It’s been three long years for some fans, waiting to hear from Pollyanna’s ex-front man. But for Matt Handley, it was a gradual reintroduction for him as a solo artist. “If I’d tried to put a solo album out three months after we broke up, people would be expecting more.”
There’s no denying that this is one humble guy with a heck of a lot of talent. He’s continued with his song writing and epically brought his new material into his solo career. His debut album, Won’t Get Over You, introduces us to a gentle voice of loneliness. Matt claims he didn’t have a particular feeling when making the album, but some things were definitely on his mind. “I didn’t make conscious effort to convey a feeling on the album. I think I get across the reflection of it and the loneliness it involves. But I definitely wanted to have a certain mood for the album.”
The album is extremely reflective. After leaving the success of a band with a three-year wait, there would be plenty of things to reflect on. “I was very direct in what I was writing about. I was writing about heartache and the bleaker moments in life and what was happening in my life at the time. There was a period where I was reflecting a lot on the break up of the band and personally.
“You sort of invent characters for certain song. It’s almost like a movie if you’re watching it you’re trying to predict what the characters are thinking.”
Matt does all of the instrumentation on the album and he produced it himself. When asked him why he decided to be so independent with the Won’t Get Over You, he also gave insight to the ups and downs of pursuing a solo career after Pollyanna’s break-up in 2002. ”[I did all the work myself] partly because I didn’t want to go through putting another band together partly because I’d put so much work into the idea. After the band broke up in 2002, I just wanted to have a break from bands. It was something I always wanted to do though.
“I definitely had doubts making the album. When I first started working on it, it wasn’t turning out the way I wanted and I was feeling kind of low about it. But I made it very gradually after that. During the first session I was originally going to put out an EP, but I had three years to work on it and had the songs put together. It was a lot of work and I just went back to it and worked on the songs one by one.”
That said, Matt is soon going to be promoting Won’t Get Over You, with the Dagger Stares. After three years of working alone, he’s found it refreshing to be working with live accompaniment. “It’s been good working with a band again. Because I put so much work into the album by myself; I wrote and recorded the songs alone in the studio and then did a few acoustic solo gigs here in Victoria. It’s great to see what the band’s been able to do and we’d like to venture out to some other states.”
Matt and the Dagger Stares played their first show at Corner Hotel, supporting Little Birdy. The gig was a sold out success. It was interesting to see how a solo artist reacts to working with other musicians once they’ve established more freedom for themselves. Matt believes he owes Little Birdy a debt of gratitude for the success of his first gig with a band. When asked if there were any other people he’d like to work with now that he was a solo artist, he had his reasons for choosing the other musicians he admired. “I’d really like to work with a guy called Steve Harken who’s touring with Eskimo Joe at the moment, and also Eskimo Joe themselves.
“I think having a respect for songs and song writing is something that involves honesty. It’s very important to be honest in your writing. I admire people who aren’t about the fashionable side of things but about the song writing itself. People such as Ryan Adams and his band, I’d like to take an element of what they were doing and put into what I’m doing.”
Life alone since such success with Pollyanna definitely hasn’t been one of loneliness for Matt. His success as a solo artist is just beginning to brew, as national touring dates will soon be realised. Though his album contains the melancholy of break-ups, people often find something this seemingly common, hard to articulate. Matt has managed to do this with incredible autonomy, yet with regard to those around him who have inspired and supported him. “There are more expectations when you write in a band … but as a solo artist it does give you some more freedom. In a band you’re sometimes restricted to play A, but being solo can give you the option of writing B, C and D, if you know what I mean?
“I really benefited from writing my songs because I could identify with them. Reflecting on the break-up of the band and other things I could create an imagery where people can relate.”
You can check Matt and his band, the Dagger Stares in Melbourne at the Duke of Windsor Hotel on June 24th and at the Northcote Social Club on July 15th and there’ll be a national tour announced soon. A truly gracious and moving artist, it wouldn’t be a show you’d want to miss.
