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.”
Miles & Miles
Matthew Mayfield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Evidence underneath your skin, the secret's there and you keep within.
Stoned face but your heart belongs with me.
I ain't gonna tell no one I got your guardian hands you come.
Your bitters and your sweets, breathe me out, breathe me in.
I ain't gonna let you down, I ain't gonna let you down.
Your heartache is harder to take as the sound of your voice gets further away.
It comes from miles and miles and miles and miles.
Find yourself an oblivious man, how does it feel to hold his heart in the palm of your hand before you steal all the gold that he's buried below, waiting for a girl that he'd keep.
It comes along once upon a time, a storybook ending.
Smokey mirrors and new lies, convince a thief to breathe you out, to breathe you in.
You're just gonna let me down, you're just gonna let me down.
Your heartache is harder to take as the sound of your voice gets further away.
It comes from miles and miles and miles and miles.
It will come, it will come.
Miles and miles and miles and miles.
It comes from miles and miles and miles and miles.
Comes from miles and miles and miles and miles.
Comes from miles and miles and miles and miles.
Stoned face but your heart belongs with me.
I ain't gonna tell no one I got your guardian hands you come.
Your bitters and your sweets, breathe me out, breathe me in.
I ain't gonna let you down, I ain't gonna let you down.
The lyrics in Matthew Mayfield’s “Miles & Miles” speak to the complexities of a tumultuous relationship. The request to “open it up and let me inside, show me all the proof you hide” highlights the desire for complete honesty and transparency, while acknowledging that the other person is keeping secrets “underneath your skin”. Despite this, the singer believes that the person’s “heart belongs with me” and that they are guarded by “your guardian hands”. This complicated relationship is further emphasized by the lines “Your heartache is harder to take as the sound of your voice gets further away. It comes from miles and miles and miles and miles.”
The second verse presents an interesting twist, with the singer addressing someone who has taken advantage of an “oblivious man”, stealing “all the gold that he’s buried below.” This person waits for “a girl that he’d keep” but instead is deceived by “smokey mirrors and new lies”. The singer implies that this person is also keeping secrets and is convinced by lies, causing them to continually “breathe you out, to breathe you in”. This verse provides a contrast to the relationship the singer is in, as their connection is fraught with difficulties but based on genuine emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
Open it up and let me inside, show me all the proof you hide.
Reveal to me what you're hiding and let me see the evidence.
Evidence underneath your skin, the secret's there and you keep within.
There is a truth that you know inside but keep concealed.
Stoned face but your heart belongs with me.
Despite your unemotional façade, your heart belongs to me.
I ain't gonna tell no one I got your guardian hands you come.
I won't reveal that I have your support when you come to me.
Your bitters and your sweets, breathe me out, breathe me in.
I want to be a part of every aspect of your life, even the difficult ones.
I ain't gonna let you down, I ain't gonna let you down.
I won't disappoint you or let you down.
Your heartache is harder to take as the sound of your voice gets further away. It comes from miles and miles and miles and miles. It will come, it will come.
The farther you are from me, the more I feel your pain - it's a feeling that won't go away and it will catch up to you eventually.
Find yourself an oblivious man, how does it feel to hold his heart in the palm of your hand before you steal all the gold that he's buried below, waiting for a girl that he'd keep.
You may have someone else, but they are oblivious to the treasure they possess - their heart - that you will inevitably take from them.
It comes along once upon a time, a storybook ending.
True love only happens very rarely and it feels like something out of a fairy tale.
Smokey mirrors and new lies, convince a thief to breathe you out, to breathe you in. You're just gonna let me down, you're just gonna let me down.
Deception and false promises can convince someone to give their heart away, but ultimately they will only disappoint you.
Miles and miles and miles and miles. It comes from miles and miles and miles and miles. Comes from miles and miles and miles and miles. Comes from miles and miles and miles and miles.
No matter how far apart we are, I will still feel your heartache and longing.
Stoned face but your heart belongs with me. I ain't gonna tell no one I got your guardian hands you come. Your bitters and your sweets, breathe me out, breathe me in. I ain't gonna let you down, I ain't gonna let you down.
Even if you try to hide your emotions, your heart belongs to me and I am there for both the good and the bad times.
Contributed by Austin K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Holly Wagner
Matthew, so talented!!
Claudio Fummo
You should have much more notoriety, I love every song you make.
Cristina Gil Vidal
I can swear I am in love with this song. And in love with him. And in love with the world right now :)
Lola Hone
loving iit <3