Constant Discovery Kalle Mattson aims high with his exploration of loss on Someday The Moon Will Be Gold Words by Matías Muñoz • Photos by Scott Blackburn
On a crisp, clear February afternoon in Ottawa’s Chinatown, Kalle Mattson settles in at Raw Sugar Cafe. He fits right in at the popular kitschy-cool cafe. Between the mismatched vintage furniture and updated beer cocktails, the place has strong roots in the past but a modern approach all its own — just like Kalle. All this is wrapped up in Mattson’s approachable, laid back person, with slightly disheveled shoulder-length blond hair and, usually, his ubiquitous jean jacket. “You got the couch, the best spot in the whole place!”, says Mattson as he sets his coffee mug down on the table. Named after The Velvet Underground’s John Cale, Mattson is a musician that has, by the age of 23, released three studio albums, played multiple sold out shows while touring Europe, and collaborated with big names in Canadian indie music scene such as Gavin Gardiner of the Wooden Sky and Jeremy Fisher. For all his successes to date, he is a particularly modest individual that has charted his own path into a career in music with poise and purpose. In many ways Kalle Mattson is a true descendant of his archetypal folk music forefathers; his journey as a musician is one of constant discovery, seeking to continuously challenge himself in his songwriting. Beginning to write music at the age of 18 and releasing his first album Whisper Bee in early 2009, the music has transformed from simpler, more traditional
acoustic singer-songwriter material to more audacious and experimental folk-rock. His relentless foray into the world of music continued into his twenties, all while delicately balancing his personal and academic commitments. Mattson’s music began to garner critical acclaim and turn heads only a few years into his career. His music videos in particular have drawn attention, with “Thick as Thieves” going viral with over a million views on Vimeo and YouTube. The video for “Water Falls” featuring a stop-motion “slingshot” camera technique has over 200,000 views. Nowhere are his efforts to evolve and grow as a musician more pronounced than on his latest album Someday, The Moon Will Be Gold, released in February 2014 with an advance stream on the New York Times website. For Mattson, the album is a significant departure from his previous material for a number of reasons. “I see my first two records almost as demos, as stepping stones. I was lucky to get cheap recording time for both of them, something not a lot people can have,” says Mattson. “Someday hasn’t been approached intellectually – all of it has been instinctual. So I wrote this album over two years, and it’s been almost a year a half since we started recording it.” Upon the release of Someday, Mattson posted an intimate short essay on his website, giving
33 MIXTAPE SPRING 2014