Matt Moody on SoundBetter

Seasoned songwriter with lots of co-writing experience in Nashville and LA. Genre's include pop, rock and singer-songwriter. I also enjoy writing country / western in the more traditional sense.

Songs matter more than anything else. What makes a great artist is great songs. I've co-written with some of the best in the business; Steve Cropper (Booker T. & The MG's), Karen Staley (Faith Hill) and John Corabi (Motley Crue) to name a few. I'm no stranger to crafting a song for other artist's purposes and I believe there are many ways to get there whether that be starting with a lyric, a melody or a chord progression. Part of the process is realizing it's more about getting something down at first, and letting inspiration take hold when it wants to.

I've published songs with Soho Production Music in London, UK.

I'd love to hear about your project. Click the 'Contact' button above to get in touch.

Credits

Languages

English

7 Reviews

Endorse Matt Moody

by Hugo Nicolson
Verified (Client)
Very talented and easy to work with!
by Lee Kolarik
I've been a fan of Matt's songwriting long before I ever got the chance to work with him. I have had the pleasure of recording drums/percussion on more than 20 tracks for Matt over the past few years, and he has always been encouraging of my creative process, open-minded to new ideas, and is always committed to serving the song. I hope to continue making music with Matt and would strongly recommend anyone with the opportunity to jump on it!
by Hannah Stak
Matt is an incredibly talented songwriter and musician. I have had the pleasure of co-writing with Matt and sharing the stage with him for a few years on different projects. Every time I step into a room to work with him on music, I become a better musician too. He is one of the hardest working musicians I have met, and without a doubt one of the most talented. His songs are well written, thought provoking, honest and downright beautiful.
by Jim Stewart
I've worked with Matt several times as the engineer/mixer on projects he's written and performed and it has always been a pleasure. His songwriting and arrangements made my job as mixer incredibly easy. Would happily work with Matt again in the future and would absolutely recommend others do the same.
by Gerry Hirschfeld
Matt is super talented, easy to work with, and just has an overall fantastic ear for production. We worked on a few songs together and I love how they turned out.
by Cass Cassundra Hunter
Matt is one of my most favorite co-writers. We've been writing together for over almost a decade, and we'll be writing again in a few days. Top notch with melodies and we work great together on lyric ideas.
by Nicholas Reinmann
Matt is great because he understands songwriting in a variety of context. I've worked with him for years, and seen his progression in the traditional songwriting setting, crafting songs organically, as well as a more modern approach where he writes in tandom with producing on a DAW. He's always sharp, has good ideas, and has written some really moving music in the time I've known him.

Interview with Matt Moody

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: My side project titled SUPER HOT GLUE GUN. I got to collab with a lot of cool writer's on it and I signed it to a publishing / production house that specializes in sync. It was a very fun project to make because it's quirky and out of the box. Unlike anything I've done before.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: Releasing my debut solo record.
Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?
A: Hugo Nicolson is a great mixing engineer.
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: Analog whenever I can, because it has more soul to it. But digital gets the job done as well.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: I can't promise anything. Songs have a mind of their own sometimes, it's not up to us entirely. We are simply vehicles for the songs themselves.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: Making music doesn't feel like a job to me, and that's part of the reason why I love it.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: What are your goals with these songs? Why do you make music? / What's your moral code as an artist?
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Make sure the vibe feels right.
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: Macbook Pro, Apollo Twin, Shure SM7B, Martin 000-18e, Headphones.
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I started playing in bands when I was 14. A lot of grunge and rock back in the day. I had a stint in Nashville working with managers and big time writers and got pretty close to landing a record deal, but some things fell through and I moved back home to Cleveland, OH. My time back in Cleveland allowed for me to become employed through music as a jack of-all-trades. I was playing in various bands as an instrumentalist, as well as my own. I was also recording, producing, and teaching guitar and bass. I've recently signed a publishing deal for a 10 song side-project I created over the pandemic. I also recorded some other music for sync as well as my own solo project that I'm expecting to release later this year. I've recently re-located to Los Angeles and am living in Culver City.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: Modern - vintage.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: I'd love to work with Cautious Clay. He's got great writing and production skills. Good pop sensibility while still retaining an authentic sound.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Less is more. Don't over-saturate.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Pop, Rock, Singer-Songwriter, Indie.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Chord changes, catchy melodies and vulnerable, honest lyrics.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: Originality in lyrics and memorable hooks throughout. I like to push boundaries lyrically while still retaining pop - sensibility.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: I usually start with chords and a melody, but occasionally the lyric will come first. I like to get the song down as an acoustic performance typically before tracking it on Logic and adding production elements. A good song is a good song regardless of how you produce it. I like to find the core of it first before adding bells and whistles. Occasionally I'll start with a beat or a loop on Logic and write to that, depending on what I'm going for and what the artist prefers.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: You can see most of it in my profile photo. I have a my own room dedicated to music in my apartment. Lots of foam padding the walls for isolated sound. I've got my desk setup with my monitors, interfaces, midi controller and computer. My room is filled with guitars, guitar amps and fx pedals, various percussion instruments and artwork covering the walls. A pretty comfortable vibe going on, with a couch and a coffee table against the far wall.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: As far as songwriting goes, I'm a huge fan of Neil Young's work. Adam Duritz of Counting Crows is a highly under-rated lyricist. I really enjoy Cautious Clay and Maggie Rogers' work when it comes to modern pop artists / producers.