Matt Handley
Matt Handley
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About Matt Handley
"Won't Get Over You" is the debut solo album for Melbourne based singer/songwriter Matt Handley. Matt's previous five albums of material fronting the band Pollyanna charted his ascendancy as an accomplished songwriter -the impressive guitar driven debut "Longplayer " earned two aria nominations, dominated alternative radio and established the band firmly in the Australian music scene for over 8 years. Backed up with hundreds of live shows, songs such as 'Brittle then Broken', 'Hermit Inertia' and "Effervescence" were testament to the strength of his writing across all of Pollyanna's recordings. Arguably the bands finest moment came in their final album, the brooding "Didn't feel a thing" recorded with noted US producer Brian Paulson (Wilco, Golden Smog, The Jayhawks) which, with songs such as "Particular People" ,"Firesale"and "Rebound Girl", hinted that Matt still had a lot left in the tank. "Won't Get Over You" started as a collection of skeletal bedroom recordings that were revisited over scattered sessions in Sydney and Melbourne studios, however the intimacy of the original versions remains intact . A solo record in the truest sense, Matt played all the instrumentation and produced each of the eleven tracks. A brushed snare, lightly strummed acoustic guitars, and reverb soaked vibrato share the record with claustrophobic lo fi drums, bitter electric guitars, driven keys and fatigued vocal chords. The restrained arrangements heighten the emotive impact of the lyrics and reinforce the sombre reflective mood of the album - the recording unadorned and honest. Each track on "Won't get Over You" explores a facet of the painful demise of a relationship and the loneliness that remains. "How could I expect the love from another when I can't stand myself? ('Rhetorical') "...you'd never guess how low I've been without you" '(Not) All Right'), "...when converstaions faltered they'd take the path of most abuse" ('Messed Up') "..you felt for her breath, felt for her warmth, ran your hands clear off the bed.." ('Rhetorical') "the memories you wish you keep from repeating stung every limb you moved" ('Lost her Head') "..solace came when hearts grew colder, photographs you kept in folders,hidden well ('Blackout') "you could feel her insides corrode-this won't a bit...." ('Don't Flinch') " .. i've been cut from dagger stares that rendered me to dust" ('Rubbing Me Out') Through the bleakness, Matt's inate sense of melody still shines through. Fuelled by frustration and despair "Won't Get Over You" is the sort of album that will slowly permeate your soul. Released on Rogue Records/Inertia After regular solo acoustic shows in Melbourne and Sydney, Matt Handley and his band the Dagger Stares played their debut gig earlier this year to a sold out Corner Hotel supporting Little Birdy. Stay tuned for national touring details as they promote 'Won't Get Over You'
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