SONG PREMIERE: Matthew Fountain and the Whereabouts Tap Into Eclectic Pop On “Written On Your Wall”

Born on the gulf coast of Mississippi into a family of Dixieland jazz musicians, it came as no surprise to many that Matthew Fountain made his way back to music after an extended absence. After picking up a guitar at age 9 and playing in metal bands through his early teens, Fountain spent his twenties instead focused on screenwriting before making the move out west in 2008 to reconnect with his musical roots and start a band in Portland, OR.

Matthew Fountain and the Whereabouts, featuring anywhere between three and eight of the singer’s friends as live accompaniment, have spent the past two years recording songs written by Fountain throughout the last decade, and their debut album Born On The Hook is the product of their labors. The album is due out January 20th and today we are excited to present an exclusive first listen of the tune “Written On Your Wall” right here on Glide. The song explores the human tendency to interpret other people’s words in the way that best suits our needs. “Alueeyualuah,” the repeating gibberish response to the protagonist’s call, is symbolic of that sentiment. The vocals have an almost Cake-like sound and the beat brings to mind Spoon’s “Don’t You Evah”, making this a tasty morsel of oddball pop.

In his own words, Matthew Fountain says, “This song is about never being able to truly know your partner, and how much of what we think we know is what we want them to be. The refrain response ‘aahlooeeyoualooah’ to the narrator’s call is a sort of sonic Rorschach, allowing the narrator and the listener to attach whatever meanings they want to those sounds.”

LISTEN:

Matthew Fountain and the Whereabouts release Born On The Hook January 20th. For more music and info visit facebook.com/matthewfountainandthewhereabouts.