Freddy Matthews is a songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist out of Tampa, FL. Freddy brings the beach vibes with this one in his remake of The Cure’s legendary “Lovesong.”
Freddy is currently a featured songwriter and performing artist for bass player and producer Jerry Navarro at Frequency Spot in Franklin, Indiana. Jerry is Pit Boss with Muzic Mafia and has shared the stage with Big N Rich, J.D Souther, Dave Matthews Band, Kid Rock, James Brown Band, Keith Urban, Martina McBride, and Toby Keith, just to name a few.
Originally from Chicago, the melting pot of blues, funk, soul, and house dance music, Freddy saw reggae as he puts it, “…as this deeply prophetic beautiful art form that was really like nothing else – the music captured me from the start.”
The stars aligned when Freddy linked up with reggae musicians in the Tampa area, namely: Neville Ellis (bass player and family member of Alton Ellis, the creator of Rocksteady music) and Kibo Challenger (reggae and soca drummer out of the Virgin Islands).
Together they lived and breathed music, and this is where Freddy began to learn and play reggae music. Freddy talks about these years: “This was a time of learning and musical growth. They were formative years because I had to get my priorities straight to follow the musical path, accept it as my path, and integrate a ton of learning and life experience into writing.”
Freddy started with music at a later age. “I quit piano lessons when I was 7 because the teacher was teaching me a list of rules and exercises when all I wanted to do was play.” At age fifteen a family friend gave Freddy an acoustic guitar with these 4 rusty strings on it – “That night after receiving that guitar, I went home, laid in bed, turned the tuning pegs till they made some sense, and began writing music there and then.”
Since then, I have never been complete without music. It gave me a voice, and I think that now in 2022 music has more to say than ever.
“Each song that is written and recorded as a great gift. Seeing music move forward from nothing to something – seeing dreams come true – is an incredible experience. I am so grateful for everyone and everything that brought this song and all the others we have done and will be releasing this year, to life.
Lovesong – In the Studio
The day we recorded Lovesong was the first time any of us had been back in the studio after quarantine. The joy from creating music again with a full band, and the sense of accomplishment we all felt from pouring our souls into such an iconic song was an amazing experience. It was a beautiful day, and I am so happy with how it turned out.
After having the music recorded, I needed a video. So, I learned as much as I could about video and put together my first ‘homemade’ video. I licensed some material through Shutterstock and through a company HQuality and put it all together with only about 140 computer crashes. The video is filled with flaws, and I love it for that reason. There are moments in that video that were pure accidents, mistakes, and as it turns out those imperfections are simply perfect.
It is my hope that anyone who hears this version of Lovesong will feel the LOVE and ENERGY that were all there in the studio when we created this and be UPLIFTED wherever they are.
The Album Art
The album cover art was hand drawn by a tattoo artist in Costa Rica, “Luna,” (IG@Tatuaje.Puntuaje). The snake is an ancient symbol of healing that will be a centerpiece in the artwork that accompanies Freddy Matthews and F. R. Music Project’s works in the coming year. Freddy’s other releases include “Rise Up” and “Whiskey on My Shoes,” both songs that he released as a songwriter under group name: F. R. Music Project and they are available on all streaming platforms.
Credits for Lovesong:
Freddy Matthews – Vocals, Music Video, Guitars, Co-Composer / Co-Arranger (https://freddymatthews.com)
Mark Duvall – Production Manager / Mastering Engineer / Co-Composer and Arranger with Freddy Matthews (99+) Mark Duvall | LinkedIn
Adam Dean Ellis – Producer / Mixing Engineer (https://adamdeanellis.com)
Zak Denham – Producer / Pro-Tools Engineer (https://onebyoneaudio.com)
Gibran Sponchiado – Producer / Engineer / Owner of Top Tracks Studios (https://toptracksstudios.com)
Studio: Top Tracks Studios (https://toptracksstudios.com)
Peter Keys – Keyboard (https://peterkeys.com)
Kevin Arrowsmith – Fiddle, Guitar Kevin Arrowsmith | Luke Bryan (webermandolins.com)
Dave Coleman – Lead Guitars, www.thecoalmen.com)
Jeremy Pearl – Drums & Percussion (Road Life with Rick Monroe Podcast: 002: Interview with Jeremy Pearl – Nashville Drummer (libsyn.com)
Jerry Navarro – Bass Guitar (https://www.frequencyspot.com)
Kristen Rogers – Backing Vocals (Kristen Rogers – Session singer – Nashville | SoundBetter)
