I had the great pleasure of catching up with Matt Schwartz, guitarist and vocalist in the band Pacifico. We discussed the band’s origin, recent hiatus, and his plans for the upcoming year.
Nordic Thunder: How did Pacifico get started and why the name “Pacifico”?
Matt Schwartz: Joel Walker, Pacifico’s first drummer, and I were in a band together, and I was writing music, which that band didn’t like. Joel really pushed me to do my own thing. We came up with the name “‘Pacifico” from an album and a song—by a band called The Lassie Foundation— which is apparently named after the beer, but I didn’t know that at the time.
NT: How did you get into music?
MS: My dad was a minister in music in church. We would sing around the house, he would throw me in to do solos at church or just put me in choir to sing in general. I took piano lessons when I was little, and once I had learned to play, I would write and play classical songs. I got a guitar when I was 15 and soon started writing pop style music.
NT: In what ways has the band changed over the years?
MS: Well, Pacifico started off as an actual band, but the original band dissolved in 2003. Since then it’s been basically just me and a select few people coming in and out to work with me. So now what I do is I pick people that I want to be involved in my music.
NT: How is Pacifico different now compared to when it began?
MS: When it first started, it was collaborative. Now it is more of a collective, where I control the main creative output but a revolving door of friends and musicians help shape the end product. The musicians playing with me vary with each album and live performance.
NT: You’ve taken a bit of time off from music, what was the cause of this?
MS: You could say that I was a bit jaded by the music business. Since about 1997 I’ve been trying to do music full-time, (’99 with Pacifico, and another band – Monday In London – part-time there in the middle.) I’ve had some great experiences and some good times, but overall it was a lot of sacrifice. I wasn’t able to see my family, spend time with friends, or do things for myself. All my energy and money went into recording and touring. I took the time off to just enjoy my life a little bit and gain some perspective, to get to do some things, see some things, and buy some things. I wanted to be a little selfish, I guess.
NT: It must’ve worked, as you’ve got a few new albums coming up. Tell me about the one that you will be releasing this upcoming fall.
MS: The album that will be released sometime this fall is entitled “Without Heroes”. Since I’m not much of a lyricist, I needed a muse, so I decided Heroes – or the lack thereof – was a good theme. I wrote most of the songs based on stories from my friends and family, along with a few that were autobiographical. As I began to write the music and come up with lyrics, it worked out perfectly. I began to write about heroes in my own life, heroes in my friends’ and families’ lives, and situations that have arisen in society due to the lack of heroes. The album was recorded in New York, North Carolina, Georgia & Louisiana. It’s got horns, strings, and it’s with some of my favorite musicians.
NT: What bands did you draw inspiration from for your new album “Without Heroes”?
MS: Lilly Allen, Michael Jackson, Gorillaz, Weezer, Starflyer 59, Beatles, U2, David Bazan, Sandre Lerche, John Davis, Super Drag, Kings Of Leon, Beach Boys…etc. I think that I was just listening to them at the time. I was trying to do more dancy-fun type of stuff, mixed in with my indie-pop rock style and layered vocals.
NT: And how about the one you are currently working on, the iPad only album?
MS: My next two songs will be released digitally and they will be recorded entirely on an iPad at my house and I plan on doing the entire recording myself. The writing, though, will be split up between me and my friends, Trevor and Jason, while my friend, Sterling, and I will write the lyrics. The double-single, one song will be about a break up and the other song will be about finding love. The double single will have a natural transition from very pop-rock to having a little bit more dance and hip-hop influence. Artwork being provided by a local artist (Elise Templet) that does all her art on an iPhone.
NT: What are you listening for when you listen to music?
MS: I think every one is looking to feel the music, to a certain point. For me, something interesting: a really good melody that gets stuck in my head, interesting arrangements and such. I even have to give credit to musicians that I hate when their songs get stuck in my head. I like if it is slow and heartfelt, or if it’s a beat then something I could dance to. I’m big on emotions and things that fit the emotional state that I’m in.
NT: What music are you listening to currently?
MS: The thing is finding music is so hard, especially in a world where we have so much music available to us. If I do find something that I like then I’m usually stuck on it. Some albums that I’ve recently gotten into are:
Foster the People – Torches (2011) – (“Even though I hated it at first.”)
Two Door Cinema Club – Tourist History (2010)
The Hives – Lex Hives (2012)
Rufus Wainwright – Out of the Game (2012)
Blur – Under the Westway- Single (2012)
Matt’s words of wisdom for anyone getting into the music industry:
“Don’t do it for any other reason than the fact that you love it. Don’t try to get money out of it, don’t do it for fame. Do it because you love it, for the satisfaction.
There’s no such thing as making it anymore; it’s literally ridiculous.
Follow your heart and have fun. Feed your artistic side. Don’t limit yourself but do it because you are feeding your artistic hunger. Money, power, and fame are nice by-products but if that’s your sole motivation then you will always be let down.
As a listener you can tell the musicians that put their hearts and souls into their music as opposed to when they are just trying to make a quick buck.”
NT: What should someone expect from your next show, or just future shows in general?
MS: I’ve got 2 shows coming up. Each with a slightly different setlist featuring, different arraignments of songs from Pacifico’s last couple releases, as well as a few songs from the new album Without Heroes. One hopefully with a live band (Jonathan Tillman, Jonathan Loubiere, & Brandon Dixon) rock performance and one acoustic more intimate solo performance. Also, in the future if I play twice a month, it will be one full band and one solo performance.
Upcoming Releases
Without Heroes, iPad only double-single, and lost 2005 sessions.
Upcoming Shows
August 4, 2012 @ North Gate Tavern (with Denton Hatcher and Ronen)
August 16, 2012 @ North Gate Tavern (with Ronen, Valise, and Author)
Free Download
You can download Pacifico’s “10 And Holding” – a retrospective covering the last 10 years as a band for FREE at their bandcamp page - http://pacifico.bandcamp.com/album/10-and-holding
To keep up-to-date with Pacifico news, you can follow Matt here:
Youtube.com/pacificorock
Facebook.com/pacificorock
pacificorock.tumblr.com
Pacificrock.com
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