In Conversation With #140 - Matilda Cole
Rising indie-pop star Matilda Cole has just shared her stunning debut EP ‘Milk Teeth’. This EP sees Matilda dig deep on the departure from teenhood, and the intimate relationships of her friendship circle. She took a moment to talk to us about how the EP came together.
Hey there Matilda, how are you? So your debut EP is out now, how does it feel to have it out there in the world?
It feels amazing! It’s so cool to be able to see my music on the platforms and playlists that I’ve loved for ages. I can’t quite believe that it’s finally out, I still get surprised when people reference my songs or tell me they listened because I was sitting on them for so long. It’s the best feeling though.
It is called ‘Milk Teeth’ - what is the meaning behind that?
The whole EP is about my journey through adolescence, and I think the most physical representation of that is your milk teeth falling out and your adult ones growing in. That’s kind of what this whole process has felt like for me, like finally letting go of childhood and stepping into this new chapter. Maybe the next EP should be called wisdom teeth! Although, I think the phrase milk teeth might be a British thing, because all the Americans I know have been confused about the title.
Where was it recorded? Any behind the scenes stories from the creative process you are happy to share with us?
It was recorded in a lot of different studios in London. Some of the songs are from my very first studio sessions, when I was super nervous and didn’t really know what I was doing. Afternoon Haze was actually written and recorded entirely on Zoom, the amazing producer Dylan Nash was in Australia whilst I was in Brighton, and he figured out a way to record through my mic virtually so it was almost like we were in the same room. That was very cool.
What are the key themes and influences on the EP?
For me, each song is a freeze frame of individual moments from the past sevenish years. I love using songwriting as a kind of camera to capture moments like you would a picture, so I see this EP as a collection of stills from my time as a teenager. That's the main theme I think; the weirdness of the transition from adolescent to adult.
Do you have a favorite lyric on the EP? If so, which one and why?
I’m not sure about one favourite lyric, but the imagery in Stay Awake is some of my favourite stuff that I’ve written. Every time I listen to it I’m instantly back in the moments that it’s written about, and I love that.
Now the EP is out there - what next for you?
Working on more music! I think lockdown really helped me develop as an artist, and now that things are opening back up I have so much more to write about and so many people I’d love to work with. I’m so excited to start developing ideas for the next project, so new music will be coming sooner than you might think.