How Matteson Gregory Blends Mental Health with Catchy Pop

“You Can Call Me Mattie”; that’s what the banner standing next to Gregory during her shows says. But beyond that, Gregory just hopes her music can help people feel less alone. Since releasing her first single “Comfortable” in 2018, the indie pop artist has gone on to play breweries and venues both in and outside of Springfield. When it comes to songwriting, drawing inspiration from her own life and thoughts is prevalent.

Her single “Have You Seen My Friends?” offers fresh, upbeat production against an underlying question where Gregory finds herself growing distant with friends amidst all the demands of adulthood.

“I Wanna Get Hurt” is a song that lends itself to heartbreak. Gregory wrote this one for her 17- year-old self; instead of caring about getting hurt, she just wants to feel the kind of love that she saw in movies and heard about in songs.

Her latest release “Girl In The Photo” is about learning to love yourself and feeling enough in a world that likes to show everyone’s highlight reels. Below, she talks about her musical journey and what she hopes listeners can take away from the stories she shares. Be sure to check out her website to stay up to date with new music and upcoming gigs.

417 Magazine: At what point did you decide that you wanted to pursue music?
Matteson Gregory: It was something that I had always wanted to do but for the longest time I was super secretive about it. Like I just never felt confident to share my music when I was a teenager. I was the shy girl in class who wrote songs in her room instead of going to the high school dance. It wasn’t until I was a senior that I felt confident and knew that I was going to pursue this. My mom had made me promise that I would do a talent show for my senior year. I kept that promise by singing a song I wrote in front of the whole school for an assembly. I was terrified but I think getting over that fear of sharing my music was what made me want to do it even more.

417: How old were you when you wrote your first song? Did you know right away that this was something you needed to keep doing?
M.G.: Oh gosh, I was probably like 12. I would always be coming up with little poems and melodies in my head. I learned to play guitar when I was 12 and from there, that was when I really started to put poems and music together. From there I felt like I couldn’t stop. I felt like this was a true way for me to share my feelings in a way that not only felt therapeutic, but also natural.

417: Tell us about your songwriting process. Where do you draw inspiration?
M.G.: I feel like every song starts differently. I will either get the melody and lyrics first then write the music. Or I might be playing my guitar or piano and then the lyrics come from there. Most of my inspiration comes from life and what I have learned along the way.

417: Out of all the shows you’ve played, has there been a particular one/moment that stood out to you?
M.G.: The show that has stood out for me was my recent show I had at the Recency. It was my first show as an opener and it felt amazing to be on a stage with such talented musicians. One of my goals has been to play a show where I’ve seen a show and I remember seeing Bowling for Soup a few years back at the same venue. It was definitely a full circle moment for me.

417: When was the first time you heard that someone had connected with your music? How would you describe that feeling?
M.G.: It’s always an amazing feeling when people reach out relating to my music. I remember someone I went to high school with had messaged me shortly after I released “War With Myself”.  They expressed how much the song meant to them and how they related so much to it. I’ve always said my goal is to make music to help people feel less alone. To be there for them when no one else is. So whenever someone connects with it, I really feel like I’m helping someone and that’s more than I could’ve asked for.

417: You’ve been very open about your mental health journey through your music and social media. What do you hope people can take away from that?
M.G.: I remember when I was 18 and I had gone through one of the toughest years. My depression had made it hard to find motivation for life. I felt worthless and like I shouldn’t be here. I felt alone. That feeling I’ve felt is something I wouldn’t ever wish on anyone. The one thing that helped me find strength was someone sharing their story with me. So I’ve made it my goal to be as open as I can be with my mental health because I want to be that person for someone.

417: What is something you hope to accomplish within the next year?
M.G.: I have so many things lined up. New music is for sure coming. Some of the bigger things I’d like to do would be to open for more artists, tour and release an EP. I’ve already got a plan for an EP so hopefully within the next year it will be out.