Lush psychedelic soundscapes. Funky melodies. Lyrics describing heartbreak and healing. Mat Elliott’s newest EP has it all.
The Truro native has found inspiration across the musical spectrum for his debut record, from Tom Mirsch to Still Woozy. And yet, South Endings is truly all his own as the singer-songwriter reminiscences of a past relationship that came to an unceremonious end several years ago.
“I went through a breakup, and, you know, I would say that I was kind of the bad guy,” said Elliott. “I sort of broke up with no explanation whatsoever.”
Following this, Elliott said he had been alone for two full years, reflecting on himself and how he could be better, both as a partner and a person. South Endings is a testament to his reflection.
“It was those two years that I spent working on music and kind of living on my own that just kind of put me into that headspace of like, how can I be better?"
Elliott’s emotional revelations are underpinned by synth-pop soundscapes that he describes as “little environments,” heavily influenced by acts like Tame Impala and Unknown Mortal Orchestra.
“They’re just kind of existing underneath everything,” he said. “I love that layering.”
On top of the spacey synths is a constellation of punctuating percussion, Mirsch-inspired funk-focused guitar riffs, and an array of neo-soul and R&B flourishes.
His debut comes after performing alongside several well-known Nova Scotian artists such as folk artist Daniel James McFaydyen, Terra Spencer, Willa Owen, and Freya Milliken. It was his experience playing bass and mandolin live for these acts that he felt inspired to create something all his own.
“I have a lot of ideas in my head, and I just wanted to get them out and just make something that I like to listen to,” said Elliott.
Aiding him on the album is ECMA-nominated mixing engineer John Mullane (Future Dad) and two-time Juno award-winning mastering engineer Kristian Montano. Kendall Jones, Elliott’s wife, lends her voice to harmonies throughout the album, with Ashton Wisener contributing to the synth and organ work on “Two Years” and “Ten”.
Leading up to the album’s release, Elliott released two singles, “Two Years” in January, and “Church Street” in April, both of which found the debuting artist modest success, with tracks added to BIRP.FM’s playlists and noted on Exclaim.ca’s ‘Eh! List’.
Elliott’s EP South Endings is now available on music streaming platforms. He is also on Instagram at @matelliptt.
