Matty Carter + Ariel are a mysterious music duo from New York. You won’t have read much about them, but they have slowly but surely been making waves on the music scene popping up at SXSW and the Warped Tour. These musicians have been brought together by fate; their music defies genres, but it is captivating and hits the sweet spot. Their debut release ‘Voices’ is an explosive introduction to the pair with a really catchy melody, a certain swagger and Matty Carter’s rich and textured vocals rasping over a melange of dark sonic drama and electro soundscapes. It contrasts nicely with Ariel’s subtle angelic vocals peeping through and her furious thrashing of drums. It’s a juxtaposition but it totally makes sense.
Matty Carter + Ariel says of the track, “‘Voices’ is a song for anyone who dares to be weird or different. Some people hate what they can’t understand. This song is for everyone that tunes out that negative to create a positive.”
The music video captures this sentiment as it flits between a blood red room and a church, insinuating a sense of awakening. Carter adds, “The video is about the death of your old, negative self, and the birth of your new positive self.”
‘Darkside’ is the recent lyric music video from the duo and it continues with the theme of building a song brick by brick, slathering each one with tone, passion and texture until vocals amplify and you reach a climax, usually with Carter’s electric guitar solo.
Matty Carter wears his trademark hat and sunglasses and Ariel covers her face so this New York duo just oozes mystery and drama. What you do know is they are super slick, have an undeniable pull and are a breath of fresh air.
Be warned, this Q&A you are about to read is dark and intense, but you will want to know more about these musicians, Matty Carter + Ariel, who are about to take on the world.
Tell me about Matty Carter + Ariel?
We are a singer + drummer from New York. We write songs and put on the best live show you’ll ever see.
How would you describe your sound in 3 words?
Rock Death Pop
What do you think it is about you and your music that makes you so intriguing?
We have no idea. We just create what we like. All of the new support really means a lot to us.
What is influencing you as a duo at the moment?
Everything. A lot of what we write about in our songs just stems from life experience- which everyone can relate to. We look up to people who are trying to change the world for the better.
What was your childhood or earliest ambition?
We have always felt we were put on this earth to change the world. As a kid, I would tell my mom that I can’t leave this planet without the whole world knowing who I was. As an adult, I feel the universe is giving us this platform to change the world for the better.
Can you tell me about your recent EP ‘Young Bones’
There’s a lot of heartache and deceit on the EP. The last few years have been really tough for the both of us so those are two themes that pop up a lot.
Your track ‘Voices’ has done incredibly well – what is the meaning behind it?
‘Voices’ is about tuning out the negative to create a positive. For me the negative was myself. Depression is something that I’ve dealt with since I was a kid and anyone who can relate knows that voice that lives in your head that just wants you to give up. ‘Voices’ is about confronting that negativity, owning it, and using it as fuel to create a positive.
What do you find are the challenges of being in the music industry today?
Everything moves so quickly now that if you don’t have a firm belief in yourself or a firm belief in what you’re creating you’re dead from the start. There are no rules in the industry anymore, so you can either embrace that or cry about it.
What kind of music did you both listen to growing up?
We both love so much music. We listened to everything from Elvis to Dr. Dre. We are fans of music that evokes emotion or feeling. We never care about genre.
Top 5 artists/albums on your playlist at the moment?
Let’s go artist. In no particular order. Elvis, Michael Jackson, Jack Garratt, Dr.Dre, Amy Winehouse.
Is there a song/album/book/film that changed your life?
So many. And not always for the better either.
What do you think you would be doing if not music?
Absolutely nothing. We wouldn’t be alive.
Favourite places to perform at and why?
We love performing. Everywhere. Anywhere. With anyone. South America and the UK have been showing us so much love lately so we want to go rock with them asap.
What is a typical day for Matty Carter + Ariel?
Rock Death Pop
Guilty pleasures?
So many. And not always for the better either.
Dream collaboration?
I always dreamed of collaborating with Ariel. Literally, before I met her I would have dreams of this girl that I didn’t know and we were playing music to thousands and thousands of people. When we met, before we spoke, I knew she was the girl in my dreams. So she is literally my dream collaboration. Anyone else that we’d dream to collaborate with is no longer alive.
What is the best advice anyone has ever given you?
No one will remember you if you give up.
What is coming up next?
We’re in the studio tracking – and we’re in pre-production for our next official visual for a song we just recorded, called, ‘Ready To Die.’
Listen to Matty Carter + Ariel’s debut EP ‘Young Bones’ on iTunes
