Following the release of their latest single 'A Place 4 Me' we caught up with Matt Barrett from Texas-based songwriting collective 'The Venerable' to find out what goes into their eclectic sound. If you enjoy Matt's picks be sure to check out 'A Place 4 Me' at the bottom of the article.
1. Jack’s Mannequin - Bruised
“Andrew McMahon is one of my all-time favorite artists. I’ve always loved the way he blends his piano with his pop rock sound and his lyrics are always great. While I love everything he does, Jack’s Mannequin was definitely my favorite band of his, and Everything in Transit is one of my favorite albums of all-time. Just incredible music top to bottom. This track, Bruised, just really hit home for me. The melody compliments the music so well, and the lyrics and melody really evoke an emotional response every time you listen to it.”
2. Penguin Prison - Show Me the Way
“This song is just so much fun. It makes you want to dance a little and smile a lot. It’s a great one for all your party playlists. I’ve always loved being that person who introduces friends to new bands and songs. This band and this song don’t get talked about very much, but everyone I’ve shown it to absolutely loves it. You’re welcome.”
3. Blue October - I’ll Do Me, You Do You
“This song is so beautiful, and the lyrics are perfect, and so relevant. Lyrically, these guys are a big influence for sure. Honestly, I can’t overstate how much I love this band. Justin Furstenfeld has put out killer albums every 2 or 3 years since the early 2000’s, it’s really unbelievable. I definitely wanted to feature a song from these guys, but It was tough deciding when there are so many meaningful songs to me, like “Clumsy Card House”, “inner Glow”, “Breakfast After 10”, “Overweight”, and “Hate Me,” to name a few.”
4. Matt Maeson - Go Easy
“This one is gut-wrenching. The passion in his voice tells you all you need to know about this struggle. I’ve always felt that passion in the vocal is so much more important than being technical. Obviously, I’m not the one singing on my tracks, so that’s really the most important message I try to convey, try to find a way to relate to the song and bring that passion.”
5. Borns - The Emotion
“What an incredible song this is. The music is beautiful and simple and so different from most of their other songs. But the melody just kind of reaches in and grabs your soul. Without even knowing what he’s singing about, the melody gives you that feeling of loss and longing. The lyrics are vague enough that you can make this song about whatever you want it to be about. I really love it when songs achieve that.”
Watch The Venerable 'A Place 4 Me'
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