Matt Zaddy admits his life has been out of balance for Far Too Long in his confessional and cathartic new single — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
The daily grind or rat race can swallow up a person entirely and leave them feeling helpless alongside being physically and mentally exhausted. Mississauga folksinger Zaddy describes that situation vividly in his latest single. Spiced with Americana and alt-country flavours, it’s a song that hits close to home for the musician, who was burning the candle at three ends between his day job, family life, and music pursuits.
Not surprisingly, the 80-hour weeks left him at the breaking point. After a heartfelt chat with his brother, the musician realized burnout had cost him a week of his life. That wakeup call, ironically, led Zaddy to Juno-nominated, Emmy-winning producer Ross Citrullo, who helped Far Too Long blossom into fully formed fruition from that initial seed.
“I’ve always believed that music has the power to connect us,” Zaddy says. “This song speaks to my own struggles with balance — between work, music, family, and friends. I think we’ve all been there at some point, and sometimes it takes hitting a wall to realize we need to make a change.”
Far Too Long was recorded at Toronto’s RHC Music. The room and collaboration resulted in a song whose energy was captured immediately, with basic tracks completed in under an hour. “We recorded the vocals, bass, organs, and drums live off the floor, and it made all the difference in the feel and sound of the song,” Zaddy says. “Live-off-the-floor recording gives the song something spontaneous and honest, something visceral.”
Far Too Long, mastered by Connor Salmoral at Salmoral Studios, features Zaddy on lead vocals, percussion, electric guitar and acoustic guitar. Citrullo adds percussion while Adam Cannon provides percussion and drums. The single also includes bassist Curtis Freeman, Miles Evans-Branagh on organ and piano, and backing vocalist Heather Christine.
Zaddy released his debut EP Perfect Moments in 2015, followed in 2019 by his debut album Be. His 2023 single What Comes Around earned over 162,000 views and airplay in 10 countries. Zaddy has performed at Canadian Music Week, Caldeon Day with Sam Roberts, Folk Music Ontario’s Spotlight Showcase, London’s VenueXVenue Festival and Toronto’s VegTO Festival, among others.
Check out Far Too Long above, sample more from Matt Zaddy below, and head over to his website, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
