Montreal’s Townes Unveils New Single, “Shadows”
Montreal, QC-based Townes has shared his new single “Shadows” from his upcoming EP and short film Ghostwriters (set for November 10).
Townes (aka Matt Radich) is one of Nicolas Cage’s only genuine fans, a cynic with a dry wit, and also a recording artist and filmmaker. If asked to describe his music, he might laugh and say “it’s just bad”, but that would be unsurprising as one could find a lot more self-deprecating humour within his music. With a series of home-recorded EP releases to his name and several new studio singles, Townes has found an addictive middle point between indie-rock and pop. Combining stellar songwriting and nostalgic late 00’s production, he draws on influences from Beck, Hot Chip, and Diamond Rings.
Radich has spent several years perfecting his live shows in small- to mid-size venues. Along with headlining his own shows, he’s supported acts such as Holy Fuck, Zola Jesus, and many others. Townes engages his audiences with the might of a four-piece band, incorporating set pieces and manually programmed lights, despite being a solo act. Radich’s upcoming EP “Ghostwriters” continues his journey to blend music and visuals, while doubling down on the comedic elements of his music. With an accompanying short film of the same name, Ghostwriters tells the story of two songwriters who are kidnapped and tortured in order to write a comeback hit for a popstar going through a public scandal.
Listen to “Shadows” below and learn more about Townes via our Five Questions With segment.
Care to introduce yourself to our readers?
My name is Matt, I perform indie rock and pop tunes under the name Townes. I was based out of Ottawa for many years, but currently reside in Montreal.
Tell us a bit about your most recent release.
This track is called “Shadows”. The track is about being content with your art. It’s easy to always move the goalposts and feel unsatisfied because you want to hit certain goals when making music. This song is about looking back and being satisfied with yourself regardless of streams, views, etc.
“Shadows” is the final song from my upcoming EP and short film “Ghostwriters”. Set entirely to original music, Ghostwriters is a horror-comedy that tells the story of two songwriters who are kidnapped and tortured in order to write a comeback hit for a pop star going through a public scandal. The film was directed and co-created with my frequent collaborator Nicholas Wandel. By primarily telling the story through visual language set to music, Ghostwriters sets out to be energetic and provide a one-of-a-kind experience.
Where do you tend to pull inspiration from when writing?
For this project, I pulled inspiration from horror films, comedy films, and electronic music. I wrote the majority of the record alone in a cabin in Northern Quebec. Once I had the story in place for the film, the writing came pretty naturally. It was the first time I’ve created songs with the purpose of being an “intro song” or “song where two people wake up and realize they’ve been kidnapped”. It’s goofy, but it was a fun way to write music.
Do you have any upcoming shows you’d like to tell us about?
All of these dates are yet to be announced, but there will be film screenings in Ottawa and Toronto in early November, shortly before the release of Ghostwriters. Ottawa will be at a music venue, so we’ll have a live music portion of the evening as well. Toronto won’t have live music this time around but will be in a proper cinema. I will also be performing a headline show in Montreal at the end of November. Going to be bringing the full show. I’m talking lights, lasers, all the hits.
What’s your goal for 2023?
My goal for 2023 is to finally get this project released! It was recorded in early 2022 and we filmed the short in the fall, so it feels like I’ve been holding onto something really special for a long time. It’s been our secret and only limited audiences have got to experience it. It’s scary putting out something so large to the public, but I know people will like it.
I don’t often set specific goals for how a record will perform, but I will be appreciative of any attention the EP or film receives. We’re still waiting to hear back from a couple of film festivals as well, so hopefully there will be some more screenings in the fall.
Since it’s already 9 months into 2023, one big goal we achieved was having the film premiere at Fantasia International Film Festival in July. It was surreal, especially because I was amazed that a festival would welcome 20 minutes of Townes music videos back to back. The whole event was very legitimate, taking place in the Montreal Fine Art Museum, and it was maybe the first time I’ve felt imposter syndrome.