Mat McHugh

Mat McHugh is about to release his brand new solo record Waves. To coincide with the release of the album, he is touring throughout the country during October and November and will be hitting up Melbourne, Ballarat and Torquay along the way. However, as we begin to chat, Mat is sitting outside his house in Cronulla and it’s easy to hear the wind blowing into the microphone as we chat. As he reveals, the record isn’t entirely finished yet and won’t be until right up until the release date.
“We brought out the first single ‘Sideways’ and released that as a free download off the web. To date it’s been downloaded about 10,000 times although it’s not the finished product. I’m still working on the album and the track we released was a little snapshot of how it was a few weeks ago,” he says.
‘Sideways’ is a track that sees the culmination of everything that McHugh has done over the past 15 years of his career. Combining elements of acoustic and electric guitar with soft electro beats, it’s an intriguing listen and a good indication of where Waves will end up when it’s released in about two weeks time.
As an independent artist, McHugh feels that having the ability to put out this album online for the world to hear releases some of the pressure compared to being signed to a major record label.
“I’ve always been in a good position when it came time to release new music. Being independent allows you to hit the trigger with releasing pretty quickly. Although there is some ducks that need to be lined up first, if I was releasing this on a major label I might have to wait 12 months before it comes out. It feels good to have the ability to hit the trigger at any moment,” he says.
Everything that McHugh releases is inspired by his father who gave Mat his musical genes, and it wasn’t until he discovered his father’s old Japanese Suzuki classical guitar that the concept for this record really took shape.
“I didn’t grow up with a television in the house – I had this exact guitar. I found it in a cupboard when I was cleaning up at my mum’s house last year,” McHugh says.
“He used to play this guitar all the time and it’s the first guitar I ever played. It had been in the cupboard for 25 years. When I first held that guitar I was about three or four years old and so when I restrung it up and played it, it was quite an emotionally heavy moment.”
Starting out in the mid noughties in the time when Jack Johnson was becoming a household name, the success and word of the band spread across Australia quite quickly and in a matter of time, the band were playing mass headline shows and touring all over the world.
“I’ve never signed up to a massive record label and I’ve always tried to do stuff that has felt right with my music and I feel blessed for everything that has happened. There are still forks in the road that I have to overcome but I feel great about releasing this album at this time,” he says.
With a three piece band behind him on this tour, you are able to hear all facets of the Mat McHugh and Beautiful Girls career, make sure you bring your requests to these songs, because Mat’s is always about pleasing the audience.
“If you’ve paid to come and watch me play, request what you want to hear. Get in contact via the Facebook. I want people to go away from these shows feeling satisfied that they have heard their favourite songs,” he says.
Written by Tex Miller
When & Where: Karova Lounge, Ballarat – October 1, Corner Hotel, Melbourne – October 2, Torquay Hotel, Torquay – October 4 & Westernport, San Remo – October 4