Matthew Mayfield

Matthew Mayfield is an unpredictable artist who has spent the past decade releasing material ranging from haunting acoustic ballads to gritty, southern rock and roll. His latest LP, RECOIL, is a sonic and lyrical departure from his previous release, Wild Eyes. Wild Eyes was a collection of songs created over time that reflected different periods in Matthew’s life. RECOIL, by contrast, was born quickly and violently, the fruit of an intense effort by Mayfield to depict the good, the bad, and the ugly in the present world he inhabits. If Wild Eyes was delicately chiseled into being, RECOIL was hewed into existence with hammers and claws. According to Mayfield, “making RECOIL was extremely hard—I had to drag the songs out of me and stick with them until they said exactly what I needed them to say.”

The result of this hard work is Mayfield’s most deeply personal album to date, one defined by brutal honesty and beautiful sound. Songs like "Raw Diamond Ring" and "Merry-Go-Round" speak of true love and hope, while "Indigo" is for anyone who has ever lost a loved one and expects to see them again in the next life. "History" and "God's Fault" ring the bells of betrayal, while "Turncoat" delivers a vicious dose of rage that will blow listeners back like the kick from a fired gun. Mayfield has always said that, “rock and roll isn’t a sound, it’s an attitude”. And that’s exactly what RECOIL provides: pure, unfiltered honesty, no matter the cost.

RECOIL was produced by Paul Moak, who Mayfield counts as, “one of the most gifted producers, players, songwriters, and overall artists I’ve ever met.” This is the third full-length album the two have recorded together, and Moak’s talents played a major role in making RECOIL special. While Moak’s fingerprints are all over the record, two of Mayfield’s favorite contributions are the introduction on “Long Way Down” and the piano and organ tracks on “Warfare On Repeat”. Mayfield and Moak also happen to be great friends, which Mayfield says, “helped us push each other along through the process.”

With each new record, Mayfield has grown in his ability to evoke a broad range of emotions in his listeners. “I want to create melodies and lyrics that move people, that make them feel something. Connection is everything, and music has a unique way of helping people connect to others and to parts of themselves that they might otherwise be unable to access.”

RECOIL is slated for an early fall release on all platforms. Mayfield will begin touring in support of the release in October and November of 2016.