Matthew’s career as a solo artist has evolved naturally over the past few years, his fanbase growing organically and his songwriting skills growing exponentially. But it has not just been the quality of Matthew’s songs that sets him apart. The prolific musician has self-released eight EPs since 2008, offering his fans a consistent stream of new music. In September of 2008, Matthew recorded his debut solo EP, The Fire EP, for $1000 in a Birmingham basement. This disc spawned “First In Line,” which appeared in the 100th episode of Grey’s Anatomy.
Matthew’s second EP followed in July 2009. Five Chances Remain Hers, produced by Paul Moak, which landed another track, “Better,” on Grey’s Anatomy. The single skyrocketed to No. 1 on the iTunes singer/songwriter chart and in December of 2009 Matthew offered fans a third EP-- Maybe Next Christmas. The reaction to these releases and to Matthew’s songwriting was so strong it just made sense for him to keep doing it.
“The response was pretty overwhelming and caught me a bit off guard,” Matthew explains. “It reset something inside me and got my wheels turning for the EP series. I wanted to try something that no one else was trying. I knew I had the songs, and I knew that if I worked hard, I could put out records that people wanted to hear month after month. I've had plenty of issues over the years as an artist, but there's never been a shortage of songs.”
Since Maybe Next Christmas, Matthew has written, recorded, and released five more EPs--regularly putting them out every month from January 2010 through May 2010. Each disc has showcased a different facet of the musician, revealing his depth and versatility. Funded by his fans— who were also involved in selecting the tracklists and cover art via Pledge Music--each EP has also reached the top of the iTunes singer/songwriter charts. The whirlwind process has taught Matthew, who toured in the midst of this with Needtobreathe, Pete Yorn, Switchfoot, Blue October and The Civil Wars, an immense amount about both himself and about creating music.
“Each EP is a different chapter for me,” he says. “Essentially, it was an exercise in storytelling.Late '08 into early '09 was by far the hardest period of my life. There was a lot of grief to process, and it was tough to file it down into song form. The ideas spilled out night after night, morning after
morning. I learned to keep a voice recorder close by at all times for that reason. Most of the melodies came to me in the car, the airport, the shower— pretty much the most inconvenient places for making noise.”
Riding on the momentum of this succession of music, Matthew is currently preparing to release his debut album, Now You’re Free, a record that was completely funded by his fans via Pledge Music. Recorded over the course of three weeks with producer Paul Moak in Nashville in June, the disc pairs five songs pulled from Matthew’s past EPs and five brand new tracks. The ten songs walk a fine line between Matthew’s acoustic singer-songwriter tendencies and the group-driven rock ‘n roll he loves making, in the end creating a cohesive, narrative-driven collection of spirited rock songs.
"I want to write songs that people can sing back at me the way I sing back at my favorite artists,” he says. “I'm excited about attempting to change something with a song. It could be someone's mood for four minutes, the temperature in their room or the way they watch the sun set driving down the interstate. Music has changed everything for me. I want to be a part of that for other people.”
Ain't Much More To Say
Matthew Mayfield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Come knocking down your door
With a fist full of heart
And a radio
I can't get the girl
To play any songs I wrote
'Cause she gave it up for the sideshow
There ain't much more to say
So there ain't much more to say to you
There ain't much more to say
When it all begins
Already talking 'bout the end
You can see the fear in the eyes of friends
You can't believe and I can't pretend
That this all revolved
'Round an aimless wind
So there ain't much more to say to you
There ain't much more to say
So there ain't much more to say to you
There ain't much more to say
I have a crippling fear
A crippling fear of seeing you again
I have a crippling fear
A crippling fear of seeing you again
So there ain't much more to say to you
There ain't much more to say
So there ain't much more to say to you
There ain't much more to say
There ain't much more to say
There ain't much more to say to you
No, there ain't much more to say
The lyrics to Matthew Mayfield's song Ain't Much More to Say portray the feeling of heartbreak and loss. The singer of the song has returned to their former lover with a "fist full of heart and a radio," but they cannot reach her. She has given up her love for him in exchange for the sideshow. He expresses his disappointment and frustration at not being able to win her back.
As the song progresses, the singer becomes aware of the inevitable end of their relationship. He notices the fear in the eyes of their friends and realizes that their love was always "an aimless wind." The repetition of the chorus, "There ain't much more to say to you," highlights the finality of the breakup.
The final lines of the song reveal the singer's fear of seeing their former lover again. This fear indicates that he still harbours feelings for her, despite their failed relationship. Overall, Ain't Much More to Say is a melancholy exploration of lost love and the difficulty of moving on.
Line by Line Meaning
Came back again
Returning to your presence
Come knocking down your door
Seeking your attention and presence
With a fist full of heart
Offering genuine love and emotion
And a radio
To add to the atmosphere and mood
I can't get the girl
Unable to win her heart
To play any songs I wrote
Unable to connect with her on a deeper level
'Cause she gave it up for the sideshow
She chose other things over the relationship
When it all begins
At the start of it all
Already talking 'bout the end
Discussions and fears of it ending
You can see the fear in the eyes of friends
Even the people close to them are scared
You can't believe and I can't pretend
Both parties acknowledging the reality of the situation
That this all revolved
The situation was centered around
'Round an aimless wind
A lack of direction or purpose in the relationship
I have a crippling fear
A serious and overwhelming fear
A crippling fear of seeing you again
Afraid to potentially face the pain and hurt again
So there ain't much more to say to you
Having said all that needs to be said
No, there ain't much more to say
Nothing more can be said or done
Writer(s): Matthew Mayfield
Contributed by Gabriel I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Daniel sosa
I started listen your music since "Better" and think your music is magical man :')
Y S
Thank you for this magic...
TheBrandonJ
His count in gets me every time.
lawngnome412
a few nights ago at The Factory at Franklin, matt played a short set on a bill that also had noah guthrie. this show was awesome. His song about coming to nashville to make music was, as well as his song "god's fault", were just kick ass. looking forward to checking out more shows of his.
Laura Sebert
I hope that someday you could come to Spain. Your music starts to be something necessary in my life.
Tavier Haarer
Where can I find the chords to this song?
bobandfudge
Rich voice dude... nice..
Arushi Khosla
"I have a crippling fear, a crippling fear of seeing you again" < best.
Shnoukys Garv
Am I the happiest person in the world or what :) Thanks for posting
ImBLast
oooooooooo.......ooooooooooo..ohohoho