Another interesting story and a positive outcome from the times of the pandemic and isolation. Mat who goes by the name PRTLND is an up-and-coming alternative rock artist. Originally from France and currently living in Ireland, Dublin, Mat has been playing guitar since he was at school and used to play with bands during his teenage and college years. His love for music even led him to intern for Sony Music and Virgin Music when he was still in France. After moving to Dublin and focusing on starting a family, he had to put his passion on hold.
“Burnt out” is his 2nd single released after “Into the Distance”. The song has special circumstances and an interesting story behind it; as Mat was isolated in his daughter’s room during COVID, he could hear the laughs and talks of his family behind closed doors. The despair and loneliness he felt at this moment brought him back to memories of loneliness in a relationship and lost love. The song originally was named “Isolation”, which he changed after, yet the lyrics took him 2 hours to write as it was coming from raw emotions. The song is aesthetically pleasing and pulls you in. It’s harmonious and coherent, like pieces of a puzzle that fit perfectly together, between the guitar chords and the drumline to the calming male voice. The ending of the song caught my attention in how he gradually ended each line, he took out the guitars, then the vocal line, and last the drums, leaving a few measures after each line ends. The artist wrote the song lyrics, played the guitar, the bass line, and performed the vocal line, yet he got help from a very patient mixing engineer, Dylan Pines who was able to work with him remotely.
Personally, what interests me more than the music itself, is the story and the circumstances behind its making. These kinds of stories and authenticity make art remarkable and unique. It is undoubtedly a remarkable start for the artist, and we can’t wait to see where he’ll take us after.
