Meet Matthew McMenamy | Artist, Songwriter, Producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Matthew McMenamy and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Matthew, how do you think about risk?
First and foremost, thank you for having me. When it comes to risks and risk-taking, it’s pretty much the crux and my entire career. I wouldn’t be half as far, if here at all, if I hadn’t taken a couple risks and listened to the people in my hometown. It was a major risk moving out to LA from my quaint rural Texas town. It was a risk for me to even begin to pursue a music career back home, because that was kind of unheard of. The whole plan for a lot of people back home is: go to school, get a degree, get a job, meet someone, have kids, rinse repeat. So for me to be like “Hey I’m going to be a songwriter and I’m moving to Los Angeles to do it”, was often met with a lot of hesitancy and doubt from the people around me. I had a motto back home, and even to this day, “If it makes you nervous, you should probably do it”.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Well I would say the major thing that sets me apart from other artists right now is that I do pretty much everything myself. I am writing, performing, producing, mixing/mastering all of my music (for the time being). Which is part me being a total control freak, but also part out of necessity, considering I can’t really afford engineers and studios.

As for the art that I’m most excited about, it’s most definitely all the stuff I have planned for this year and the next. I have gotten the amazing chance to produce and write for some incredible artists, and I am just so grateful that these wonderful people trust me with their art enough to have me on board. There are a couple of EP’s I’ve written/produced on that are coming out within the year that is some of my proudest production work yet.

And as for my own artist project, I have an EP set to release by the end of the year/top of next year. And that project is some of the most exciting music I’ve made to date, I think. Those few songs feel the most like me my music has ever felt, and I’m super excited for people to hear. Depending on when this article comes out, my newest single “FEEL SOMETHING” will be out, and I think that is a perfect bridge into the realm I’m going into musically.

If you would’ve told me a couple years ago that I would be in the position I am today, I wouldn’t have believed you. I know that is a cliché line, but it is so, so true. I am by no means on top of the game right now, but my trajectory as a music-maker feels the best it’s ever been.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Quite honestly I’d probably avoid the super touristy spots like Santa Monica and the Walk of Fame, with maybe an exception for the Griffith Observatory. In my opinion there are way better times to be had here in LA. The absolute first place I’d take them is Prince St. Pizza. I swear I have never had a better pizza in my life, and you can find them now all over the city now, However, my personal favorite local would be the Sunset Blvd. location. My friends and I have also loved to go to Factory Tea Bar in Alhambra. It’s a boba tea bar with karaoke, pool, arcade games, the whole shabang. I have a lot of fond memories there. There are plenty of coffee shops in Pasadena that are golden, like Home Brewed Bar (to be candid I am biased considering I have worked there for a while), and Savvvy’s. Motoring Coffee closer to DTLA is also a really cool spot. It’s a coffee shop/car club with a lot of cool vehicles inside, like some of the Fast & Furious cars and a Red Bull Formula One car as well. As for the nightlife spots (if I can remember any of them), I’d highly recommend Desert Five Spot. It’s a country rooftop bar in Hollywood, and although it can be kind of pricey, I have never not had a great time there. And of course I have to mention the WeHo bar hop crawl, and I wish I could tell you specific spots but everytime I’m out there I’m not entirely coherent.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
God there are so many people that have been so instrumental in my growth and my career, I will try to keep it brief. I absolutely can’t move on with my career without mentioning the support from my parents that they have shown throughout my moving out here. They’ve invested so much into me, and I really hope I get the chance to invest in them back and make them proud. I also have to credit some of my best friends, Courtney Acker & Erica Romm, who since I was in high school, believed in the vision and future I saw for myself wholeheartedly. I also have to mention my best friend and girlfriend, Luke Supelak & Olivia McGinley, for always being my extra limbs for when I need them. Ani Vikram & Micah Wilson for also always being there for me, and continuing to inspire me on a daily basis. Some of the most talented people I know. There are so, so, SO many more people that believed in me and have been there for me, I wish I got a chance to list everyone.

Website: https://www.matthewmcmenamy.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matthewmcmenamy/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxDPs8utumNMbS5qvYNgRrA

Other: You can find me @matthewmcmenamy on all social media.

Image Credits
Christopher Brown