STACK #221 March 2023

MUSIC FEATURE

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Limiting himself to five chief elements in each of the hazy, hip-hop and funk bathed tracks of his third album, MATT CORBY has created a wonderland of soundscapes which ripple with the scenes of his life: from domestic bliss to cherished friends, love, addiction, noxious media, and more. We asked the ARIA and J-Award-winning multi-instrumentalist about how he put together Everything's Fine. Words Zoë Radas CORBY'S THIRD STORY

DYK?

The Roland CR-78 is a 1978 drum machine. Though its functionality is

considered basic by modern standards, it remains a throwback favourite for musicians who dig its distinctive sound and analogue operation; it was the first drum machine

to offer four memory spots to store custom beats, and included controls to manipulate the 34 pre programmed beats.

and trusting with each other as possible: that’s how you form strong bonds, and keep an open and honest conversation flowing throughout your relationship. Particularly for men, never knowing how masculine they need to be. And when someone breaks down those barriers, it makes it easier to dismantle toxic masculine behaviour. The ridiculously gorgeous Mainies collects acoustic guitar and atmospheric field recordings with a cello line, but then a (very simple) electronic beat comes in. Did you try this one with acoustic drums (or none at all)? Why did you suspect it would live best with an electronic spine, contrasting all the other bits? From what I recall we were messing around with the CR-78, and we didn’t even try real drums. We just thought it sounded sick. There’s a Radiohead live recording that had a CR-78 in it, and it inspired us to try it out with the track.

You’ve said of the turbulent five years which accompanied the writing of this record: “All of that chaos helped me not be neurotic with this album process, and get to the point where I accepted things. Like, I couldn’t sit and stew over how something sounded and potentially make it worse if I was needed elsewhere.” Do you think this is a lesson in efficiency that’s now embedded in your psyche, ready for deployment in all future musical adventures? I actually do agree with that. And I think even this album-making process really taught me to trust my instincts. If something feels good, don’t touch it. If something ain't broke, don’t fix it. You've always had a really natural vibrato. Perhaps a weird question, but what does it feel like in your throat when your voice pulses on a held note? Can you notice your vocal cords doing that wobble? Yeah, I can. I actually try really hard to minimise it, because it’s always existed in my voice since I was four years old. It used to be so much more intense than it is now, and I’m very conscious to wrangle it. The rhythm section of Carry On gives us La femme d'argent (by Air) vibes; is there a secret to a bassline which stands out in its beauty but doesn't overwhelm the song's arrangement? Bass is a sneaky instrument at the best of times – predominantly something more felt than heard. But when you find one that pokes out just enough but feels rhythmically cohesive, it’s a real good time.

Matt Corby photographed by Billy Zammit

For Real is about your bandmate, and his incredible vulnerability which is a source of admiration and healing in your inner

circle. It's a bit like Marlon Williams' My Boy , where he celebrates his male friend and unabashedly declares “I love him.”Why did you think it important to honour a man who is “brave enough to make it personal”? I agree. I think it’s incredibly important for everyone to be as vulnerable

Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood and Thom Yorke performing The Numbers in Tarzana, California with a CR-78 (2016)

Is there an oboe amongst the muted trumpets and other horns on Lover, or is that your brass man Dane Laboyrie being extra excellent and clever? No oboe, all skill. There was a flugelhorn. That’s all the genius of Dane.

Everything's Fine by Matt Corby is out March 24 via Island.

16 MARCH 2023

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