Chicago native, Mathien has been aggressively ignoring the idea of genre since 2002. Yet, the multi-instrumentalist, singer songwriter, producer has managed to carve out a strong identity in the music business – not only as an artist but as a sound designer, mixing engineer and film scorer.
The success of Mathien’s first regional hit, “We don’t need to make love to know that we’ve got it ” led to countless tours and him signing to Midwest Music Group in 2009, where he recorded three albums.
After parting ways with MMG in 2013, Mathien began releasing albums independently with impressively high output, scoring his biggest hits with “Wurlitzer Crowley” (from the album Freedom Tapes) and “Pass the Vino” (off Bad Friend LP).
Mathien and Sam Hudgens have teamed up to bring us a funky and potent new single, “So (If I Can’t Have You Love).” Fluidly blending funk, soul, R&B, and jazz with style and elegance, this locked in collaboration is reminiscent of Bon Iver’s recent soulful collaborations with shades of Frank Orange. Check out this feelgood single to kick off this post election week… relax its over now…
Sam (Hudgens) made this beat in 2017 and played it for me during a session in Evanston,” says Mathien. ‘He was staying with his mom for a week and he didn’t have anything but a guitar and laptop when he made it –so the entire beat was dozens of layers of nylon strings over a drum machine loop. Even in its early sketches it was so good. I told him I wanted it but it seemed like he was writing to it. Fast forward to this September he stopped by my studio to record some ideas and he ended up playing the beat for me again. It was exactly the same. He said, “I’ve been stuck on this beat for years now.”
