Formula Indie Sessions : Interview with Mattie Leon
What is your earliest memory connected to music?
Music was always around in our house growing up. But for me, I remember two things distinctly at an early age.
1) Piano lessons. After a few years the lessons just evolved into playing Beatles songs with my teacher.
2) Michael Jackson. I loved his music so much as a kid. I used to do all the dance moves. My parents even put me into a dance class because I was so into it. I vividly remember having a vhs of Michael Jackson live in Bucharest that I watched all the time.
How did your passion for creating music begin?
When I was in grade 9 my brother and I jammed with one of his buddies and I was the “singer”. That probably sparked something. Then when I started learning acoustic guitar in grade 10 I immediately started writing songs and got hit with the writing bug. Ever since I’ve just lived my life one song at a time.
What’s the story behind your current music project?
A while back I went to Penn State University on a golf scholarship. It was an incredible experience; big American university, football games, frat parties, the whole deal. Obama spoke on campus when he was running for President the first time! It was incredible. As a Canadian I feel like I had a unique outsider’s perspective on everything.
During the pandemic I wrote a few songs about my time there. Then a few songs turned into an EP. That snowballed into a full record. It was by far the most enjoyable writing experience I’ve ever had. Reliving those amazing 4 years and turning them into songs.
The first half of the album comes out spring 2026. I’ve put out the first few singles already:
Taking Our Time Growing Up – A song about looking back on the good ol’ days
Stadium Lights – A song about tailgating at a Penn State night game
Heaven Is A Dive Bar – A song about my favourite dive bar in State College, The Phyrst
Closer To You – A song I wrote when I was IN college
How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before?
Soulful Folk Singer/Songwriter. Think Paul Simon, solo McCartney, Billy Joel, John Mayer and James Taylor. I fit somewhere in there.
What is one thing you’ve learned that completely changed the way you make music?
I worked with a great Canadian producer a few years ago that really pushed me lyrically to be clearer and not to worry about being so “clever”. That helped me out a lot. I used to disguise what I was thinking a lot, now I really work on being clear with the message.
What tools, instruments, or software are essential in your creative process?
I need a piano or a guitar for writing. I have a REALLY cheap Yamaha jr acoustic that I love writing on because I can toss it anywhere. I need my voice notes on my iphone to put those early ideas on. I work in Logic so I need that and my Mac to make my demos and work them into final recordings.
STUFF I USE
Larrivee acoustic
Hofner bass
Old Vox bass
Epiphone casino
Shure Beta 58 mic is so affordable and so great
AEA Ribbon mic I use for a ton of stuff
Neumann TLM103
Dropbox so I can listen to all my works in progress
SSL Big Six has been the sound of my new record
Which indie artist or song are you loving right now?
My brother is a songwriter and I love his stuff. His song Living Large is a classic. There’s also a buddy of mine, John Muirhead, who is blowing up over here in Canada. His song Colours In My Head is a smash.
How have your personal experiences influenced your music and artistic vision?
With this new record, my experiences at Penn State have directly influenced the vision. It’s like I’m a screenwriter turning all of my memories into short films. Take the second single, Stadium Lights, it has a lot of sounds from an actual football game; cheering, chanting I wove them into the song. It takes the listener right there. These songs all fit together and need to be released together. It’s exciting to work on a body of work like this. Especially in a day and age where it feels like singles are all that matter.
What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take from your work?
I think in my catalog of music so far there is an overarching theme of positivity. Of hope. Of the world being a good place. Of family and friends being important gifts.
For my new record I just hope it feels like you’re there with me taking this ride through University. The ups. The downs. The thrills. It’s gonna be a fun listen and the shows are going to be so fun to play.
What’s the most important lesson music has taught you so far?
Songwriting has taught me that good things take time. Patience is important and the key is just showing up over and over. It’s taught me that having a few people you can trust will make whatever you are working on better. Even when it’s hard to hear….being critiqued by someone you trust is key!
Music is a gift, man. I feel so lucky to have it.
What is a dream venue or festival you would love to perform at?
Massey Hall. A famous Canadian venue. I have a poster of it (stage view) in my studio and I look at it every day. That’s the goal!
If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?
It would have to be McCartney. What bass line would he come up with? What crazy place would he take the chord progression? He’s not only the best songwriter of all time but the best side man. That series where he goes through songs with Rick Rubin was eye opening. He had such an impact on the songs he didn’t write and made them better.
Where can our listeners follow and support your music?
https://www.instagram.com/mattieleonmusic
https://www.facebook.com/MattieLeonMusic
https://music.apple.com/ca/artist/mattie-leon/274392644
Looking toward the future, what’s your dream for the next chapter of your musical journey?
My goal has always been to build my fanbase so I could play soft seaters around Canada. I have a young family now and so do my bandmates…it really changes the way you see your dreams. I don’t want to be touring around the world anymore like I used to. I just want to find a way to keep writing and releasing music. Playing shows and festivals.
What do you hope listeners will discover about you along the way?
I just hope they like the music and can find stuff in there that they relate to. Maybe something I wrote can help them through a tough time. Maybe it can be the soundtrack to a night out or a night in with someone they love!
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TAKING OUR TIME GROWING UP
