Matt Doyle: Constant EP Interview

I first interviewed Matt Doyle last year when he was starring in Lincoln Center's production of "War Horse" and was releasing his debut EP "Daylight." Now, a year later, Matt and I have reconnected to discuss his second EP "Constant," which hits online retailers June 12, and his EP release concert at Joe's Pub on July 2 at 9:30pm.

For more on Matt be sure to visit http://www.mattdoylemusic.com and follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube!

1. Last time we spoke, you were starring in Broadway's "War Horse" and releasing your first EP, "Daylight." Since that time, you left "War Horse," to star in the out of town try-out of "Giant" (with my friends Katie Thompson and Allison Rogers) and you recorded your new EP, "Constant," releasing June 12. What made you want to star in "Giant"? What did you enjoy most about starring in "Giant?" "Giant" was a wonderful experience. I really believe it's the best musical I have ever worked on. The score by Michael John LaChiusa is stunning. Sybille Pearson's book is poignant and heartbreaking. Michael Greif's direction is, as always, masterful. I recently got another exciting offer that will take me away from the Public's production of "Giant" this fall. I am heartbroken over leaving, but really looking forward to what's ahead.

2. You are about to release your new EP, "Constant," on June 12. What made you want to release another EP over a full length album? Well...first off, cost and time. It's costs a fortune to produce a full length album. I also didn't feel ready to produce a full length album. I am still growing as a songwriter and artist. I'm very proud of everything Will Van Dyke and I have accomplished so far as a writing team. We've had a wonderful time exploring who we are and what our music is. The EP format has allowed us to do so. We can produce 6 solid tracks that we love and want to get out there, rather than 6 tracks we love with a bit of filler. The next time we do this, it will be a full length album. I'm excited to head in that direction. I think between some of the songs we have already produced, and the material we are currently writing...it will be an incredible package. For now, these 6 new tracks will really satisfy. I love them.

Matt Doyle in the recording studio at Downtown Records, Photo Credit: Christian Coulson3. Why did you want to record this EP in NY instead of returning to Nashville? I loved Nashville and would love to do more there in the future. It was the perfect place for us to create 'Daylight'. For 'Constant', we wanted to use some of the wonderful connections we made in New York when we were mixing our first EP. Namely, Derik Lee. Derik mixed 'Daylight'. He is a genius. I knew that I wanted to bring him on as a producer for 'Constant' long before we began. His work on 'Constant' is spectacular. He had so much input and so many great ideas. Will and I were both thrilled to work with him. He also got us hooked up with the incredible recording studio at Downtown Records. Some of my favorite artists (David Gray) record there. I also have become pretty close with the musicians I have performed with in the New York. I trust and understand them. The chemistry in the studio really elevated the music.

4. How did you come up with the song selection, style, and concept for "Constant"? When I began writing material for 'Constant', I noticed that the songs had similar themes. They were all about the search for the constants we all long for...friendship, family, love, etc. The every day joys that truly make us happy. The things that will be by our side when everything else falls a part. So I named it 'Constant'. I had four songs that really reflected this new title. The last two songs fell into place and completed the puzzle a couple months before we started recording. The style for 'Constant' varies a bit. It's a steady journey from folk/rock to soul. While I adore the retro sound of our first EP, 'Constant' is admittedly more contemporary.

5. What do you hope audiences come away with after listening to "Constant"? The most thrilling part about song writing is when someone tells you they relate to your music. The very idea that a lyric or a chord that came out of our brains can grab or inspire someone else...is priceless. I guess all I can hope for is that people relate to the new tracks.

6. I love the album cover, it's very creative and sexy. What made you want to have the album cover designed that way? My father is a very well known Creative Art Director in the Advertising world. I grew up surrounded by amazing design, especially in regards to print work. It was a no brainer to let him do the cover this time around. I wanted something clean and contemporary. He worked with a brilliant photographer named Christopher Wilson. Christopher shot the image and created the beautiful layering effect on the cover. I honestly just sat back and let them do what they wanted to do. I knew my father's aesthetic would shine through...and it did. I couldn't be happier with the final product. 

Matt Doyle and Will Van Dyke in the recording studio at Downtown Records, Photo Credit: Christian Coulson7. On "Constant," you once again chose to work with Will Van Dyke and Derik Lee. What made you want to work with them again? Honestly, I don't want to write with anyone other than Will Van Dyke. We get each other. We make a great team. He's an amazing friend and a brilliant artist. I'll send Will a cappella demos of new songs at 3 am sometimes. Just melody and lyrics. By the next day he's somehow gone into my brain and arranged exactly what I was hoping to hear. You don't ditch someone that gets you that well. I really couldn't call myself a songwriter without him. And Derik? Well, I already gushed over him...but he's the man. The three of us really love working together. 

8. How do you feel your songwriting has grown since "Daylight"? I'm trusting the songwriting a bit more. I'm really proud of 'Daylight'. I will admit I felt pressure to showcase my voice much more on that EP. I was new to songwriting and thought that I should rely most on my vocals. After all, that was why we were putting the whole thing together in the first place. I am a much more confident songwriter this time around. As a result, the vocals are quieter and there is more restraint. The goal was to serve the song more this time.

9. Was the creative process different for putting "Constant" together than "Daylight"? If so, how? It was a lot easier. I knew what I was doing this time. Last time I just held my breath and hoped for the best. I was terrified but excited to make it all happen. This time, it was great to return to the studio with confidence. I wasn't afraid to ask for things. I wasn't afraid to put my foot down. I felt like we created exactly was I was hoping to create this time around. 

Matt Doyle recording Constant at Downtown Records, Photo Credit: Christian Coulson10. You are celebrating the release of "Constant," on July 2 at Joe's Pub in NYC. What made you want to have your release party there as opposed to another venue in NYC? Joe's was my first solo venue. I love it and I am most comfortable there. It's going to be an amazing night.

BONUS QUESTIONS:

11. Favorite way to spend your day off? With friends. And with my doggies.

12. If you could have any super power, which one would you choose? I would want to be able to just zap anywhere I wanted at any time. I LOVE traveling, but I hate planes. They terrify me. I would really love to skip the flight and just be there. I used to say "oh one day someone will invent that...I mean c'mon, we've figured out practically everything else!" After watching a Discovery channel show on Netflix at 2am, I am sad to report that this is absolutely impossible. Hahah. 

Check out a preview of Matt's new EP "Constant" below:

Phoebe Strole

Phoebe Strole is a rising performer who has appeared on Broadway in the original cast of "Spring Awakening." Her other theatrical credits include "The Metal Children" (Vineyard Theatre), "Mourning Becomes Electra" (The New Group), "Parade" (Mark Taper Forum), "A Different Moon" (Penguin Rep) and "Girls I've Like Liked" (Ars Nova, Comedy Central Stage in LA). On film and television Phoebe has been seen in "Hamlet 2," “30 Rock,” and “Rescue Me.”

Next, Phoebe will be starring in an industry-only reading of Lisa Lewis' "Schooled" which will also feature Tony Award Winner Michael Cerveris, James Kautz (founder of The Amoralists Theatre Company), and Broadway's Mara Davi.

"Schooled" will be presented on November 15 at 8pm at The New Ohio Theatre in NYC. Industry reservations can be made by e-mailing SchooledThePlay@gmail.com.

1. Who or what inspired you to become a performer? This is such a complicated question. There are so many people and inspiring events that helped me to get where I am, but the most influential person has been my father. He doesn't come from a particularly artsy background, but once he knew this is what I wanted to do with my life, he's always been my number one fan. He still believes in me when I'm feeling discouraged or when jobs are scarce. It's also not just about becoming a performer, it's about being consistently reinspired to pursue a career in the arts. Sometimes I need to step away, and feeling I'm supported in that is so helpful as well.

2. Who is the one person you haven't worked with that you would like to?I want to do a play with Amy Sedaris. Maybe with just the two of us. We could get up to mayhem and shenanigans. I think she is a genius.

3. What attracted you to Lisa Lewis' "Schooled" and what do you hope audiences come away with after seeing it? What do you look forward to about working with this cast? First of all, I think Lisa is a fiercely smart young woman and writer. In Schooled, she has illustrated some of the complicated sexual politics that take place behind the scenes in the entertainment business (or any business). I think any woman trying to "make it" in her chosen field of work can relate to feeling a certain pressure to conform to an existing order of gender roles and expectations. The same goes for men, actually. The questions we're left with are
personal in nature and deliberately unanswered - who is hurt worse than whom, and was the personal loss worth the professional gain?

4. What excites you about pariticpating in a reading by a rising playwright? What excites me about working with rising playwrights is the opportunity to be part of the development of a new wave of theater. I also consider Lisa to be a friend and a peer, someone who challenges me to think more deeply and encourages my opinions, sometimes over a cocktail or three. I think this is what her work does for her
audiences as well. Minus the cocktails.

5. What is your favorite part of ther rehearsal/preview period in a show? Where is your favorite place to rehearse/practice on your own? Honestly, I love everything about the rehearsal process. From the first day of awkward introductions to opening night when you've become a funny family, I love it all. Sometimes I'm sad to leave a really good day. I even love tech! Even if I leave frustrated or feeling that I didn't live up to my expectations, I want to always push myself to be better. I feel lucky to be there and I miss it when I'm not.

My favorite place to rehearse is definitely NOT my own apartment, even though I have to. It's too distracting. Oh look, snacks, oh look, the internet, oh look, my couch. Sometimes, for important auditions or projects that are making me shake in my boots, I'll rent out a little quiet studio in midtown from a studio rental place and spend a couple of hours alone with the material.

6. What have you learned about yourself from being a performer? Oh, dear. So much. And not all of it good. I've learned that I have a nasty perfectionistic streak - the little mean voice in my head that says if I can't be THE BEST at something, I shouldn't even try. It's why I have half-made art projects and half-knitted scarves and half-read books around my home. I have to just suck it up and not be afraid to fail big time, to dive in even when I don't understand something, to look really stupid or crazy. To give the finger to non-useful criticism, inside or out of my head. I've learned I need to be nicer to myself, I suppose!

7. What's the best advice you've ever received? Just keep swimming. And, everyone's going through something.

8. Favorite way to stay in shape? Favorite skin care product? Beer runs, bathroom scrub-downs, anxiety.

I use Dr. Bronner's soap, and then I moisturize. Sometimes I use a scrub. Boring, I know. Wait, I take it back! My new favorite product is this Mario Badescu facial spray with aloe, herbs, and rosewater that I got for $7 in an airport to use on the plane and I LOVE it. It was especially nice in the summer. It's great before I
put on moisturizer. I had major acne as a teenager and had an endless supply of "miracle" products coming in and out of my bathroom in high school, so now I'm into a "simpler is better" non-routine-routine.

9. Favorite website? My current favorite website is a blog - www.thehairpin.com. It's a hodgepodge of smart and funny essays and articles written by a hodgepodge of smart and funny ladies (and some dudes). For instance, you could read an interview with an amazing feminist writer, and then two items down, you'll be reading about how to make a wine glass out of a doll's head. Fantastic. Also, www.dangerousminds.net for an endless supply of music and art I never knew I loved.

10. "Glinda" or "Elphaba"? I've never seen Wicked. I will now duck and cover.

BONUS QUESTIONS:

11. If could dream about anyone while you sleep, who would it be? Uh-oh! Let's see, which hopeless crush should I reveal? I think I'd love to have a dream about dancing with Gene Kelly, complete with gauzy dress and wind machine. He was one of my first crushes as a young'n; his cheeky and dashing demeanor made my little 10-year-old heart race.

12. Looking back, what did you enjoy most about starring in "Spring Awakening"? I could say "everything," but that's a cop-out, so instead I'm going to get sentimental. I'm so grateful for those two years - they started my adult life. I remember some days feeling like I'd lost some direction, like I didn't know really who I was or what was coming next for me, but no matter what, eight times a week I knew I would open the stage door, walk up to my dressing room, and be able to pour my love and anger and sadness out on stage every night with a group of people I loved and trusted. And there were hundreds of people watching, validating that every moment was real and fleeting. It was my second home and my safest place. What I enjoyed most was every single show.

Matt Doyle

Matt Doyle is another one of our next generation performers who rising fast! He made his Broadway debut at age 19 in the Tony Award Winning show "Spring Awakening" as "Hanschen" and has gone on to star in Roundabout Theatre Company's "Bye Bye Biridie" as "Hugo Peabody," and now he's currently starring in Lincoln Center's Tony Award Winning "War Horse." His film and television credits include "Private Romeo," "Once More With Feeling," and a recurring role on the CW's "Gossip Girl."

Matt just released his debut EP "Daylight," co-written with composer/musical director Will Van Dyke, which he will be celebrating with a concert on Monday, August 15 at 10:30pm at NYC famed Le Poisson Rouge! On the day of its release, "Daylight" broke the Top 40 of the iTunes pop album charts. Come hear Matt perform songs off of "Daylight," debut new songs, and cover other soul and pop hits. Special guests will include "War Horse’s" Katy Pfaffl and "Spring Awakening’s" Blake Daniel and Anna Ty Bergman. Le Poisson Rouge is located at 155 Bleecker Street in NYC. Click here for tickets!

For much more on Matt be sure to visit http://www.mattdoylemusic.com/, Facebook, or follow him on Twitter (@mattfdoyle)!

1. Who or what inspired you to become a performer? I was always interested in theater when I was a kid. It wasn't until I was struggling with bullying in middle school that I discovered my love for performance. I was seeking a community where I'd fit in and find new friends. I started performing in community theater. I fell in love instantly. It inspired me to work hard and believe that I had something to offer. I knew I had discovered my passion and that it was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I never questioned it from that moment on.

2. Who is the one person you haven't worked with that you would like to? There are so many! If I had to pick just one I'd say my best friend from growing up, Beth Behrs. We were attached at the hip in high school and both dreamed about "making it." She lives in LA now and is one of the leads on the new CBS show, "Two Broke Girls." I've never been so proud of anyone. The girl has worked her ass off and is so talented. We've never gotten to do anything together, professionally. It would be amazing.

3. How did you come up with the title and concept for "Daylight" and how did you decide/come to work with Will Van Dyke? What has been the best part about your collaboration with him? First, let me say that Will Van Dyke is a genius. 'Daylight' simply could not have happened without him. I am the luckiest guy in the world to call him my friend and writing partner. I originally wanted to put together a small demo of some sort that I would also be able to sell on iTunes. Will and I had written a song together for my Feinstein's show, so I asked him if he would be involved. When I realized how well we worked together, I figured we should actually explore writing more music. My biggest influences are in soul music, so I wanted to create a soul/pop EP. I grew up addicted to soul legends like Sam Cooke and Ottis Redding. Will completely understood what I wanted. When we raised the amount of money that we did on Kickstarter.com ($21,000) we then had the funds to create something much more legitimate. Most people don't realize that just one day of mixing in the studio can cost several thousand dollars. The generosity from fans allowed us to work with really incredible musicians and engineers. Will had just finished producing his own album, so he was a huge help in guiding me through such an insane process.

4. What excites you most about releasing your EP and performing at Le Poisson Rouge? It's so exciting to create something from the ground up! I look at Daylight now and think, 'That was just an idea last year, and here it is.' I'm really proud of what we've created. We worked extremely hard and I feel that it shows. There was such an incredible amount of support from fans to create this EP. It's wonderful to be able to share something that I believe in so strongly with them. Le Poisson Rouge will mark the first time I perform all of the material live. I cannot wait.

5. What have you learned about yourself from making "Daylight" and from being a performer? What do you get from performing your own music that you don't get from performing in a theatrical show/television program? My songs are extremely personal. Working on my own material has been rather therapeutic. It's amazing how much clarity you can gain on certain issues when you have to articulate them in a song. In the past, my concerts have been made up entirely of covers. This time I will be telling my own stories instead of someone else's. I have a deep relationship with these songs. I think it's an different way of opening up to an audience. When I sing these songs, I'm not playing a part. It's just me.

6. What is your favorite part of the creative process in putting an album together? I love being in the studio. I love the camaraderie with the engineers and musicians as we throw it all together during the day. The time flies while I'm in there. Twelve hours will go by and I'll feel like I just got there. It's so exciting for me. If I could do it all day, every day, I would.

7. Favorite way to stay in shape? I head to the gym 5 times a week...and then I do "War Horse."

8. Boxers or Briefs? Boxer Briefs or Briefs.

9. Favorite website? I'm a big YouTube fan. It can consume my life for hours.

10. "Glinda" or "Elphaba"? Elphaba. All the way.

BONUS QUESTIONS:

11. What's the best advice you've ever received? My parents have always told me to go with my gut and trust my instincts. It has lead me in all the right directions so far. 

12. If you could dream about anyone while you sleep, who would it be? Hahah. Great question! I'm sure every one would get a kick out of who inspired my song, "If Morning Can't Wait." I'll never tell! Instead, I'll go the non-romantic route and say my friend Marc who I met at school in London. He lives in Paris and I haven't seen him since. He was a really good buddy of mine. I have recurring dreams about hanging out with him all the time!

13. What attracted you to "War Horse" and what is your favorite part of the show? Looking back, what did you enjoy most about being part of "Spring Awakening"? Everything attracted me to "War Horse." I was so taken by it. The story is simple, beautiful, and accessible. It captivates 8 year olds and 80 year olds. The puppetry is absolutely breathtaking and provides for truly magical story telling. Most importantly though, I wanted to be apart of a true ensemble piece. The horses are the stars. We are all there to support them. We must all be completely connected with one another to tell the story. It's a show that depends on every single company member to come to life. That's theater magic to me. This company is my family and has thoroughly changed me. They challenge and inspire me. It has been the most rewarding journey of my life.

"Spring Awakening" was a fantastic phenomenon that I am honored to have been a part of. Musicals that are groundbreaking and fresh are a rarity. I'd say the best part about it was that I got just about every Broadway experience imaginable out of that show. I am so grateful for my two year run with it. I was so young (19) when I started with it and I learned novels. Oh...and "Bitch of Living" will forever be the coolest thing I've ever done on stage.

14. What's the best part about appearing on "Gossip Girl"? I played a gay character on one of the most popular and talked about teen-dramas ever. If it helped make just one person feel more comfortable with who they are, then I couldn't possibly wish for more.