Sometimes, it takes a coming-of-age move to find yourself. Matthew Tubens is from New Jersey, USA, but it’s not what you might think. He grew up in the more remote area of the state, surrounded by farms, fields and fresh air. A city boy now uses this contrast to permeate his sound: the countryside’s naturalness, the concrete beauty of the city and all the cultural nuances each offers.
Although New Jersey was home to superstars like Whitney Housten and Bruce Springsteen, the music scene erupted for Matthew recently. Being from the countryside without exposure to emerging sounds didn’t help, but he started school in Newark, where this changed. You might know Newark as the place where the Jersey Club originated. The genre, described as quick tempos and catchy rhythms with moves from Jamaican dancehalls to voguing ballrooms, is storming into the mainstream.
Even if it’s not your thing, the Jersey Club movement inspires people in the area to follow their passion. Matthew’s feeling less solitary. “I see a lot of talent making stuff online, at shows and on the street. I can see them trying to make something of their vision.”
When younger, Tubens played the saxophone, but it didn’t connect. “We couldn’t do anything original. We just had to play sheet music.” With no clear plan for what to do, he turned to making his music. In his second year of college, he skipped classes to create, and during breaks at his cart-pushing job, he wrote lyrics. “It was a time when I wanted to escape my reality.”
Like anything, to get good at your craft, you need patience. Tubens admits he wasn’t the best at first. It took a lot, but he dug deep for bravery to try the new things he craved. A college roommate was pivotal in increasing Matthew’s confidence and encouraged him to follow his heart. Spending all their time listening to music and watching videos, Matthew confessed to his pal he was creating his own.
However, Tubens didn’t reveal his work. In fact, he was scared to show anyone. “Eventually, I started to play him the beats I was making, and his reaction was reassurance that I was on to something. He was pumped, so I was.”
Since the early days of his move, he’s become comfortable as a creator, but learning about the industry is an endless task. “I can make songs all day – I love it, but working out how to do business and managing relationships is tough.” A sticky part for him is people not holding the same values, so he needs to be a good judge of character. “The music is fun, the business is hard.”
The Big Apple is getting more familiar with Tubens. Major Stage, a promotional platform for artists in the New York City area, reached out to him last autumn to perform in Brooklyn. “I felt honoured they scouted me as they’ve worked with big names.” He’s also graced The Bitter End – a venue that can boast performances from Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and Taylor Swift. “It was surreal but awesome to be on the same stage legends have been.”
Matthew thinks of himself as an open book with a vulnerability about where he is in life. “Love, guilt, ambition, joy, anger and even hatred play a role in my songwriting. Taking the good with the bad – that’s what helps me connect the dots and relay my message.”
Next story
