Formula Indie Sessions – Interview with Matevž Kovačič
What is your earliest memory connected to music?
My parents listened to some pretty strange artists in the car, eccentric lyrics, even by adult standards. My earliest memory is staring out the window trying to make sense of words that meant nothing to me yet. So I’d invent my own stories about what the songs were about. Not knowing the words, not getting the context, it turned every drive into a playground for my imagination.
How did your passion for creating music begin?
I was never one for following sheet music or playing things exactly like the original. I learned by ear to get it approximately right, which meant I was automatically putting my own spin on it. That’s how I started making things up without really meaning to, from happy accidents, and eventually started writing my own songs on purpose. I’ll also say I was never thinking “I wish I could play guitar or sing as well as they do.” It was always “I wish I could write a song like that.” That was my biggest admiration and aspiration: to create something as good as what moved me.
What’s the story behind your current music project?
Over the years I tried my hand at a lot of genres and styles, and none of them stuck. I was in rock bands, I was doing EDM, funk, synthwave, even video game music. My current project is me going back to my very beginnings of songwriting, just a boy with a guitar trying to write a song about heartbreak. That’s the most “me,” and the longer I stay on that path the clearer it gets who I am and what I want to create. In that sense it’s a coming of age story, discovering yourself through honesty and putting your truth in front of others. Only once I did that did it start to sound good to me. Everything before was a path I needed to walk to find myself where I am now.
How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before?
I would describe it as sadly-hopeful acoustic folk-pop, with hints of unrealized rock aspirations.
What is one thing you’ve learned that completely changed the way you make music?
I’ve learned that having too much time to make music actually makes me a worse songwriter. There’s a sweet spot for me where I’m busy with work and family, and songwriting becomes this two-hour session where I just pour out a couple of songs really easily. Not forced, more like a reward. No overthinking, just an outpour of everything that’s accumulated. It keeps my ears fresh too. These days it often happens that off the first couple of notes I already get a feeling it’s something good, whereas if I’m playing constantly my ears get tired and I lose that intuitive curiosity. Forcing it just doesn’t work for me.
What tools, instruments, or software are essential in your creative process?
Nowadays it’s very simple. I need my guitar, my phone for voice notes, my laptop, and my Shure SM7B running through an Audient interface into UA Luna..
Which indie artist or song are you loving right now?
I’ve been so amazed by Hazlett’s last album. I was fortunate enough to see him in Amsterdam a few months ago, and even got to shake his hand and get a signed vinyl. “blue jean” is one of my favourites of his.
How have your personal experiences influenced your music and artistic vision?
I think it’s the very fabric I write on. I’ve always been more of a gentle soul, so it makes sense that I process both sadness and happiness this way. Leaving home, moving abroad, the people I’ve loved and lost touch with, it all ends up in the songs whether I plan it or not. Frankly, making music is the one thing that makes me uniquely me, a true expression of who I am and what I’ve experienced.
What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take from your work?
Hard times shape us and make us better people. A lot of my writing is me facing that instead of running from it, often calling myself out in the process. One of my core messages is to take risks and go into the unknown. I’ve done that myself and it’s been the greatest joy. But you should know I’m not a risk taker by nature, so I like to call on other people out there who are playing it safe, like I did for too long, to have a go at whatever it is they’re contemplating. As hard as that can be, writing about it brings me a lot of relief and closure, and I hope it does the same for whoever’s listening.
What’s the most important lesson music has taught you so far?
Honesty and vulnerability, in my experience, are always rewarded.
What is a dream venue or festival you would love to perform at?
I’ve seen so many of my favourite artists at Paradiso in Amsterdam, and I’m especially fond of Paradiso Noord at the Tolhuistuin. Seeing Hazlett there was the best musical performance and experience I’ve ever had, so I’d consider it a real honour to step on that stage myself one day.
If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?
Riley Pearce stirred something in me that made me really go for it: write the best songs I could, release them, and just keep going. For that he holds a special place in my musical journey, and I’d absolutely love to collaborate with him.
Where can our listeners follow and support your music? (Website,Spotify, IG, links)
Spotify is where it all lives, and you can find every link here: https://linktr.ee/matevz.kovacic
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matevzkovacicmusic
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@matevzkovacicmusic
A follow or a save means the world to an independent artist. Thank you for listening.
Looking toward the future, what’s your dream for the next chapter of your musical journey?
Having released 8 singles now, I feel like it might be time to start working on an album. I’m starting to find my voice, and I think I could put together something coherent in a bigger format. That, and playing a live show completely solo.
What do you hope listeners will discover about you along the way?
I hope they discover how much we all have in common. I think we all feel like we’re dealing with something on our own, but really, so many of our troubles are shared by far more people than we realise. That brings me comfort, and I hope it brings comfort to my listeners too.
