Earlier this year, Matt Teed released his EP Watcha Thinkin’. It was a collection of songs that showcased a confident artist with a great, unique voice and solid songwriting.
Now, instead of going down that same path of mid-tempo ballads or traditional pop-country sounds, he’s back with a new, rockier sound with his latest release “Restless”.
I’ll put it as plainly as possible: “Restless” is a banger. It’s cool. It’s exciting.
From the instant you hear the rolling drums and driving guitar picking, you’re hooked. There’s a darkness to the sound that draws you in immediately, and you can’t wait to hear where it goes.
Telling the story of regret over a lost love, Teed sings about being restless at the thought of letting them get away. “I’ve been looking for answers, now I’m getting anxious, lying here cold and helpless, and oh so restless” he sings before charging into the chorus.
The chorus is the star of the show, with a chord progression that directly juxtaposes the verses. While the message of regret is the same (“That memory of how I left you hurting, I try to drown it with a bottle of bourbon”) it has an almost hopeful feel from the dark intensity of the verses.
It’s a chorus that immediately makes you want to stand up and start pumping your fist, or head banging, or however you express music taking over your body. I know this because that’s exactly what it did to me.
In the relatively short time that Teed has been on the Canadian country scene, he’s already starting to make quite the impact.
RELATED: Have a listen to his previous single “Read Between The Signs” …
Since only 2019, he’s released multiple singles, garnered 140,000+ streams and worked as a co-writer with other established and up-and-coming artists.
Of his new, edgier sound, Teed says “I’ve always loved the rock elements of country and I’m a big fan of guys like Kip Moore who blend it together so well, so “Restless” was my attempt at pushing my sound a little outside of that pop country box to find a little more grit and freedom with what we could do going forward.”
With a gravelly voice that is perfectly suited to this new, rockier direction, “Restless” showcases an artist not afraid to try new things and broaden his range. “I really tried to build an up tempo yet soulful, blues-y vibe” Teed says, displaying his ability to pull inspiration from a wide range of genres.
“Restless”, the song, is the first track on his latest release, Restless: The EP, a collection of 4 songs that, while they may not all match the heavy intensity of the title track, all have a “rock-y” undercurrent highlighting an artist perfectly at home in his new sound. It’s a welcome new sound, and we can’t wait to see where it takes him!
Stream “Restless” From Matt Teed
Scott Sykes
Scott has been a lover of music his whole life, but being born and raised in small town Ontario helped solidify his love of Country music specifically. Drawn to the musicality and storytelling of Country Music, one of his passions is spreading the word about all the great talent Canada has to offer in this genre. Scott has an extending performing career, having acted in many theatre productions, sketch comedy, music videos and TV, and has hosted multiple global corporation seminars and awards ceremonies. While he is a classically trained pianist, he leaves music to the professionals, and basks in all their musical glory! A day without music is a waste of day, he believes, and can usually be found cranking some of his favourite Canadian artists like James Barker Band, Madeline Merlo, and Brett Kissel, and artists like Kip Moore and Ashley McBryde from south of the border on a daily basis.
