An interview with Hans Matheson Italy (shared here with permission):
HMI: First of all, thank you very much for this album. Your fans, who have already been able to appreciate your voice in some of your films, were waiting for this moment. What drove you to its realization? In addition to the passion for music, of course.
Hans: I had a lot of fun making "SAIL THE SEA". It was something I had always intended to do but never did but NOW is the right time.
I think what pushed me to make it happen was that I didn't want to have any regrets later in life for not doing the things I thought meant for me, and these songs and the other songs that I'm planning to record are deeply personal. for me, they were born from my life experiences and from the struggle to understand them.
Sounds and rhythms, melodies and harmonies, all express sensations that I feel difficult to express in words.
HMI: Will you continue with film, or will you dedicate yourself exclusively to music?
Hans: My plan is to try to make both music and cinema, I love them both. I hope I can still make films and record music in my spare time. In order to start, I had to concentrate totally on recording and making small videos, opening the small record company and starting with music, but now that everything is in place I can turn my attention back to the films.
HMI: In this album, you play guitar, violin ... did you play any other instrument to make it?
Hans: In an ideal situation the production of an album should involve a small team of people who bring together all their individual skills to produce a record, but in the independent world, without record companies, you have to find a way to do it, so I played drums and percussion, piano, guitar, strings, and keyboards and I sang. I wouldn't classify myself as a violinist, drummer or pianist, but I can play them to a certain level if necessary for recording.
Singing, creating atmospheres with sounds and playing the guitar are my strengths in music. However, I was very lucky to have my friend Alexi-P help me with some arrangements. He also played bass on all tracks and created some really nice guitar parts especially for the song "On The Ropes". He can play any genre and is very talented.
The string part in "The Sun Is All Around You" is one of my favorite musical moments on the album and Alex really helped me put it together ... We had a lot of fun recording, going to the studio to mix the songs with Brett Shaw and burning at Abbey Road was a real adventure.
HMI: We really hope to see you on tour. Do you think you will? In Europe / world or only in England?
Hans: I'd like to do a day tour. Who knows, maybe it will happen. I hope so. I'll let you know if the opportunity presents itself.
HMI: I would like you to say something about music freely, without my questions.
Hans: I want to thank everyone who read this, listened to my music and supported it. I am in the process of making another album right now and I hope to return to making some films again this year. Let's see what life has in store for 2020.
My father also released an album called "The Healing Waves" which I recorded, on which I played percussion and sang. It was a great experience and I think it's a really beautiful collection of songs, which you can find on Bandcamp under the name adomatheson.bandcamp.com