intro by madden levin
interview by cami liberty
photo courtesy of superet
Matt Blitzer, a so-called salty surfer kid and jazz enthusiast from Santa Barbara, started the project Superet in 2016. Before this creation, Blitzer had his part in different bands across Los Angeles, showing his love for music has been lifelong. With that jazz influence, it is no doubt that Superet's music is extremely captivating and makes you want to get on the dance floor and vibe it out. With the artistic ability portrayed in each new release that comes our way, it's so clear why fans flock to listen to Superet's tunes. Check out our full exclusive interview with Superet below!
For those who aren’t familiar with your work, can you tell us a bit about who you are and the music you create?
Superet: “My name is Matt Blitzer, and I’m the singer and songwriter behind Superet. I grew up in Santa Barbara as a salty surfer kid and studied jazz guitar at Calarts. After moving to LA and playing in a few different bands, I decided to start Superet in 2016 on Valentine’s Day. It’s been a deeply satisfying and also tumultuous relationship ever since.”
If you were to recommend a new song for listeners to check out first, which would you suggest?
Superet: “I’ll suggest you go on a short journey… Take a scenic drive with someone you love and listen to ‘Prism.’ Then take a hot bath (maybe with the same person) and listen to ‘Pink House.’ As you dry off, try dancing to ‘Go To Sleep Kimberly’ while singing the chorus into your hairbrush like it’s a microphone.”
You recently wrapped up as support for iDKHOW’s “The Thought Reform Tour.” How has it felt being back onstage and touring the country?
Superet: “The short answer is that it felt really, really good. Like every other performer in the world, the pandemic had me wondering if I’d ever play a show again. I really had to look for other ways to exert that kind of energy, but there’s nothing like a live show. Basically I had two years of build-up, so I can promise you that every performance on this tour has been deeply appreciated.
But the long answer is that it’s also been the hardest tour I’ve ever done, by far. When Dallon reached out to check in with me over the summer, I was essentially starting over. I gave him the update that I’d parted ways with my management as well as the original members of the band. I was pretty isolated, and just working on becoming a better songwriter and doing some recording at home. Dallon, being the champion that he is, then asked me if I could get it together to support a couple of shows on his tour. I said, ‘Yes! I’ll be ready!’ But truthfully I was nowhere near ready.
It was only supposed to be a couple of shows, but I was so thankful for an opportunity to get my shit together. I managed to put together a new live show right in the knick of time with the help of a really talented friend – Aaron Harrison Folb. We played the two shows as a trio and they were so much fun, but then it was over and I thought, ‘Ok, back into the void.’
A few days later I’m steaming some vegetables and, no joke, listening to ‘Comfortable With Uncertainty’ by Pema Chodron when my AirPods go ‘BING!’ and Siri says ‘Text message from Dallon Weekes.’ He wanted to know if I could make it out to Denver in two days and finish out the rest of their tour. I had about 12 hours to figure out how to make it happen.
Chaos ensued. We made it happen. I won’t go into the logistical nightmare, but I’ll just say it’s really beautiful to see how the people in your life will show up for you in moments like this. This is not an easy career choice, so it helps if you have people who are making you feel like it’s possible.”
Was there a song on your set list that surprised you from the audience reaction?
Superet: “Yes! There were a few shows when the audience lit their iPhone flashlights and swayed them in the air to the new songs – ‘Prism’ and ‘Pink House.’ It was a really beautiful thing to watch from the stage. Those songs are also so much more vulnerable than anything I’ve ever done before, and you never know if people are going to go on that journey with you. That’s a direction I had to go for myself, but it’s really special if other people are able to connect with it too.”
Speaking of “Pink House” and “Prism,” can you tell us a little about these songs and how they came about?
Superet: “It was the middle of the pandemic and I was having a tough time writing and finding motivation. So one night my girlfriend challenged me with an assignment. She said, ‘You have to write an album worth of songs, record and deliver them to me in three weeks. The theme of the album is me. If you fail to complete the assignment you’ll pay a $200 penalty. Go.’ It was exactly what I needed.
‘Pink House’ and ‘Prism’ were written during this assignment. A week in, I was getting frustrated and falling behind schedule. I was writing ‘Prism’ and thinking, ‘This one is gonna be the runt of the litter.’ When I listened back at the end, it was the clear favorite.”
How do you feel your music has evolved since your 2019 released album How To Work A Room?
Superet: “The music evolves when and if I evolve. I love How To Work A Room, but I’ve changed quite a bit since then. I don’t think the new songs are necessarily more ‘me,’ but they reflect a more tender side that maybe I’m more at ease with now.”
Has your writing process changed at all over the years?
Superet: “It has changed a lot. I have some natural talent, but I spent too long thinking I could ride on that alone. I studied music my whole life but the craft of songwriting is a different animal. One day I realized that, while there might be some people out there just sneezing out good songs all day, I’m not one of them. So I started putting the effort in and that learning will never come to an end. There is so much amazing work out there, from songwriters to novelists to poets, on the craft of writing. Just take your pick.
Now I find myself changing up my approach to songs all the time. I’ll experiment more with lyrical structures. Sometimes I’ll start with just lyrics, which is something I never used to do. I’m more okay with writing ‘bad’ songs. I’ll try writing a song really fast. Then I’ll try writing one really slow.
Process is everything to me now. I don’t want to sneeze out good songs, I want to spend my life searching for them.”
Is there anything else we can expect in the near future?
Superet: “You can definitely expect a lot more from Superet this year. But I honestly don’t know what. I had a whole plan written down on a legal pad and then Dallon called and messed up my whole schedule! All I know is that Superet isn’t going dormant again. I’m full steam ahead, I can promise you that.”
