{"id":44952,"date":"2014-09-11T19:32:07","date_gmt":"2014-09-12T00:32:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/?p=44952"},"modified":"2014-09-11T19:32:07","modified_gmt":"2014-09-12T00:32:07","slug":"interview-with-norman-matthew-of-murder-fm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/2014\/interview-with-norman-matthew-of-murder-fm\/","title":{"rendered":"Norman Matthew of Murder FM"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Kent McIntire<\/span>
\n– Columnist —<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Murder FM is a deep, dark, hard hitting rock band that will leave you wanting more. A lot of the same is said about a lot of bands. However, after speaking with Murder FM front man, Norman Matthew, it\u2019s perfectly clear he wants Murder FM to be the biggest band in the world, but he won\u2019t do it at the sacrifice of the music, the business, or his bandmates. Call him \u201cNorman,\u201d \u201cThe Gnar\u201d or \u201cGnarman\u201d (on Twitter). He\u2019s an artist, musician, businessman, teacher, and 6 months ago took on the biggest responsibility of his life \u2013 he\u2019s a new dad! Check this out \u2026 <\/p>\n

\"Norman<\/p>\n

HRH: I\u2019m talking with Norman Matthew of Murder FM on the heels of the Dirt Fest show in Michigan. Obviously you guys made it home safe. How was Dirt Fest for you?<\/p>\n

Norman: Dude! It was awesome! It was everything I expected it to be and then some. We had a blast.<\/p>\n

HRH: Did you guys do another show after that or did you guys get home and try to relax a little bit?<\/p>\n

Norman: We dead headed to Texas because I am trying to finish this record for the band and I am also producing a couple other bands at the same time. So, jack of all trades, master of none. Just trying to get it done, man. And trying to get ready for the run with Rob Zombie, Fozzy, and Avatar, and just a lot of really killer stuff going on.<\/p>\n

HRH: What\u2019s going on with the new album? Tell us a little bit about that.<\/p>\n

Norman: It\u2019s heavy, man! Heavy arena rock. It\u2019s made for arenas. It\u2019s hard heavy arena rock. That\u2019s the best way I can explain it. Beau Hill who mixed the record has a great history of building big bands back in the day; Ratt, Alice Cooper, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Warrant. I mean, you name it. A lot of big bands that came out of the arena era, he touched. He finished this record and what he\u2019s done with it, it\u2019s just huge. We had a release, but it was supposed to be September 2014, but we everything just kind of got bigger for the band as things started going that we just had to regroup and figure out the best way to do it. It\u2019s a great problem to have, but I don\u2019t know if we are going to make the September 16th release that we had in mind. Just because the fact of the buzz that the band was getting and we needed to treat it properly because that\u2019s what we wanted. Know what I mean?<\/p>\n

HRH: Now, as if that wasn\u2019t enough, you guys are starting to put down the foundation of a new album, right?<\/p>\n

Norman: Yeah! I\u2019ve had a record done for a while now for the band. We\u2019ve already got a second one in the tank because I\u2019ve got a studio called The Sound Foundation where I run a lot of artists out of. I mean I just have everything at my disposal as far as a producer, and a writer. So, I\u2019m also kind of able to maneuver when the inspiration hits \u2013 I get on it. And our band has a beautiful working relationship that I\u2019ll get the music going and demo and they bring it to life. So, I have the least egotistical band members in the world. It\u2019s amazing because it helps to create. We\u2019re all on the same page wanting to go the same place and wanting to do the same thing. It\u2019s never really a matter of \u201c\u2026It\u2019s my idea\u2026\u201d or \u201c\u2026 it\u2019s my song\u2026\u201d or \u201c\u2026it\u2019s this\u2026\u201d Dude, we just GO!<\/p>\n

HRH: Who does most of the writing? Is it you or is it more of a collaborative effort?<\/p>\n

Norman: No. I do most of the writing<\/p>\n

HRH: When do you sleep?<\/p>\n

Norman: Never! (laughs) Like I said, I\u2019m producing bands. There\u2019s also an artist development school that I have. And then I have a 6 month old little boy. On top of that, I just don\u2019t sleep, man! That\u2019s not an option for the next few years.<\/p>\n

HRH: Is that your only child?<\/p>\n

Norman: Yes.<\/p>\n

HRH: Being on the road all the time myself, that doesn\u2019t make it any easier to be away, right?<\/p>\n

Norman: No. And he\u2019s the coolest little thing I\u2019ve ever seen in my life. It makes it even worse.<\/p>\n

HRH: It keeps you grounded though!<\/p>\n

Norman: It does! When he was born it was one of those weird \u2026 I hear people talk about it all the time and never thought it would be a thing and then it did the same thing to me that I had heard. Now, all the things that I thought mattered just don\u2019t even equate to what\u2019s happening in my life right now. All the times that I thought that we had to have the biggest show or the best \u2018this\u2019 or the coolest amp. It\u2019 just like \u201cwhatever dude!\u201d<\/p>\n

HRH: You\u2019re not number one anymore!<\/p>\n

Norman: Yeah. It\u2019s the coolest feeling and it\u2019s really helped focus me on keeping what\u2019s important in place. He has really helped me focus in the weirdest ways, he doesn\u2019t even know it. It\u2019s really helped me up my game in the music as well, though. Because now it\u2019s like I\u2019m not necessarily fighting for the\u2026 as much as we want to be the biggest band. I know I do and I\u2019m not shy about it at all. It\u2019s also kind of like \u2018you know, I\u2019m a little more psyched on my son having a father that left a legacy behind. To me, that\u2019s even cooler.<\/p>\n

HRH: Is there a piece of you that wants him to take the same path or\u2026<\/p>\n

Norman: I don\u2019t know that I will. I just want him to have something that he can be proud of or to look at, you know\u2026 \u201cmy dad said he wanted to do that and he went out and did it\u201d and whatever maybe he wants, I want him to feel that same way. Go out and do what I want to do. I just want him to leave something behind that always makes him feel like he can do it.<\/p>\n

HRH: Over the years you guys have played with some big names: Halestorm, Gemini Syndrome, Drowning Pool\u2026 All fantastic bands. Who\u2019s your favorite?<\/p>\n

Norman: Man! (sigh) That\u2019s hard, because sometimes I kind of don\u2019t want to meet people in bands because I don\u2019t want to ruin it for me. Once you meet someone you\u2019re like \u201cWOW! I can\u2019t believe I spent money and time \u2026 wow \u2026 you\u2019re a terrible person.\u201d I had a lot of fun opening for Young Guns. We did radio festivals with them. They\u2019re from the UK and I heard about them when we went out to the UK on our first tour out there and I just really fell in love with those dudes musically because they were doing something I was really in to. It was melodic heavy rock, you know. It wasn\u2019t screaming and it wasn\u2019t yelling. It wasn\u2019t a bunch of nonsense. No disrespect to anyone that does that. I mean, it was just like \u201cWHOA!\u201d It was something I could really identify with. This is something that I\u2019m like \u201cYEAH! You\u2019re speaking my language, dude!\u201d That was really cool to be a part of.<\/p>\n

HRH: If you could jam with somebody, either solo or with your band Murder FM \u2013 dead or alive \u2013 who would it be?<\/p>\n

Norman: You know\u2026 I would probably want to write a song (everyone is going to think I\u2019m crazy for this) with Axl Rose.<\/p>\n

HRH: Really?<\/p>\n

Norman: (chuckle) Yeah! I would love for him to sing it and I\u2019ll just lay in the back and do my thing. Also, Trent Reznor or do a song with Dave Gahan of Depeche Mode.<\/p>\n

HRH: It\u2019s funny to hear you say Depeche Mode. I miss that electronic techno rock sound.<\/p>\n

Norman: Me too, man! I grew up at a beautiful time. My parents loved music, so, you\u2019ve got the 70\u2019s thing going on in the house. We also had the 80\u2019s going on. When I was hitting maybe almost junior high, there was Nine Inch Nails, The Cure, Depeche Mode. The Cure was a huge influence on me lyrically because hearing all the 80\u2019s and 70\u2019s stuff, I was like well, 70\u2019s stuff made no sense to me. I didn\u2019t do drugs and it freaked me out. I used to tell my mom I\u2019m a little worried because I was a chunky kid when I was little and I\u2019m like \u201cI\u2019m not going to look good in yellow spandex. I don\u2019t smoke, drink, or do drugs. Still don\u2019t. What am I going to write songs about, Mom?\u201d So, when The Cure came out, and Depeche Mode came out and Nine Inch Nails, I was kind of like \u2026 KISS made me want to be on stage and be a showman, Guns-N-Roses showed me what it was like to be raw and have some teeth and still be really creative at it at the same time. Then Nine Inch Nails, Depeche Mode, The Cure just put the dark side stamp on it for me. So, I was like \u201cYES!\u201d So, I kind of rolled all those things up together to make what we\u2019re doing with Murder FM.<\/p>\n

HRH: What\u2019s next for Murder FM? <\/p>\n

Norman: Well, September sees us on the road a lot. We\u2019ve got a slough of dates with Fozzy, WWE wrestler Chris Jericho, and Avatar \u2013 which they\u2019re not a new band, but they\u2019re new to me and I\u2019m way into these dudes and Rob Zombie which is going to be off the hook.<\/p>\n

HRH: Looking at your website, you guys have been on the road for 2 years, damn near solid?<\/p>\n

Norman: Yeah. It feels like forever. I think the only time we\u2019ve ever stopped is to continue working on the record; trying to get that done. Have a baby. Go back on the road. That\u2019s what it\u2019s been for us. And the real hold up between our first release and to now has just been that we have been lucky enough to have been invited out with so many great bands. It\u2019s like you can\u2019t have those opportunities \u2013 unfortunately you cannot be in 2 places at once. So, sometimes it really holds you back when you\u2019re wanting to finish the record or you\u2019re wanting to do your thing. The cool thing about that is that we were able to grow musically as a band live. Even though I do a majority of the writing and the thing is that I write the way we play as a band and the way we move as a band and as a machine. So I cater to my band members and their style. So, we were able to really, really develop as a band the way some bands might have shot out of the gate too fast, shot themselves in the foot and never had the chance to really become the band they could be. For us, we were really able to, at least for me, I was able to wrap my head around what Murder FM was going to become. So, the material got a lot better when I started to see all the ways that I could make the band better. So, that\u2019s the big hold up for anyone that\u2019s ever curious why there is like a 3 year gap. I like to tell people: \u201cWell, we\u2019re trying the next \u201cHysteria\u201d Def Leppard record or \u201cChinese Democracy\u201d!\u201d (laughs)<\/p>\n

HRH: Joe Elliot\u2019s voice \u2013 it never ages.<\/p>\n

Norman: Isn\u2019t that crazy? I mean \u2026 As the years go by, the proof is always in the pudding. No matter what! You can say whatever about a band and this and this. When they stand the test of time, that\u2019s just the way it is. You\u2019re just going to have to deal with it. Know what I mean?? (laughs)<\/p>\n

HRH: At what point does Norman Matthew look in the mirror and say: \u201cDamn it. We made it!\u201d <\/p>\n

Norman: I used to think it was when we made money and when we were the biggest, most famous band in the world. Now? Not so much, man! Made It has changed my mind through the years because I was signed to Capital Records at a young age. It was a sign of the time and the industry model . Before \u201cmade it\u201d used to mean money for me and now it\u2019s more like we\u2019ve already made it in a lot of ways. I have stood the test of time starting out very young and still 12 years later I\u2019m still doing it and relevant. I was like 15 when I did my first release and my first record. A lot of people don\u2019t know that. I started my thing young, man. I was playing with jazz players when I was 12 and 13 and to still be able to do it 12 years later, having kid, being on the road, having been around the world twice. Playing my music practically on the north pole by going to Finland, Korea, South America, having 2 top 10 videos in Europe. Having a song on \u201cRock Band 3\u201d. Again, doing it my way. Never at any point in time did a producer sit me down or a record label sit me down and say \u201c\u2026 this is what you\u2019re going to do\u201d, \u201c\u2026 this is the kind of music you\u2019re going to play\u201d, \u201c\u2026this is how we\u2019re going to sell it\u201d. I went for the slow build rather than the sprint because I always wanted to do it on my terms. In the long run, it gave me some business acumen. It taught me about the business. It taught me about the production side. It taught me about the booking side. It taught me about the marketing side. It made me stronger and to me, I\u2019ve made it. Because now I\u2019m pretty much invincible. (chuckle) An educated musician is going to be the musician that survives this day and age.<\/p>\n

HRH: So many bands go hard and just crash.<\/p>\n

Norman: Yeah! We didn\u2019t want to do that. I had a slew of contact when Murder FM first came out because of my previous band, Never Enough, and the band before that on Capital. But, I didn\u2019t want to use them because I knew it was going to take a little time before we got to where we wanted to be. Now, I\u2019m pulling every punch possible. Back then, it was like \u2018let\u2019s grow\u2019. We\u2019re still in our infancy. Let\u2019s earn our wings and lets dig the ditch a little bit. Let\u2019s have a little respect for each other. We\u2019ve earned this and we\u2019ve done this and we\u2019re going to make it happen.<\/p>\n

HRH: Congratulations to you and the band. Settle down, you\u2019ve got a baby at home and he\u2019s going to be 13 like my oldest in the blink of an eye!
\nNorman: I look forward to all of it. So, to me, I\u2019ve already made it!! Now it\u2019s just a matter of stretching it out. (laughs)<\/p>\n

HRH: Anything else you want to tell your fans??<\/p>\n

Norman: We\u2019re going to kill it in 2014, 2015. We\u2019ve got a killer new website up www.murderfmmusic.com, so you should definitely go check it out and spread the evil for us! Thank you all for believing in our band. As clich\u00e9 as it sounds, fan engagement is more than anything ever. We wouldn\u2019t be where we are because the size of the band and the things we\u2019ve had to go through. We would not have made the splash we\u2019ve made in this business. Especially in this time in the industry and the new age if it wasn\u2019t for our fans. Man, we recognize it and we see it. We wouldn\u2019t be anywhere without everybody. So, THANK YOU.<\/p>\n

HRH: Norman Matthew \u2026 Murder FM \u2026 Great talking to you, brother!<\/p>\n

Norman: You too, man!!<\/p>\n

Visit the band online: www.murderfmmusic.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Kent McIntire – Columnist — Murder FM is a deep, dark, hard hitting rock band that will leave you wanting more. A lot of the same is said about a lot of bands. However, […]<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":44974,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10850],"tags":[9974,203,9973,9972],"class_list":{"0":"post-44952","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arcint2014","8":"tag-dirtfest","9":"tag-interview","10":"tag-murder-fm","11":"tag-norman-matthew"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44952","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=44952"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44952\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/44974"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44952"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=44952"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=44952"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}