, but now it's like...I'm going to shake shit up for real. You'll never be able to put me in a box. I'ma be pushing things sonically for a long time.
