Matthew Alexander

Who Is An Apolitical Man?

We live in partisan times -- red/blue; democrat/republican; conservative/progressive. But what of the "apolitical man", that denizen of late night radio who just wants to tune out the fray? To live beyond labels and the media's mind manipulation? A man who has had his fill of pointless and exhausting debates that resolve nothing? Who can understand this man? Perhaps, only SIRI!

Matthew Alexander was a featured guest at the Resiliency 2022 Conference that was live streamed on 9/9/22 to over 10,000 attendees in 49 countries worldwide. The conference featured such luminaries as Jewel, Harville Hendrix and Andrew Weill. Matthew was delighted to premier his latest song, "The Upside of Down".  This song will appear on his new record Midnight Dream Station along with a music video to be broadcast on You Tube.

THE UPSIDE OF DOWN

(Video and audio to be released in May, 2023 in conjunction with Midnight Dream Station release)

Word and Music by Matthew Alexander @2022

Feelings can whirl like a hurricane

But after the wind and after the rain

The clouds will clear and the sun will crown

There's an downside of up and an upside of down

The downside of up is you want it to last

Whatever you build can fall down fast

Better take care, better be tough

Buyer beware, the downside of up

The wisdom you share, the wounds you reveal

The anger you show, the joy that you feel

The king and the queen, the fool and the clown

There's a downside of up

And an upside of down

The upside of down is the grit that you get

From sailing through a sea of regret

Learn how to swim, learn not to drown

Learn to sail with the tides, the upside of down

The downside of up, the upside of down

Ferris wheel spinning around

Grow your dreams, root them in the ground

There's a downside to up and an upside of down

An upside of down, upside of down

Upside of down

                 Midnight Dream Station by Matthew Alexander

In Midnight Dream Station, singer-songwriter Matthew Alexander is tapping into something  unique, authentic and universal. The record is fresh and alive with soaring vocals, playful interplay between Alexander’s piano and guitar, and songs that engage emotionally. Throw in some skillful drums and electric bass offered by jazz musicians Al Sergel IV and Ron Brendle, as well as contemporary co-production and engineering from Chris Green, and you have music that makes you reflect on life’s mysteries and lifts your spirits during these uncertain times. 

As for the title, Alexander states the following: “I was in Jungian analysis in my twenties which gave me great respect for the brilliance and creative potential of nightly dreams. I keep a dream journal every day and marvel at the depth of self-insight that can be found by interpreting my dreams. And in many ways, as a romantic and optimist, I do a lot of daydreaming as well.  Dreams keep us alive and engaged”, Alexander states. 

In contrast to his previous seven albums, Midnight Dream Station is built around the acoustic piano. “The studio at which I recorded (Charlotte-based Grammy and Dove award winning studio, GAT3) has the most beautiful Yamaha Grand Piano I have ever played. Once I touched the keys, the record began its transformation from a guitar oriented effort to more piano based.” 

Alexander, an award-winning musician whose songs have been played on radio stations throughout the world, calls the record “acoustic pop folk” in the tradition of Michael Kiwanuka, Labi Siffre and David Grey. “I am proudest of the way the record works as a whole album. The ‘LP experience’ has all but disappeared in today’s streaming culture. I put tremendous effort into choosing the best songs for this record and sequencing them for maximum impact.” 

Alexander has been a singer-songwriter since he was 16. Twelve of his first compositions were published by New York based Bornwin Music and sent to groups such as the Turtles. Songs from his subsequent 7 CDs have been played on radio stations throughout the world. He has opened for Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel “back in the day”, jammed with Carly Simon and Bonnie Raitt, studied with Paul Simon and is known for his warm vocals, intricate finger picking and captivating songwriting as well as his engaging storytelling during his live shows. Alexander’s rendition of the Gordon Lightfoot classic “Steel Rail Blues” hit Number 3 on the Folk Charts in 2020. But the pandemic forced him to slow down and sharpen his focus on his craft. 

“While in quarantine, I had the opportunity to dig deeply into my music and channel my fears of “non-being” into creating a body of work that I felt would endure. I started doing vocal exercises every day, rehearsing six hours at a time and challenging myself to write songs that were more universal and complex lyrically. Whereas my previous output of songs had been one every year or two, all of a sudden I was flooded with ideas culminating in 30 new songs being written in the space of six months.” 

Many of these tunes have made their way onto Midnight Dream Station. Standout songs such as “An Apolitical Man”, “A Mourning Song”, “Moonshine”, "Love Was" and “On a Perfect Day” address pressing issues such as alienation, loss and the value of human connection. The record closes with Alexander's newest song "The Upside of Down" which was enthusiastically received during its world wide premier at the 2022 International Resiliency Conference, telecast to an audience of over 10,000 attendees from 49 countries! This is a CD which joins others by folk-oriented artists such as Haim, Sufja Stevens and Fleet Foxes in providing a compelling testament to the world-wide struggles experienced during the pandemic.