Mattmac reaches for the top in his aspirational new single and video Status — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
And no wonder; 2021 has been a busy year for the up-and-coming pop-trap artist. He tucked an Album Of The Year Award into his belt from the Summer Solstice Indigenous Music Awards, and earned an Indigenous Artist of the Year nomination at this year’s Western Canadian Music Awards.
Part of his appeal lies in his ability to incorporate other genres, including rock and metal, into his pop productions, and Status is no exception. But that’s just one element of the compelling story behind this inspiring artist. Hailing from Garden Hill First Nation, Manitoba, Mattmac has been blind from birth. “I began to struggle with depression at a young age, and I credit music for helping me cope,” he says. “I grew up surrounded by music both on the radio and singing in my community’s gospel choir.”
A fully self-taught artist, he first began to make beats and write songs when he was 13 years old, and later taught himself how to play piano and guitar. He also has impressive skills with beat production software and equipment, and attributes his creative competencies to the support of the Blind & Famous group — a U.S.-based collective of blind music artists who collaborate and connect with one another through the Internet.
Mattmac was launched into the music scene in 2016 when N’we Jinan, a travelling music studio program, visited his community and invited him to collaborate on a project. Pulling inspiration from his personal story, they created a song and video titled Help You See. Through this experience, he connected with international artist Nelly Furtado, and performed alongside her at Indigenous Day Live and We Day Canada Day in 2017; they continue to work together. “I hope to continue to use my platform to inspire others to know that they can accomplish anything they set their mind to,” he says.
Watch Status above, hear more from Mattmac below, and keep up with him on his website, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
