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.
Summer Rain
Matt Fishel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I was dancing with my baby in the summer rain
I can hear him saying, "Nothing will change"
Come dance with me baby, in the summer rain
I remember the rain on his skin
And his kisses hotter than the Santa Ana winds
Whispering our goodbyes, waiting for the train
I remember laughing ′til we almost cried
There at the station that night
I remember looking in his eyes
Oh my love, it's you that I dream of
Oh my love, since that day
Somewhere in my heart I′m always
Dancing with you in the summer rain
Doesn't matter what I do now
Doesn't matter what I say
Somewhere in my heart I′m always
Dancing with you in the summer rain
I can hear the whistle, military train
I was dancing with my baby in the summer rain
I can hear him saying, "Ooh, love is strange"
Come dance with me baby, in the summer rain
I remember the rain pouring down
And we poured our hearts out as the train pulled out
I can see my baby waving from the train
It was the last time that I saw him
In the summer rain
Oh my love, it′s you that I dream of
Oh my love, since that day
Somewhere in my heart I'm always
Dancing with you in the summer rain
Every night and every day now
Though I know you′ve gone away
Somewhere in my heart I'm always
Dancing with you in the summer rain
(Ooh, summer)
Every time I see the lightning
Every time I hear the thunder
Every time I close the window
When this happens in the summer
Oh, the night is so inviting
I can feel that you are so close
I can feel you when the wind blows
Blows right through my heart
Oh my love, it′s you that I dream of
Oh my love, since that day
Somewhere in my heart I'm always
Dancing with you in the summer rain
Every night and every day now
Though I know you′ve gone away
Somewhere in my heart I'm always
Dancing with you in the summer rain
Doesn't matter what I do now
Doesn′t matter what I say
Somewhere in my heart I′m always
Dancing with you in the summer rain
Summer rain
The lyrics of Matt Fishel's "Summer Rain" evoke feelings of longing and nostalgia for a lost love. The song describes a moment in time when the singer and their lover are saying goodbye at a train station, dancing together in the rain. The singer remembers the feeling of the rain on their skin, the passion of their lover's kisses, and the hopelessness they felt when the train pulled away, taking their lover with it. Even though their lover is gone, the singer still feels a strong connection to them, knowing that somewhere in their heart, they will always be dancing with them in the summer rain.
One interpretation of the song is that it speaks to the idea that love and loss are inevitable, but that memories of love and the connection it brings stay with us forever. The imagery of dancing in the rain symbolizes the freedom and joy of being in love, while the train and the storm indicate that the relationship has ended, with the singer left alone to reminisce about the love they once had.
Line by Line Meaning
Whispering our goodbyes, waiting for the train
Saying goodbye softly while waiting for the train to come.
I was dancing with my baby in the summer rain
I was joyfully dancing with my beloved during a downpour in the summertime.
I can hear him saying, "Nothing will change"
I recall his words, assuring me that our love will remain steadfast.
Come dance with me baby, in the summer rain
Join me in this moment of love and joy, let's dance in the rainfall together.
I remember the rain on his skin
The feeling of the water droplets touching his body is vivid in my memory.
And his kisses hotter than the Santa Ana winds
His passionate kisses felt incredibly intense, like the hot and dry winds of Southern California.
I remember laughing ′til we almost cried
Our laughter was so abundant and pure that we had nearly cried from joy.
There at the station that night
This memory takes me back to the train station on that magical evening.
I remember looking in his eyes
His eyes held a special spark that I could never forget.
Oh my love, it's you that I dream of
My heart still yearns for him, and he is the subject of my dreams.
Somewhere in my heart I′m always
A deep, unyielding part of me will forever be...
Doesn't matter what I do now
No matter what I do...
Doesn't matter what I say
...or what I say...
Dancing with you in the summer rain
...I will always be dancing with him in the rain of summer.
I can hear the whistle, military train
The sound of the train whistle is audible in my memory, signaling the arrival and departure of a military train.
I can hear him saying, "Ooh, love is strange"
I can distinctly remember him uttering the phrase that love is an unusual and unpredictable thing.
I remember the rain pouring down
The heavy rainfall is still vivid in my recollection.
And we poured our hearts out as the train pulled out
As the train left, we opened up and expressed our deepest emotions.
I can see my baby waving from the train
I can visualize him enthusiastically waving goodbye from the departing train.
It was the last time that I saw him
I realized that this was the final moment I would see his face and be with him.
Every time I see the lightning
Each time I observe a lightning bolt...
Every time I hear the thunder
...or hear the rumbling of thunder...
Every time I close the window
...or close a window...
When this happens in the summer
...during the summertime, when these natural occurrences take place...
Oh, the night is so inviting
The nighttime atmosphere is especially appealing to me.
I can feel that you are so close
It's as though he is near to me.
I can feel you when the wind blows
Even when the wind blows, I sense his presence.
Blows right through my heart
The wind seems to pass right through me and touch my heart directly.
Every night and every day now
At any time of day or night...
Though I know you′ve gone away
...although I am aware that he is no longer present...
Dancing with you in the summer rain
...I still dance with him in the rain of summer.
Writer(s): Maria Vidal, Robbie Seidman
Contributed by Reagan C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.