If you want to make god laugh, tell him about your plans
Todays livestream With Greg Holden, an update on the vinyl & more...
Back in 2009 I was at university and I was booked to play a show with Greg Holden, a New York based artist who was coming through Leeds, UK on tour. I accepted the show offer and shortly afterwards Greg cancelled the show. Booo. We never met until 9 years later when I signed to Warner Chappell publishing and they booked us in a writing session together at Gregās house in LA. Weāve been tight ever since and today weāre hosting a Co-Headline livestream acoustic concert to introduce our fans to one anotherās music. Greg is an incredible artist, storyteller and a #1 US hit songwriter (āHomeā by Phillip Phillips).
The stream starts at 8pm UK (3pm EST) and is open to all Patrons of either Belle Mt. or Greg Holden.
If you havenāt checked out our Patreon yet this would be the perfect time as weāre running a 7 day free trial for a short time. Youāll be able to access todayās stream as well as all 59 previous exclusive posts including past livestream recordings, unreleased song demos & more.
If you want to make god laugh, tell him about your plans.
āā¦Iām starting to believe that thereās something in telling the universe your plans out loud and so in the next newsletter Iāll share my matured dreams and goals with you and the cosmosā¦ā
I wrote that at the end of my email on Feb 11th. Iāve been a bit quieter than usual since then. It turned out that the universe had another twist in store and plans would change again the day after I sent that. Classic timing. So, Iāve spent the last 10 weeks quietly working away behind the scenes.
When plans all go to shit, as they have done many times in the past few years, I try to remember to return to the core of what I love about all of this and that which I have control over in the moment; playing guitar, piano, singing every day, trying to catch any inspiration I can and turn it into a song, all of that makes me feel like Iām still moving forward despite external stresses. I try to see through beginners' eyes and to remember the journey I signed up for. Iām quite good at those things by nowāsinging, playing guitar, playing piano, writing songsā but Iām only great at a couple of them. I can stand onstage with an acoustic guitar and through a well-practiced song and a heavy dose of confidence, convince a room that Iāve probably got a lot more guitar playing chops up my sleeve than Iām letting on, Iām likely just holding back to serve the song, being tasteful. The truth is, Iām mostly not and to be honest, Iām generally playing at the edge of my ability with the most difficult song in any set. The motivation that has always pushed my musicianship forward comes from the moments when I think up a part that I want in a song, but canāt yet manage to play. Thatās when Iāll sit all week and obsessively work out the part until I can play it. Et voila, fingers sore but new level unlocked! šø
To compound the above effect then also tell me that I canāt do something. The motivator that has driven me forward most of all are the doubters, the non believers. I know itās not particularly healthy but nothing lights a fire under me more than the words of my early doubters who said songwriting and singing was for other people, or the manager who said I was too old to invest resources into (pre the first Belle Mt. release at age 27), or the people who like what they hear but pass on it because they require external validation to know whatās good. They hear one thing but heyā¦ āthe social media numbers arenāt strong enoughā etc etc etc.
So here I am again, working away, growing to meet the challenges once more and to evolve into my next iteration. Not content with good enough to get by or with playing the same songs forever.
I can easily tell you that my most interesting moments of growth and the most interesting people Iāve encountered in my life have all come to me when I was mid challenge, outside of my comfort zone and a fair bit lost. Putting in the effort to learn a part I could hear but not yet play. The process of meeting those challenges has been known to leave me with the odd scar on my heart and many calluses on my fingers but always better, always more fulfilled.
As for the new-new plans, I feel them percolating in my brain as we speak and Iām sure Iāll be ready to share them before too long. We can all laugh together when I do.
-Matt
VINYL RELEASE UPDATE
Yesterday was an exciting day - I received the āMean World Syndromeā test pressings and we now have a target date for delivery of the completed first batch of vinyl records - May 10th. Once I receive them, those orders will be lovingly signed, packaged and sent out to you all that same week.
If youād still like to place your order for the first run then youāre in luck, thereās time to order yours at the link below!