Welcome to a feature where we sit down and talk to bands and artists about their latest albums to find out all about it. Today we speak to musician Matty Marz about the debut album W.M.U.

Hello, nice to meet you! Can you tell us about yourself?

Hi! It’s lovely to meet you. I’m Matty Marz, a rising trans pop phenomenon, and I’m here to pave the way for the future of pop music! 

Tell us about the new album.

Absolutely! My debut album, m.w.u, is a journey of self-discovery and reflection. I wanted to dive deep into themes of confidence, loss, confusing, self-identity, and growth, and explore these emotions through the vibrant, liberating lens of dance music. The album is filled with highs and lows and asks many questions about the emotions we all experience. For me, dance music is pure joy and freedom, and I hope this album offers others a joyous sense of release. I think there’s so much depth to this project and I just hope everyone else finds something meaningful within it.

Favourite track on the album and why?

Hmm, that’s such a tough one to answer! I will say, “Sing Me To Sleep” is definitely the song that means the most to me. It’s my most personal and experimental track to date. I wrote it during a really dark time for me emotionally, and I honestly wasn’t sure if it would be a song that ever saw the light of day. The process of finishing the song was emotional and fragile, but the end result is breathtaking. It encapsulates everything the album stands for. 

Tell us a bit about the album recording process. Was it fun to create?

It was a long journey—two and the half years in the making. I started working on some of these songs when I was still living in Los Angeles, but I didn’t know it was going to become an album until earlier this year. I’ve been transitioning since July 2023 so this year has really been about me coming into my girlhood. With that, my perception of my self and work has changed, which is kind of how I figured out these songs made up an album and really represented this transitional and formative period for me. It was a ton of fun to make m.w.u but also required a lot of painful development — c’est la vie! 

What inspired the album title?

The album, m.w.u, is also the name of one of the songs on the album. It’s a shorthand for “moment with you” and represents the idea that the only thing that truly matters is living in the moment. We are fed a lot of inaccuracies about what we can control in life, so with this album I wanted to share a reminder that it’s okay to just exist in the moment you’re in.

Tell us about the idea behind the album cover?

The photo is from a photoshoot from May 2023 when I was shooting the single cover for “m.w.u.” I knew for so long that this would be the shot I’d use for the album cover, but when it came time to finalize it, I realized I had facially changed so much. It was making me feel a little bit dysphoric so I decided to box out my face— I actually ended up loving the final version so much.

What one of your songs on the new album do you think will be the most difficult to translate to the live stage? 

Good question! Maybe “Lacazette.” I would love to be able to perform it with backup dancers and intricate choreography. I think performing “Lacazettte” solo can be a bit intimating. 

Why do you believe people should listen to the album?

I really do believe in the music I’m making. I see myself as an important up and coming artist, and while I know that’s a bold statement, I’m making music that is very unique and authentic to myself. As a trans woman, I also believe my voice offers a unique and crucial perspective that needs to be shared. This album in particular really speaks to the human experience, so I do hope that others are able to emotionally connect with it as well. Music has saved my life countless times, so I only hope I can give back with my music as well.