New York, NY (Top40 Charts) "I tried and tried to write something I connected with, but couldn't figure it out," says Florida-born and raised singer and songwriter Matthew Fowler on his all-night writing session for "Been A Lover" from his upcoming full-length album, The Grief We Gave Our Mother. "As the sun was literally coming up that morning, I had myself a good cry and started writing," he recalls. "After about ten minutes, the page was full and the song was there." The resulting tune is a drum and strum-driven groover accented by swirls of organ and background vocals which effortlessly envelop Fowler's voice and message.
In Fowler's words, "Been A Lover" is a "bittersweet admission about loving the greater pursuit of music while beginning to understand the effect it can have on personal relationships, growth, and self-fulfillment." That balance shows up in song as a torn but never overtly-negative narrative. Yesterday, American Songwriter premiered "Been A Lover," saying that it "sounds as honest and fervent as the song's origin story," adding, "the track hums along with a vibe similar to that of balladeer Ben Howard."
Recently, Far Out Magazine commended Fowler's perseverance in the previously released single, "I'm Still Trying," saying, "The relaxed roll of acoustic guitar and churning drums make this listening experience wonderfully easy," and Culture Collide called the same song "a meditation on the tribulations of adulthood and change." The Luna
Collective said the album is "whittled to perfection...with stunningly poetic lyrics and a warm, woodsy sound, the album feels like coming home," and Holler. named Fowler their New Artist of the Week last month.
Written over the course of the past several years, The Grief We Gave Our Mother is indeed a profoundly personal work of self-discovery and introspection, but more than that, it's an ode to growing up and chasing dreams. The result is a record that's at once bold and timid, hopeful and anxious, world-weary and naïve, an honest, revelatory collection all about putting one foot in front of the other and forging a life of purpose, passion, and meaning. "This record is the sound of me finding myself and my place in the world," Fowler reflects. "It's about real moments and real stories and real people."
