“I took personal healing into my own hands,” explains Jon Matte. The leader of the Montreal formation The Franklin Electric presents today oh brotherthe most intimate album of his career.
When Jon Matte confided in his mother that he wanted to use words and music to write the reality of his brother — who struggles with mental health issues and has lived on the streets for decades — with words and music, his positive reaction was immediate: “We’ll never keep you.” brother a secret. »
an act of love
This 5th album by The Franklin Electric is therefore an “act of love” by Jon Matte for his older brother. It’s also part of the singer’s healing process, who believes in the power of personal and inner recovery before he can help others.
“He’s had mental health issues his whole life. I’ve taken care of him since I was young, but he’s still my big brother. It was time for me to tell his story, which is not sad but different,” he admits.
In his ten new pieces, Jon Matte sings about the “imperfections that make life so beautiful”. For someone who himself played the trumpet in the streets for six years before finding fame, this work is a way of saying to his brother and those living in a similar reality, “I see you.” »
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“If you’re telling a story, it means you’re ready to let go,” adds the founder of the group we discovered with the 2014 album This Is How I Let You Down.
Oh Brother was largely made while traveling in a small coastal town in Nayarit, Mexico – with his new Chilean producer friend Felipe Castro – as well as in Portugal.
However, the title track was recorded in Montreal during the cold winter. In his cocoon, despite the gray, the artist knew that he had something special inside him.
“The lyrics of the songs on this album are particularly important to me. Those are words that make me feel good, like the track “Warning Signs”. The warmth I have in my heart when I sing it is all that matters.”
Jon Matte will be touring Quebec with the musicians of The Franklin Electric this fall after touring major festivals this summer.
►The Franklin Electric will be in Sherbrooke on July 7th and Lévis on August 4th.