"Life Force Lullaby" is about being saved - not from the things we fear, but by going through the things we fear (things life can ask of us or force upon us). That's where we find a force to help us that defies all explanation. Lee Miller Matsos is an opera and musical theater performer turned pop artist. His ethereal and emotional musical style is influenced by U2, Coldplay, Paul Simon, Eric Clapton, and others. His expressive flair is a product of his extensive theatrical background. As a lyricist, Lee uniquely expresses the evolving, non-linear journey from grief, pain and brokenness to hope, healing and restoration.
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
Kamil) Hey Lee Miller Matsos, super nice to have the chance to chat with you. What first got you into music?
I come from a family of performers. At a young age, my parents took my brother and I to concerts and musicals. I grew up watching my father perform every summer in an opera company based in my hometown. My mother directed plays at my high school where my brother and I attended. I played a few instruments as a kid before I studied voice. Then I started studying classical voice, and I thought opera or musical theater was going to be my direction. Around my early 20s things started to change as I started listening to more music and watching amazing bands like U2 perform. I began to find myself and my own passion.
Describe your favorite and least favorite part about being a musician.
I love the expression - it's an art form, being able to express things from a deep part of yourself in a much more authentic way than through words alone. For me, this is organic - songs happen when they are ready to "bubble up" at the proper time. I think can allow space for songs to happen, and I'd like to get better at that.
I think the biggest difficulty is the sense of competition, comparisons, and spending time on social media - and really, just in my own head...drifting...forgetting I'm here to get something done. A lot of being a musician has become about being on a screen, and I'm learning. It's always good to go easy on yourself when you're learning anything.
Your latest song is 'Life Force Lullaby'. Can you share with us the background of its creation and did any unusual things happen during its creation?
Life Force Lullaby was one of the first of about 13 songs I wrote during the early days of the Covid 19 pandemic while I was attending music school in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. During this time, I experienced a creative burst unlike I had ever experienced before. That unusual situation of the pandemic lock down afforded me the elimination of many outside distractions. Stowed away in a small attic, I found that the songs easily came through. A melody would surface. I'd go to the keyboard and put chords to the melody. Sometimes the verse would begin to appear - other times the rest of the melody, up to the chorus and beyond...Each song was a treasure to discover.
What I loved about Life Force Lullaby was it's spiritual nature - it very much felt like a prayer.
"It doesn't matter what I do...I can't fall out of step with you."
That carries the spirit of the song. It's always OK, no matter what happens. It's that deep peaceful place in ourselves that can be very hard to find, but is always there if we just open to it. Really, we just have to stop looking. Stop trying. We can't do anything wrong, really. We're always held by this deep, peaceful essence, so it doesn't matter what happens to us. That's why it's such a special song to me. When I wrote it I felt I was receiving a vital message I wanted to pass on to others.
How do you differ from most other artists?
I think my background with opera and musical theater, taking a break from music, then transitioning to pop in my 30s - I think it's pretty unique.
Where are you from and do you have a stable home or do you prefer travelling?
I'm from Wooster, Ohio and I've been fortunate to live in many locations across North America - including Seattle, San Francisco, Washington, DC and Prince Edward Island. Though I love to travel and plan to continue traveling to pursue my music career, I would like to maintain a home base as well.
How would you describe the music that you typically create?
My music tends to be ethereal, emotional; it can be melancholic, it can also be uplifting. Lyrically, the songs tend to challenge traditional perspectives. This isn't by being overtly controversial, but by approaching an issue from a different standpoint than what may be currently prevailing in the culture.
How do you nurture your own creativity?
Some ways that I nurture my creativity are by journaling, spending time in nature, exercising, and browsing in shops and museums.
If you could go open a show for any artist who would it be?
My favorite band I've ever seen live - and one of my top 2 biggest influences - U2.
Who's your ideal musician to collaborate with and why?
A member of my other most influential band - Chris Martin of Coldplay. As I wrote Life Force Lullaby and the other songs that came out at that time, I spent a good deal of the time envisioning Martin in my mind while sitting at the keyboard. At first, I resisted this. I guess I wanted it to be completely my space, without having to envision my songs being played by Chris Martin. Eventually I accepted this phenomenon whenever it came. Now that some time has passed, I believe more than ever that we're all connected. When you feel a connection with someone through music, I think it's real. I've never met Chris - I hope too, one day. But I do feel I have a connection with him, through music. It would be a thrill to collaborate with him, given how much I resonate with the essence of Coldplay's music.
What are your plans for the future?
I have an exciting project ahead. It will involve the release of a single in February, and much more to come in the following months. Stay tuned!