Episode Transcript
[00:00:01] Speaker A: It's not just us we'd have to conquer.
We've got folk singers, rappers and punkers, everyone taking care of one another.
[00:00:18] Speaker B: Welcome to Unsigned518 presents the Unsigned Unwind, which is my attempt at reaching out to two local bands or, you know, independent bands across the US and Canada and maybe strengthening a community, you know, not just a local community, but perhaps an international community and making you as my listeners, aware of other bands that are out there that may not have ever hit your radar. But there's so much great music, and not just our local music scene, but in like fucking hundreds of local music scenes across the US and Canada. And so I'm just trying to tap into a little bit of it and expose myself and you to more music and helping some of these unsigned and independent artists across the US and Canada get a little bit of a broader audience. So, you know, it's really just trying to bring, bring people together. But anyway, on this episode, I'm going to be talking with a gentleman who goes by the name of Face Bagel. I know nothing going into the interview. So I have a phone number and a name. And then the discovery lies in the conversation. So Angela Tarajo is the showrunner. She's the one that, that hooks up everything and gets all the information, gets the songs, gets me the permission to use the songs, gets many promotional photos of the artists, et cetera. So thank you, Ange, for doing all that hard work. And right now we're going to go back to. I think this one was recorded maybe in like August or September. It was a few months ago. But this is my conversation with Face Bagel, real name Matthew. But anyway, let's go to the phone and talk to Matthew.
[00:02:10] Speaker A: What's up, Matthew?
[00:02:11] Speaker C: Howdy, Andy. How we be?
[00:02:13] Speaker A: I am good. And you are actually on the road, like currently, as. As we talk, correct? Or not. Not driving like at the moment, but you're quote unquote on the road.
So where are you at now?
[00:02:28] Speaker C: You're. So I'm in Billings, Montana at the moment, coming back from a festival from White Sulphur Springs, which is literally like, like a block and a half with two gas stations in it. It's like, I guess it's a town, but it's a cute, cute little tiny kind of like out of the out of nowhere place. But the festival was awesome. It's called Red Ants Pants. So coming back from that down to Denver again, nice.
[00:02:48] Speaker A: And that. So fate. So again, and you know, before we got rolling, I said, all I know is I know Face Bagel, which I'm assuming is the name of the band. I know your name. So you're from Denver, Colorado, you said?
[00:03:00] Speaker C: Yes, sir.
[00:03:01] Speaker A: Nice. And it is. Face Bagel is the name of the band?
[00:03:04] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:03:05] Speaker A: And how many, like, other than yourself, Matthew, how many people are in the band?
[00:03:09] Speaker C: So basically, it's kind of like a solo act that I have people play along with me.
[00:03:13] Speaker B: So.
[00:03:13] Speaker C: So it's like, oh, like, my name is Face Bagel, and it's like, oh, I'll go up and do solo stuff, but then I'll have keyboard players or drummers or whatever have you and kind of do that.
[00:03:20] Speaker A: And is that something that, like, changes, like, every live performance? Like, you. You kind of put something together for each show.
[00:03:26] Speaker C: So at the moment, a lot of it is solo. Like, I do a lot of, like, brewery gigs to kind of, like, cut my teeth, make a little money, do this and that, like, get some stuff going. But, like, festivals like this, this one was solo this time. But as I get more and more of that, like, the more I do these solo shows, the more I learn how to craft the show. So I'm, like, getting more and more people involved as it goes along. So a lot of it is solo at the moment, but it's kind of building up to that.
[00:03:47] Speaker A: And when you say solo, like, do you play? You know, when I hear solo, I think acoustic guitar. Is that accurate?
[00:03:55] Speaker C: Yeah, it's acoustic guitar and singing. It's original music, and I do a ton of covers and stuff, too. But for, like, the festivals and stuff, I'll do, like, original music and also bust out the didgeridoo.
[00:04:04] Speaker A: That's the other instrument that's rad and so out of, like, in Denver. Do you play around there a lot?
[00:04:13] Speaker C: Yeah, for the most part, I'll play pretty much all over Colorado, like, up in Fort Collins. I don't know if you're familiar with Colorado and, like, the area, but, like, Denver is kind of like, I guess, like, the center.
[00:04:21] Speaker A: I've been to Denver, but it was a while ago.
[00:04:23] Speaker C: Right. Right now it's. Yeah, go to Fort Collins just like an hour north. It's, like, right near Wyoming. And I go, like, way down south, east, so pretty much all over the place. But Denver is a pretty hotspot for that, too.
[00:04:33] Speaker A: And, you know, just out of my own curio. I mean, I guess this whole show is out of my own curiosity. But, like, what is, like, how would you describe, like, the local music scene in Denver? Is it something where there's a lot of diversity but everybody knows each other. Are there a lot of venues that cater to like the local original music?
[00:04:53] Speaker C: You know, it's a lot of breweries that I'll say like, at least that are like singer songwriters kind of thing. Like what I'm doing with guitar. A lot of Denver itself that I found is tons of DJs, which is really cool, but, like, that's not my shtick. So I'm like, oh, shit. Kind of out of luck on some of like clubs and whatnot. That kind of thing. Which is funny. Actually, I'll say this. I've played didgeridoo with DJs at festivals before and it's like they'll have like a four on the floor, like, boom, boom, boom, boom. And my buddy will play like tribal drums and I'll play dig and it's fucking sick. It's really fun.
[00:05:24] Speaker A: I mean, a lot of like that hip hop music and DJ music relies on that like drone note, you know, like.
[00:05:32] Speaker C: Exactly, right? And I was like, I just would never thought like, the didgeridoo is like the world's oldest instrument. I'm like, the newest kind of thing is edm and I'm like the oldest and the newest kind of come together like perfectly. It's like really funny how they tie together. And I'm like, as I'm going forward, it's just really funny how that happens. And I'm like trying to find DJs that like. Because a lot of DJs are kind of like solar performers. Like I found like acoustic. It's like, oh, we're up there by ourselves, so we know how to play with ourselves.
No pun intended. But we do. But like playing with other people, it's like a different thing. Especially if it's like a live instrument as opposed to like mixing the, the DJ stuff, because it's like two different worlds. So it's like finding someone who can mix with that, it's an interesting task, but when it does, it's. It's really, really cool.
[00:06:10] Speaker A: And is that something that you've thought of, like evolving further, like, you know, didgeridoo with electronic music or is that just something that, like, when it comes up is fun to play with?
[00:06:21] Speaker C: So it kind of started that way. It was like, when it came up, it was just like, oh, I didn't know this was going to happen. Like, that's cool. I never even thought about putting that together. That'd be sick. And then one day, actually I was doing a sound bath in Philly way back in the day. When I used to live in Philly and a dj, we saw they were playing at Firefly, and they asked like, hey, would you last like to play with us at, like, one of the side stages of Firefly in Delaware? And I was like, fucking, yeah. How do we get there? So we went to go do that, and it was. That was the first time we were in front of a crowd full of people. And they'd never seen anything like it. The DJ never seen anything like it. We hadn't seen it. So it was brand new. It was just like, we're making this shit up as we go. And it was really. And it just worked out awesome. So it's like, ever since then, I've been trying to find somebody who's more into that, like, live space. Almost like a disclosure, if I'm getting that right. I think they kind of looped instruments live and stuff, and they did DJs as well. So just trying to find more of that vibe, you know?
[00:07:11] Speaker A: Yeah, that's really cool. And I love the, you know, in the DIY world, the ability to just be like, hey, I'm gonna do this, and then I'm gonna do this over here. Then I'm gonna take a right turn and do this over here. You know, there's. You don't have to F1, you know, any one genre and any one mold. You can be whatever you want at whatever time you want. Yeah.
[00:07:35] Speaker C: Yeah. It's interesting. It's like. It is. It is funny. Like, just finding the other creative people who are just like, fuck it, I'll try it. Like, oh, shit. You're gonna let me try this fucking. Hey, cool. I want to try it. Let's see.
[00:07:46] Speaker A: Yeah, I mean, I'm definitely one of those people, like, I'm someone that, like, you know, when you are seeing something live, like, if it's a live show, like, spontaneity or something, quote, unquote, going wrong or, you know, that's the shit that I live for. You know, like something that you just saw that'll never happen again. You know, like, you witness this thing that'll not happen again because it wasn't meant to happen. And I don't know, like, exactly whether it's a, quote unquote, a mistake or whether it's just something that was unattended. Like, so I'm always someone. That experimental shit like, you're talking about. I'm in 1,000%.
[00:08:27] Speaker C: Yeah, man. It's funny. I was just. I wrote a new song the other. I just put it out on Thursday wrote this song about three weeks ago. It's called Wish him well. And I was like, oh, I have this chorus where you kind of, like, have a long, extended bow, like, well. And I was in the car, like, two hours before the concert, and I was like, shit, how am I gonna get these people involved? It's gonna be like. It could be, like, crowd participation. I'm like, what can I do? And I was just trying to think on the top of my head. I was like, you know what? I just kind of acted it out by myself in the car. Like, I was, like, rehearsing a play or something, and I was like, okay, everybody, I want you to sing one note and one word, and I want you to do it like this, and I'll do it like that. And I just. Like, two hours later, I was like, all right, fuck it. We're gonna see if this works in front of, like, 200 people. And did it work? I was like, fuck it. Hey. Yeah, it worked out great. I was like, six. I had video, and it was so funny because I was like, I have this on down. I'm good. I got there, and I messed up, like, two of the verses, but the choruses were great, so I was like, okay, all right, we're making progress. It's fun. But that's the whole point. It's like, I don't know what I'm doing. I wrote a song that I liked, and people, like, identified with it. I was like, okay, so how can I amp it up and try to make it, like, more fun? And I was like, we're constantly, like, chipping away at the stone, so to speak. So. Yeah.
[00:09:33] Speaker A: Yeah. And I love it. And having that. The immediate feedback from an audience is so.
[00:09:40] Speaker C: They're like, we love this, or we fucking hate it. Yeah.
[00:09:43] Speaker A: But, I mean, I would much rather, like, do something and have people be like, meh. And then it's just done and never then put it. Imagine, like, putting it. If you put in, like, fuck it. Like, hours and hours of work on this one thing, and then it fails, you know, Like.
[00:09:58] Speaker C: Right. Yeah.
[00:09:59] Speaker A: It's. At least. It's that immediate where you're like, okay, you know, I can pivot, you know, Whereas. I don't know, it would just crush my soul if I was like, here's this thing that it's already done, that I spent 18 hours working. Oh, and you hate it. Oh, great. Okay, cool.
[00:10:13] Speaker C: You know, for sure, it's. I feel like at least back in the day, like, albums used to be a big thing. Like, I hear a lot of older artists, like the 70s, like Kiss and whatnot. They're like, you know, I love albums and so do I. But, like, one thing I will say about, like, New Age music now that we can release music constantly is, like, we get to figure out what doesn't work in real time. And people can watch that. And I didn't really realize that until I started, like, doing this. Like, oh, it doesn't have to be perfect. People don't want to see that anyway.
[00:10:40] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:10:40] Speaker C: And they'd rather just be there with you on the journey. So just fucking see how it works. I'm like, fuck, I'm going to fucking fall in my face a lot.
[00:10:46] Speaker A: And you also have to, like, cater to, like, the times, you know, because, like, back when albums, you know, I mean, I'm 51 years old, so like, I was around buying vinyl records, you know, in the, like, early 80s. And that was when, like, that was how you listen to the music. Like, if you didn't buy the album, you did not hear the single that you wanted to hear. And then in turn, you got to hear these other things. But now, like, you don't need. You know, like, people have a shorter attention span, and for better or for worse, you just have to cater to that. People want singles, so give them singles, you know?
[00:11:23] Speaker C: Yeah, right. Yeah, I think. I think you can crack. It's kind of like a backwards engineering right now. It's like, oh, here's my single. And if you really like me playing live and you really invest in me and, like, you see me live and you want to come see my shows and, like, you're a fan of mine, it's like, then you're probably more willing to be like, fuck it. I'll check the other eight songs you have, but I wouldn't care unless I heard the one that I really liked and got to connect with you over, I'm like, oh, it's totally flipped right now. It's just very funny.
[00:11:45] Speaker A: Yeah, you're right. That is. That is kind of funny. So where can people find you online?
[00:11:54] Speaker C: You can find me anywhere at Facebagel. Like, all one word. F, A, C, E, B, A, G, E, L. If you type in two words, you get a bunch of weird shit. So make sure it's one.
One word. Just facebagel.com, facebagle, Instagram, the whole thing. Yeah.
[00:12:10] Speaker A: All right. And you know, before we go, because I do want to hear Face Bagel song, but before we go, I just wanted to ask you, doing this Being in the DIY scene, doing everything ourselves and kind of having your career in your hands, it's exhausting sometimes. So I guess what would you do given, say, a day or an afternoon where you had no responsibilities and you were given the opportunity to do anything in the world, as long as it didn't have to do with your music or the hustle in general, I guess. Face Bagel. How would you unwind?
[00:12:52] Speaker C: How do I unwind?
Oh, man, that's a. That's. That's a. That's the hardest question yet. I don't fucking unwind. Shit.
Let me see. I would pro. Honestly, like, I will say the one thing that I love doing is, like, traveling and seeing different places. And I like, it's so much fun to go to, like, to the mountains and go see that stuff. And that's kind of like almost another reason why I do these gigs. I'm like, if anybody hires me for a festival, like Red Ants fans, I'm like, oh, I've never been to Montana. And I was like, I would love to go to Montana. So I get to go play music in Montana, and then I get to go, like, see coffee shops and meet people like that. So I love to kind of use music to get me up there, play it, enjoy it, and have all that. But then I also get all these crazy, like, sidestep quests that are like, ah, shit, I didn't know I was gonna go through Yellowstone. That's cool. And just look at a bunch of buffaloes. Like, that's. I guess that's like my most unwinding thing. It's really just like traveling and seeing, like, the rest of America or, like the rest of the world.
[00:13:46] Speaker A: That's great. I mean, that's. You know, I love doing that as well. Like, just seeing. Seeing the. Having the freedom, I guess, to travel, but it Never even thought about it. If you have a destination that's a distance and you're gonna go play music, there's a lot of shit that can happen in between and a lot of things to see in between. And I guess I never really thought of getting your unwinding in while you're literally on the road. But, you know.
[00:14:11] Speaker C: Yeah, it's kind of like a part of it. And it's like. And it's like, you find a lot of inspiration. Like, there was a bunch of dudes last night that I just met up with after the show, and we were just like, hanging out. They like my set. We just became friends. And it's so funny. Like, everyone's drinking beers and walking around the festival and having a good time. And I write down like six quotes and I'm like, all of these are songs. Like, these are just like, these blew my mind. Like these little quotes they say. And I'm like, I don't think you just realized you just helped me write a song. Thank you.
But that's like me unwinding and I'm like, oh, shit. I'm gathering information all the time. So it's really. It's really fun when it all comes together.
[00:14:41] Speaker A: Right? That is great. Cool. So, you know, Matthew, I want to thank you for your time. You know, I know you're. You're literally on the road out in Montana and pulled over at a coffee shop to do this phone call with me. And I really appreciate it. And before we go, I guess I would like to hear a Face Bagel song. So what do you got for us?
[00:14:59] Speaker C: Yeah, man. So the newest track that I split out is called Wish Em well. Yeah, just put it out. It's an acoustic track. I'm planning to do a full band, but I just had an acoustic just to kind of get it out there and, you know, put it in the world.
[00:15:10] Speaker A: Cool. And that's again, you can find them. It's Face Bagel all one word on Spotify. And you don't. You don't want to know what's going to happen if you do it. Two words, but. And then the song is called Wish Them well.
[00:15:21] Speaker C: You said yes. Wish them well. Yes.
[00:15:24] Speaker A: All right, well, cool. So Matthew, AKA Face Bagel, again, want to thank you so much for your time. Safe travels. And I'll have everybody find you digitally. I'll link to your. Your socials and your Spotify on the show notes when the episode comes out so everybody can easily find you. And right now, let's hear Wish Them well from Face Bagel again. Thanks, Matthew.
[00:15:47] Speaker C: Thanks, Andy. Appreciate you, man.
[00:15:53] Speaker D: Some people try to hurt you. Some people try to win.
Some people think of you so small there's a box they fit you in.
Some people want to love you. Some people don't know how.
Some people whisper words of hope just to keep you hanging out.
You might find the love they held for you is a sign of what their heart is not used to.
So just wish them well.
You wish them well. Best go and tell them you wish them well.
Some people laugh their demons. Some people lost their way.
Some people open up their hearts just to close them right away.
Some people won't control.
Some people lose their minds. Some people just aren't meant for you and are better left behind.
[00:17:09] Speaker C: Cause you.
[00:17:09] Speaker D: Might find love they held from you Here's a sign that says more about them than you just wish them well.
[00:17:22] Speaker C: Well.
[00:17:25] Speaker D: You wish them well Best go and tell them you wish them well you wish them well you wish them well don't kick and yell just wish and well the more you lean into all of your strength it's like holding yourself hostage with the night yeah there's only so much time left in this life just wish them well so just wish them well you wish them well Best go and tell them you you wish them well you wish them well you wish him well don't kick and yell just wish him well you wish him well Best go and tell him you wish him well you wish him well Best go and tell him you wish him well.
[00:18:54] Speaker A: If you would like to be a guest on the unsigned unwind, send an email to angelunsignedproductions.com take care of one another and I'll see you soon.
