Matthew Fisher, also known as Matt Moment, has been around the Richmond scene for a long time, having previously been in such bands as Redemption, Radio War, and Skylines. However, with his latest project, Wrist Rocket, he's taken a slightly different approach than he has before. At Wrist Rocket's record release show tomorrow night at Strange Matter, Matt will be backed by Richmond pop-punk group Hold Tight! Before this show, though, Wrist Rocket has been an acoustic solo project. Matt did most of his recordings, including some of the ones that appear on the new one-sided LP, Sailing On Seas Of Regret, at home on his laptop. In spite of that fact, or maybe even because of it, Matt's talent and sincerity shines through in all of the songs on his LP. It was enough to make me want to track him down and discuss with him how the whole thing came about. And so I did.
Andrew: After years of playing in bands, what led you to do Wrist Rocket as a solo project? Could you just not find anyone to play with, or was it a conscious decision to do it solo?
Matt: Once I got into hardcore I began to really hate on a lot of the New Found Glory and Fat Wreck-type stuff that had gotten me into punk in the first place. It was a reactionary response to dropping out of high school and being really committed to hardcore and the lifestyle I associated with it. After being in the hardcore scene for 3 or 4 years, I realized that it wasn’t really the faux pas I thought to like poppier music. So, I settled on an in-between diet of Lifetime, Piebald, late Jawbreaker, The Promise Ring, etc. I started writing pop stuff around ’04 and played my first solo show in ’05. I always wanted (and tried repeatedly) to start Wrist Rocket as a band, but it just never really lined up with what others wanted to do.
Andrew: Back when I met you, you were singing in Radio War. What happened with that band? I thought you guys broke up but apparently the band's still around but you aren't in it anymore?
Matt: The thing with Radio War is that it’s always been Joey and Zack’s thing. They started it as a two-piece when they lived in California and they’ll continue it if the Wentz twins quit. I left the band because I joined it to vent my anger about lots of things. After getting in trouble with the law I turned more strongly to my faith and started dealing with the anger instead of just venting it, and so I became a really ineffective singer for the band. I didn’t want one record to be “Fuck everything,” and then the next one be, “Love your neighbor. Give people a chance.” So I just bowed out. The Wentzes are doing a great job and the new stuff rules.
Matt in angrier days, singing with Radio War in 2007
Andrew: How long have you been doing Wrist Rocket? Did you have a plan when you started the group, or was it a surprise for you to get to a point where you were ready to do an LP? How did you know it was time to put a record together?
Matt: So I’ve been playing shows solo since 2005. After the hardcore band I’m most proud of, Redemption, broke up in 2010, I decided to just start committing all my time to Wrist Rocket. At this point I was married, taught middle school, plus Jenny and I were expecting our first baby. So if it was hard to organize a pop-punk band in ’05, it was impossible to do when Redemption broke up. I just started plugging away on Garage Band at home and getting free studio time, if possible, with my engineer friend Katie Jones. Eventually, I had some semblance of a recording. When Bucky from Worthless Junk and James from Sink/Swim approached me about doing an record based on what I considered to be some not-so-great recordings, I was so flattered that I agreed. I’m glad I did! I was in no way ready to put something out, but my goal has always been to have something to show my kids. So now I have a kid, and also something to show him!
Andrew: There are some electric songs on the record--did you play the other instruments yourself, or get friends to help? What was the recording process like?
Matt: It’s such a mixed bag. Drums on the second two electric songs were done by Zack Nelson (Radio War/Redemption/Ten33). The drums on “Ahoy!” were actually programmed by my friend Mikey Hawkins, who also did most of the instrumentation on that song. He was in a ton of awesome Florida bands (Meantime, Years From Now, Axis), and is my best friend. I just played him the song acoustically, and he’s a genius so he ran with it. Other than that, it’s all me! All of the vocals were recorded on the internal mic in my MacBook. The only studio songs were “Drive Fast” and “shorterfasterweaker," and even those vocals were done in my linen closet at home. Everything else was basically done with the laptop.
Matt playing guitar in Redemption, 2009
Andrew: What led you to decide to use a backing band for the record release show? Do you think this will be the route you take with all future live performances, or is it more of a one-off thing?
Matt: Well, if you had a solo thing, but then your favorite local band was like, “Let us learn your songs and back you up,” it would be a no-brainer. That’s what happened with Hold Tight! and I. It’s a friggin’ miracle. If they want to keep doing it, I’m happy to have them. Its not everyday [that] talented dudes are like, “It’s cool that you have a baby and job and we have to basically circle around your schedule." holdtight.bandcamp.com, check them out!
Andrew: Tell me about your current view of the hardcore scene, and how that's changed for you over the last few years. How do you think the changing circumstances of your life have affected your relationship with and involvement in the hardcore scene?
Matt: The state of the hardcore scene is awesome. There’s always an ebb and flow to hardcore. Things are great, then they deteriorate, usually it bottoms out with a TV special about “straight edge gangs," and then things swing back up. I don’t know if we’re at the zenith now or if it’ll get better, but from what I can tell, violence and idiocy is at a minimum, and that’s a good litmus. As far as Richmond, I think it's fair to say that the kids at The Warehouse saved Richmond hardcore, and they continue to nourish it. My relationship with hardcore has changed very little, but my involvement has decreased. I still believe in hardcore as a positive outlet and venue for ideas, but I’m just at a different place in my life than most hardcore kids. I love to go and see everyone, and dance and sing along. But if Gary from Naysayer is on stage singing about being “caught in a cycle," I feel him and sing back, but I don’t really feel caught in that “cycle” anymore. I think that’s the best analogy I can come up with. Regardless, the passion and integrity I learned from my years being active in the hardcore scene is something that shaped the adult I am today.
Matt and his wife
Andrew: Where does your lyrical inspiration come from? Do you think the somewhat melancholy tone of the album is something you'll move away from in the future?
Matt: Obviously there’s a cautionary overtone about drugs and alcohol. I claim straight edge as a response to injustice and suffering, so that will always permeate my songs. It's less about "don't drink" and more about wanting people to consider their actions. That being said, I think the main theme in my songs is really the struggle between spirit and flesh. It’s not really a secret that I identify myself as a Christian (regardless of how loaded with bullshit that label can be), and a big part of that identity is believing in the struggle between what my reptilian brain wants and what my spirit knows will bring life. It really boils down to what we mean when we say “I” or “me." Am I the impulse to breed that makes me gawk at cute girls in a disrespectful way? Or am I the love I have for my wife and the longing I have to make her happy? It’s not an exclusively Christian idea--Hinduism talks about Maya and overcoming it with service (Bhakti). Christians just believe that the love we feel and the option to choose spirit over flesh stems from the love G-d has for us.
The sad tone of the album really just reflects my ennui at being a broken person in a world of broken people all seeking redemption in one way or another. Being melancholy isn’t a bad thing. It makes me feel human. I think Christians on the whole aren’t sad enough. We spend too much time trying to prove how happy we are or being angry at all the wrong things for bogus reasons. I imagine Christ as being sort of sad much of the time. “Blessed are the poor in spirit” and all that.
Andrew: What's the future of Wrist Rocket looking like? Do you expect to do any touring, either solo or with a backing band, for the new album?
Matt: I’m going to play with the Hold Tight guys as much as possible. Traditional touring isn’t really in the cards because of my obligations at home. However, I travel for work and have a harebrained scheme to play shows solo while I’m on the road.
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And there you have it! For a two-song preview of the Wrist Rocket LP, Sailing On Seas Of Regret, check out wristxrocket.com. And be sure to catch the Endless Winter Triple Record Release Show, tomorrow night at Strange Matter.