Matt Fishel is a London-based singer, songwriter and producer.

Over … Read Full Bio ↴Matt Fishel is a London-based singer, songwriter and producer.

Over the years, he has crafted his own unique style of songwriting and production, with themes of sexuality, education, love and lust running through his work. His songs and lyrics deal openly with the joys, pains and experiences of growing up as a gay teenager and young man.

In 2010, in order to do things his own way, Matt launched his own record label, Young Lust Records, which he now runs from his London studio. This creative freedom has enabled him to manage and oversee his own projects and to collaborate with a number of exciting artists from around the globe.
Matt’s debut single - Football Song - was released worldwide by Young Lust Records on 7th June 2010, with beautiful artwork by Italian comic book illustrator Jacopo Camagni. The video for the song features Matt reminiscing about a school crush on the captain of the football team, complete with dancing footballers!
The song was selected by Attitude Magazine as "Our 2010 World Cup Anthem".

His follow-up single - The First Time - was released on 7th November 2011, alongside 2x '80s-inspired club remixes from Amsterdam-based remixer/producer Matt Pop (RuPaul's Drag Race). The video for The First Time was shot in Buenos Aires in Summer 2011 and is a collaboration with award-winning Argentinian movie director Alexis Dos Santos (Glue, Unmade Beds, Random Strangers).

These first two singles and videos gained Matt recognition from around the globe for his pop-rock driven style of music, candid lyrical content and unashamedly open videos.

"Gloriously gay, sweetly romantic, wonderful touching music" - STEPHEN FRY
"One of the most adorable music videos we've seen in a long time" - INSTINCT on The First Time
"An empowering soundtrack...A music video that will make you want to be a teenager all over again" - OUT MAGAZINE on The First Time
"Stunning" - STAR OBSERVER

Matt released two further singles in 2012 - Behind Closed Doors and Testament. The video for Testament was directed by Berlin-based portrait photographer and visual artist, Arno, and is a high-octane journey through tradition, expectation and a celebration of sexuality and freedom.

“How refreshing to hear something that is more rocking and less clubby…a song of empowerment, encourages you to raise freedom flags and celebrates falling in love” - ACCIDENTAL BEAR

In October 2012, Matt won two awards at the celebrated 2012 RightOutTV Music & Video Awards: SONG OF THE YEAR for Behind Closed Doors and BEST VIDEO SO FAR for Football Song.

Matt's latest single Radio-Friendly Pop Song, released in March 2013, comments on his (and others') experiences of the entertainment industry as an out artist. The song is accompanied by an official video created in collaboration with California's TyJens Media.

Matt spent 2012 hard at work in the studio with UK producer Mark Crew (B∆stille), recording his debut solo album, Not Thinking Straight. A blend of heavy guitars, big vocal harmonies and anthemic choruses, the album contains 13 tracks that deal with themes and issues surrounding gay life, relationships and experiences. It was released worldwide by Young Lust Records on 8th April 2013 and is available now as both a digital download on iTunes and Amazon, and as a physical CD.

For the Not Thinking Straight artwork, Matt teamed up with San Diego-based comic book illustrator Joe Phillips (creator of Joe Boys Comics and director/animator of the films Stonewall & Riot and The House Of Morecock). The album art includes 18 stunning original illustrations by Joe, each telling a unique story based on the songs' lyrics. Joe Phillips has also created and directed a brand new animation video for Matt's sixth single from the album - When Boy Meets Boy - which will be released later in the year.

Escape
Matt Fishel Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

As the sun punches the horizon and the red mist fills the sky
Take a ride with me, the night is calling out
So pack your things for the journey ′coz the road ahead is unknown
Then steal one last look at the places you're leaving behind

He says:
"Ride with me and we′ll hide out 'til the morning comes
'Coz tonight I′m gonna do bad things to you

So close your eyes, hold on tight, fill your lungs
Scream ′I'm not coming home′"
I'm never coming home

Do you feel the sting of the summer
Sun as it pierces through your skin?
Every time you feel that burnin′, think of me (and keep holding it)
When I'm wrapped in the embrace of a beautiful boy
Feel a raging deep inside
I can never return to the places I left behind

He says:
"Ride with me and we′ll hide out 'til the morning comes
'Coz tonight I′m gonna do bad things to you
So close your eyes, hold on tight, fill your lungs
Scream ′I'm not coming home′"
I'll never come back

As the sun punches the horizon and the red mist fills the sky
Take a ride with me, the night is calling out
So pack your things for the journey ′coz the road ahead is unknown
And steal one last look at the places you're leaving behind

So ride with me and we′ll make out 'til the morning comes
'Coz tonight I′m gonna do bad things to you
So close your eyes, hold on tight, fill your lungs
Scream ′I'm not coming home′
I'm never coming home

He says:
"Ride with me and we′ll hide out 'til the morning comes
′Coz tonight I'm gonna do bad things to you
So close your eyes, hold on tight, fill your lungs
Scream 'I′m not coming home′"

I'm never coming home
No I, I′ll never come back

Overall Meaning

"Escape" by Matt Fishel is a song about escaping from the hardships of life and seeking adventure with someone special. The opening lines of the song depict a stunning view of sunrise with a red mist filling up the sky, and the singer invites the listener to take a ride and venture into the unknown night. However, before starting, the singer advises to pack their belongings and take one last glance at the places being left behind.

The singer then invites the listener to escape the realities of life by joining him on a mischievous night together, which will rescue them from the mundane. They are asked to close their eyes and inhale deeply to scream and declare that they're not coming home. The singer talks about the brutality of the summer sun and how it makes them yearn for a beautiful boy's embrace, indicating their desire for happiness instead of the pain they experience.

The lyrics suggest that the song builds upon the idea of escaping and finding oneself and desires in someone else, and away from the life that has been deserted. Ultimately, the singer promises not to come back to the past and live the present to the fullest.

Line by Line Meaning

As the sun punches the horizon and the red mist fills the sky
The sun is rising while the sky turns red, a signal that it's time to leave.

Take a ride with me, the night is calling out
Come with me on this adventure, as the night beckons us to come out.

So pack your things for the journey ′coz the road ahead is unknown
Prepare for the unknown future ahead by gathering all the necessary things for the journey.

Then steal one last look at the places you're leaving behind
Take one final glance at the places you are leaving behind and acknowledge that it's the end of that chapter in your life.

"Ride with me and we′ll hide out 'til the morning comes 'Coz tonight I′m gonna do bad things to you So close your eyes, hold on tight, fill your lungs Scream ′I'm not coming home′" I'm never coming home
Let's escape reality and do something reckless tonight, with the realization that we won't be coming back or returning to the life we once knew.

Do you feel the sting of the summer Sun as it pierces through your skin? Every time you feel that burnin′, think of me (and keep holding it) When I'm wrapped in the embrace of a beautiful boy Feel a raging deep inside I can never return to the places I left behind
Are you reminded of me every time you feel the harsh sun on your skin? When I'm with someone special, the feeling of longing for them is heightened, even though returning to what's in the past is impossible.

"So ride with me and we′ll make out 'til the morning comes 'Coz tonight I′m gonna do bad things to you So close your eyes, hold on tight, fill your lungs Scream ′I'm not coming home′ I'm never coming home"
Join me on this adventure, and we'll flirt with danger until the morning. We are escaping our old life and all that comes with it, with no intention of going back.

Contributed by Aaliyah R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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