The Musician Spotlight Series shines a light on up-and-coming bands and solo acts creating heartfelt and original work across genres, giving them an opportunity to talk about their music, their collaborators, and why they do what they do.
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“Dante Matas is a singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist from Toronto with a unique brand of new wave bedroom pop, psychedelic folk, and lo-fi electronic music. His latest EP, Avoid Discipline (out now), brings hyper-melodic synth pop with a new wave twist. The title suggests letting go of perfectionism to allow things to take shape naturally. Dante’s songs tend to have contemplative and introspective character to them, but never at the expense of a catchy melody. “Catching Up With You” is about the kind of person that gets away with mistreating and harming others just because of wealth or undeserved status. Optimistically, they will eventually have to deal with the consequences of their actions”.
When did you know you wanted to be a musician?
I looked into the mirror when I was 12 and asked myself if I wanted to be a scuba diver or a rock star. I chose rock star.
Are you trained? How did you develop your skills?
I studied classical piano when I was really young but most of my song writing and production skills come from listening and analyzing music I like and trying to create things I would want to listen to.
Who are some of your biggest musical influences?
Anything that immediately gets stuck in your head upon listening to it. Bonus points if the songs has lyrics that draw you into an interesting story. For the classics, I usually go with The Beatles and Radiohead, but I’m also a huge fan of The Magnetic Fields as well as newer bands like Kero Kero Bonito and Magdalena Bay.
How would you describe your sound?
Classic pop song writing meets modern lo-fi production. With a new wave and psychedelic twist!
What’s your favourite tune in your repertoire and why?
Hard to say but right now it’s the single, “Catching Up With You” off of Avoid Discipline EP. It was a lot of fun to write such an angry song to an almost comically bouncy melody.
What can audiences expect from one of your live shows?
I play solo and with a band so depending the show, one or the other.
Where can we find your music?
Any streaming service, bandcamp, or Youtube!