{"id":18171,"date":"2018-02-23T13:54:53","date_gmt":"2018-02-23T20:54:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/?p=18171"},"modified":"2018-02-23T13:57:32","modified_gmt":"2018-02-23T20:57:32","slug":"video-web-exclusive-interview-my-silent-bravery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/2018\/02\/video-web-exclusive-interview-my-silent-bravery\/","title":{"rendered":"Video + Web-Exclusive Interview MY SILENT BRAVERY"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1><strong>VIDEO FEATURE &amp; WEB-EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW<\/strong><br \/>\nMusician: <strong>MY SILENT BRAVERY<\/strong><br \/>\nVideo Feature:\u00a0 \u201c<strong>Girl You Think You Know<\/strong>\u201d<\/h1>\n<p><strong>My Silent Bravery\u2019s lead singer\/writer Matthew Wade Confronts Social Media Pressures Facing Young Women<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>In recent song \u201cGirl You Think You Know\u201d and new single \u201c18,\u201d Wade focuses on being comfortable with your true self\u2014letting go of the perception of others, being happy with your own identity and not being afraid to own who you are.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/uvJ1Wix1nRw\" width=\"660\" height=\"370\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Indie rock band My Silent Bravery shines a light on the pressures young women face to project a perfect life online. Their poignant video for \u201cGirl You Think You Know,\u201d has already earned over 197,000 views worldwide, and the track hit #3 on the Billboard Hot Singles Sales Chart.<\/p>\n<p>Wade put his current music in the context of the #MeToo movement, and expressed hope that these songs can help show that there are men out there who are sensitive to this subject matter. With that in mind, Wade has also recently partnered with The Good Men Project (GoodMenProject.com). He comments, \u201cOur goal is to be socially conscious through spirituality, perseverance, not giving up and continuing to spread a positive message of helping others overcome their obstacles. In my partnership with The Good Men Project, the difference is that opposed to through the music, I am doing it through a weekly written article or blog. My column is called #MyNotSoSilentBravery.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>We talked with Matthew Wade about his songwriting, the challenges that this new generation is facing with social media, the personal challenges he\u2019s overcome, his spiritual compass, and how he continues to remain positive.<\/p>\n<h3>\n<strong>MY SILENT BRAVERY\u2019S MATTHEW WADE Web-Exclusive Interview<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>with\u00a0<em>M Music &amp; Musicians<\/em>\u00a0magazine publisher, Merlin David<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-18181\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/MY-SILENT-BRAVERY-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"660\" height=\"440\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/MY-SILENT-BRAVERY-1.jpg 660w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/MY-SILENT-BRAVERY-1-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>How did the idea of \u201cGirl You Think You Know\u201d come to you?<\/strong><br \/>\nA couple years back, I wrote \u201cGirl You Think You Know\u2019 with my good friend and producer Jim McGorman. We were talking one morning about the different ways people project themselves on social media and how often times it comes off as inauthentic. I had mentioned an article I read on how this teenage girl from New Zealand had a massive social media following on Instagram from posting instant pictures. It turned out all of the pictures were pre-planned. It made us think about some of the pressures people encounter with social media and how they feel the need to post things in order to get the most amount of fanfare. In particular, how difficult it must be for the younger generation, and women in particular, to grow up in this day and age with the pressures that come with being on social media. This is something that Jim and I didn\u2019t have to deal with when we were growing up.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What are some of the challenges of social media?<\/strong><br \/>\nPeople get popular without really doing anything\u2014just posting pictures\u2014nothing that has taken much effort. It begs the question: Are we all striving to be something we\u2019re not? In the bigger picture, the song is very timely\u2014with Harvey Weinstein and the \u201cMe Too\u201d movement\u2014we hope positive change can come from bringing attention to certain topics. I hope there is more empathy for women. But men should be able to relate to this as well.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How does your spiritual compass and your positivity come through in the music you make?<\/strong><br \/>\nPositivity didn\u2019t always come easy to me. I had to have a lot taken away from me in order for me to realize how blessed I actually was. When I was 21, I had a sports injury\u2014which changed my life. I was traveling in Australia and working out in the gym, and ended up herniating a couple of discs in my neck. The injury led me to do a lot of soul searching for pain relief\u2014which led me to spirituality, more specifically Kabbalah. As a result of my studies in Kabbalah, and working on myself, I realized I wanted to give back to the world at large\u2014and music was the vehicle I wanted to use to help spread a positive message.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How were you able to be positive during a difficult time?<\/strong><br \/>\nI honestly think everything happens for a reason. My injury was the biggest challenge of my life so far. But from the biggest challenges rise the greatest blessings. The injury helped me recognize it\u2019s important to pay it forward and help others. I want to create music that inspires, helps and motivates others to overcome their challenges. When I write songs or go out and play shows, I learned that it\u2019s not about me\u2014it\u2019s about the audience. My hope is that they\u2019ll feel more uplifted after the show\u2014than before they came. I want fans to walk away feeling inspired\u2014knowing they can achieve what they set their heart and mind to do.<\/p>\n<p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-18180\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/MY-SILENT-BRAVERY-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"660\" height=\"440\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/MY-SILENT-BRAVERY-2.jpg 660w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/MY-SILENT-BRAVERY-2-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Is there a new album coming soon?<\/strong><br \/>\nYes. The new album is called <em>Willing to Try<\/em>, which I co-wrote with Jim McGorman. The album features twelve tracks and it will be released in three separate EPs over the next year or so. Sonically, the new songs blend modern synths and keyboards along with acoustic guitars and atmospheric electrics.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Who inspired you to write songs?<\/strong><br \/>\nI would say my biggest musical influence is Bob Marley. I love how he promoted a message of peace and unity with his music. It\u2019s something I try to adhere to with my music. There is a philosophical and spiritual vibe to a lot of his music and lyrics. I have some of that in mine, but built with my own way and beliefs. He\u2019s definitely my favorite though. I am a big fan of Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer, Pearl Jam, The Police, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, 311, and countless others.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tell us a little about your creative process\u2014for writing songs.<\/strong><br \/>\nI write a majority of my songs on the guitar. I usually come up with a chord progression that feels good and inspires me. Then, I&#8217;ll come up with a melody for the lyrics over that. Usually, the lyrics are the last thing to come, and it\u2019s a lot of refining from there. It\u2019s like putting puzzle pieces together, but it\u2019s an unbelievable feeling when the puzzle is completed.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What inspires you?<\/strong><br \/>\nMost of my inspiration comes from life experience. I feel I really have to be emotionally connected to a song in order to go out, perform and promote it for an extended period of time. Every song has its own story and inspiration. I find I need the songs to resonate internally if I want others to be moved by them. For me, each song is a story, and I try to tell the story to the best of my ability. I hope listeners connect with the stories, get drawn into them, and relate emotionally to how it applies to their own lives.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What songwriting tip would you like to offer?<\/strong><br \/>\nThe best tip I could give at this point is to be open to collaboration and other writers\u2019 ideas. My first several albums, I wrote a majority of the material on my own because I felt I needed to have complete ownership of the material. The last couple of years, I have been co-writing nearly all my material, and it has opened me, and my music, up to so many different possibilities and ideas. I feel the music has benefitted significantly.<\/p>\n<p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-18179\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/MY-SILENT-BRAVERY-3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"660\" height=\"371\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/MY-SILENT-BRAVERY-3.jpg 660w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/MY-SILENT-BRAVERY-3-300x169.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>How did Jim McGorman shape or inform the music?<\/strong><br \/>\nWe met two years ago, through manager Evan Stein. Jim was Avril Lavigne\u2019s band leader. He has worked with Cassadee Pope, Poison, New Radicals, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and is now playing with Gwen Stefani. He brings a wide range of knowledge. Working with him feels organic.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tell us one experience where something unique inspired you to write a song.<\/strong><br \/>\nI often wonder this same thing\u2014as a listener of music. There are quite a few songs that were inspired in this manner, but the one that comes to mind first is a song called \u201cDestiny.\u201d It is the first track from my first album, <em>Uncharted Territory<\/em>, so it\u2019s a special song to me\u2014and a personal favorite. I was watching <em>The Last Samurai<\/em> directed by Edward Zwick (I am a fan). I was inspired to write about the idea of destiny. In the movie, they mention the idea of destiny quite often and how one\u2019s destiny finds them. I remember thinking the idea of destiny seemed so abstract, since it will be different for each individual. I liked the idea that you had to go through the process and come out the other side\u2014to know the meaning behind it. I focused on that concept. That song and idea also sparked the title of the album. The chorus goes: \u201cThis is all uncharted territory; destiny is our destination; every day is a second chance at something; if you knew then, what you know right now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Which instruments\/equipment can you not live without?<\/strong><br \/>\nMy instrument of choice is the acoustic guitar. Over the years, having played many brands of acoustic guitars, I ultimately fell in love with Gibson\u2019s acoustic guitar. I have a couple of different models, the Hummingbird Pro and the SJ-200, which I am in love with. I am extremely humbled and honored to be endorsed by Gibson. It\u2019s easy to be a brand ambassador for them.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Any accessories?<\/strong><br \/>\nI\u2019m not a huge gear guy, but I have a couple of Boss pedals (Delay, Tuner, Chorus Pedal) that are amazing. I like the BBE Acoustimax preamp\u2014I use it in my live rig and enjoy it because it levels off my high trebles and low bass, and puts the sound in a mid-range, which I personally like. I\u2019m a fan of the Kyser capo. And for strings, I like Elixirs and D\u2019Addarios, depending on the guitar and the set-up. I\u2019m happy with both of those.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Who are the Top 5 Musicians\u00a0who inspired you to become a Musician?<\/strong><br \/>\nI was always a big fan of the front man: Bob Marley, Dave Matthews, Eddie Vedder, Anthony Kiedis, and Beastie Boys.<\/p>\n<p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-18177\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/MY-SILENT-BRAVERY-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"660\" height=\"440\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/MY-SILENT-BRAVERY-4.jpg 660w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/MY-SILENT-BRAVERY-4-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Top 5 favorite albums of all time?<\/strong><br \/>\n<em>Music<\/em> (1993) \u2013 311<br \/>\n<em>Legend<\/em> (1984) \u2013 Bob Marley &amp; the Wailers<br \/>\n<em>Crash<\/em> (1996) \u2013 Dave Matthews Band<br \/>\n<em>Sublime<\/em> (1996) \u2013 Sublime<br \/>\n<em>Ten<\/em> (1991) \u2013 Pearl Jam<\/p>\n<p><strong>Was there a specific moment when you realized you were meant to be a musician?<\/strong><br \/>\nI remember the moment I chose to be a musician. I wrote my first song when I was 18. We had a senior project in high school where you could learn about anything you wanted to. For me, that project was liberating and an epiphany of sorts. Up until then, in school, I was always told what I had to learn, and since I was always playing sports, I didn&#8217;t\u00a0have free time to learn about subjects that interested me. It was refreshing because it gave me that ability to pursue a personal interest. Up to that point, aside from sports, I hadn\u2019t had many interests. Music gave me that opportunity to explore something I was genuinely interested in. So I wrote my first song, and it got national attention. It was a song called \u201cSide of the Road,\u201d and was featured on the TV show\u00a0<em>One Tree Hill<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What Performing Rights Organization (PRO) are you with?<\/strong><br \/>\nASCAP is my PRO. Over the years, they have been especially useful for licensing\u2014helping to track my songwriting royalties for song placements.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tell us a moment you found yourself saying, \u201c<em>Wow, this is really happening to me!<\/em>\u201d<\/strong><em><br \/>\n<\/em>In 2003, I was driving home from a recording session in NH back to MA. It was the early stages of my music career. I was working on my demo record and we recorded some parts for a song coincidentally called \u201cThese are the Moments.\u201d While I was driving home, I played the song to listen to the new parts we had just worked on in the session. Tears started streaming down my face. I couldn\u2019t believe I was really getting to play music.<\/p>\n<p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-18176\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/MY-SILENT-BRAVERY-5.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"660\" height=\"371\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/MY-SILENT-BRAVERY-5.jpg 660w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/MY-SILENT-BRAVERY-5-300x169.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Do you remember the first time you heard or saw one of your songs?<\/strong><br \/>\nIt\u2019s always exciting when I hear a song on the radio or see a song on the screen. One of the more memorable ones was that song placement on TV\u2019s <em>One Tree Hill<\/em>. A recent one was hearing my last single, \u201cGot It Going On\u201d on satellite radio\u2014Sirius XM\u2019s The Pulse. The single went on to be featured on five Billboard charts, so that was extremely exciting. It made me feel like I was definitely onto something with my new material.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Have House Concerts allowed you a better opportunity to reach your audience?<\/strong><br \/>\nHouse Concerts, and especially Online Concerts, have allowed me to reach a ton of new fans\u2014as well as provide a very intimate and authentic experience. It\u2019s an important part of being an artist, and it gives the fans a unique experience to become engaged and develop a friendship with the artist. I think it goes a long way, and they appreciate it and respect it.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Best advice someone has given you.<\/strong><br \/>\nTo follow my heart and surround myself with a good team of people who believe in me.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Best advice you\u2019d like to give upcoming musicians or your teenage self.<\/strong><br \/>\nFollow your dreams. Stay humble and hungry. Surround yourself with positive people. Be willing to try new collaborations and experiences.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What\u2019s next?<\/strong><br \/>\n\u201c18\u201d will be released today. \u201cGirl You Think You Know\u201d was released at the end of last year. I will release <em>Willing to Try<\/em>\u2014Chapter 1 EP. I also have some tour dates coming up. I\u2019m truly looking forward to the year ahead.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Where can your new fans get more info and stay updated?<\/strong><br \/>\nMySilentBravery.com<br \/>\nFacebook.com\/mysilentbravery<br \/>\nTwitter.com\/mysilentbravery<br \/>\nInstagram.com\/mysilentbravery<br \/>\nYoutube.com\/mysilentbravery<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-18175\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/MY-SILENT-BRAVERY-6.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"490\" height=\"700\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/MY-SILENT-BRAVERY-6.jpg 490w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/MY-SILENT-BRAVERY-6-210x300.jpg 210w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/MY-SILENT-BRAVERY-6-300x429.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 490px) 100vw, 490px\" \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>VIDEO FEATURE &amp; WEB-EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Musician: MY SILENT BRAVERY Video Feature:\u00a0 \u201cGirl You Think You Know\u201d My Silent Bravery\u2019s lead singer\/writer Matthew Wade Confronts Social Media Pressures Facing Young Women In recent song \u201cGirl You Think You Know\u201d and new single \u201c18,\u201d Wade focuses on being comfortable with your true self\u2014letting go of the perception [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":18173,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[7725],"tags":[10702,10703,10704,10705,10706,6271,8655,2411,10707,10708,10709,1959,8500,10710,10540,10711,10713,10712,10369,10714,10715,9569,10716,220,10717,9429,3607,10718,7560,3352,10719,3990,10720,9755,10721,10722,7858,10723,10724,10725,10726,10727,8155,10728,10729,1674,10730,6633,10386,9850,10161,7566,10731,10732,3010,7978,10733,10734,10735,10736,1876,10737,10738,8548,10739,10740,10741,5754,10742,10743,8157,10744,10745,10746,7982,10747],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18171"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18171"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18171\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18182,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18171\/revisions\/18182"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18173"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18171"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18171"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18171"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}