About That Song: Rich Mattson
About That Song #100
In our special series, singer-songwriter Sarah Morris interviews artists about the songs that shaped them.
Hi! I’m Sarah Morris. I’m wildly in love with songs and the people who write them. There have been a few songs in my life that have been total gamechangers—songs that made me want to be a songwriter and songs I’ve written that made me feel like I am a songwriter. About That Song is a space where I can learn more about those pivotal songs in other writers’ lives.
For the 100th edition of this series, I was 100% thrilled to speak with Rich Mattson—singer, guitarist, and founding force behind Sparta, MN-based Americana cosmic rock band Rich Mattson and the Northstars! Rich is also the heart of Sparta Sound, his beloved recording studio, where he has produced records for a wide swath of the Midwest Americana, indie rock, and folk community. He just released his seventh album, Wake Up Songs, and was about to celebrate it with a release show in Duluth at the Bent Paddle Cosmic Stage.
Rich Mattson and the Northstars. Photo credit: Aaron Reichow.
Sarah: Hi Rich Mattson! With the thousands of albums you have been a part of in some way or another, I’m looking forward to learning about the songs that brought you to this point in your journey. Do you remember the song you heard that made you want to be a songwriter? Tell us about that song.
Rich: I’m not really sure what song it was exactly, but I will say my earliest influences—and when I say earliest, I mean age 4–9—were, in this order: John Denver, Casey Kasem’s American Top 40 radio show, the Eagles, the Partridge Family, Elvis, and my mom’s favorite, the Beatles.
Sarah: That’s an amazing list.
Rich: It wasn’t until I heard Neil Young in 1980 that I realized I could put all my song snippets together and write songs myself. So all that being said, maybe that song is “My My, Hey Hey” (the acoustic version), which is the very first Neil Young song I remember hearing. It made me think that I could make something alone, in my room, that might resonate with the people of the world. Everything seemed unattainable before Neil. Another big deal for me was realizing how famous Bob Dylan was and why—just a folksinger from Hibbing. Took me a while, but eventually I got it.
Sarah: Just a folk singer from Hibbing! I love that Neil Young and Bob Dylan made songwriting feel attainable. Once you began writing, did you feel like a writer immediately? It took me a few years of writing before I believed it—was there a song that gave you that “a-HA! I AM a songwriter!” moment? Tell us about that song.
Rich: I had several real crummy songs—“Bang Bang Stars and Stripes,” “Rocket In My Pocket”—written with beginner guitar skills. My cousin and I wrote some country rock songs together, and he was doing it with ease. He inspired me a lot. Once I got into barre chords and the F chord was accessible, I wrote a song called “Life Is Short (But Death Ain’t)” that I could probably pull off today without too much cringe factor. Probably one of the saddest songs I ever wrote, too.
I was an Iron Range kid, writing songs and starting a band with my best friends. When I was around 13, I heard the Flamin’ Oh’s record, and when someone told me they were from Minneapolis, it blew my mind—like suddenly my destiny was sealed. You don’t have to play stadiums! You can play right here in Minnesota! This is what I had to do.
Rich Mattson. Photo credit: Darin Back.
Sarah: We have such good role models for music in Minnesota! Also, finally feeling comfortable with the F chord was such a milestone for me, too. Let’s fast-forward a bit to your new album. You released its first single in late 2024, “Rendezvous With a Star.” The cinematic track kicks off the album with a gallop in the drums and guitars, and a bass line that intertwines with restive lyrics. As a listener, it left me with this—itch—to get out there, to do the thing, and I loved it. Can you tell us about that song?
Rich: I believe it started with that bombastic opening riff. A friend had given me a huge kettle drum recovered from Eveleth High School, which was torn down a couple summers ago. The sound makes me think of the “wild frontier.” So I made it a song about travel, about doing something new and breaking from routine. While jotting down lyrics, I don’t know where the line “All the things I said I’d do, pies in the sky I baked for you” came from, but that one stung me, and I think anyone can relate to things like empty promises and big plans for everybody, dashed hopes, and the like. And for what? A “rendezvous with a star”? As long as I am able, I will keep searching, keep trying. Like my old grandpa would say, “You can’t hit a moving target.”
Sarah: “What are we gonna do about it? What are we gonna do?” This chorus punctuates the four verses of “Golden Plumes”—each sharply painting a picture of uncomfortable truths that surround us on the daily. Can you tell us about that song?
Rich: Thank you for asking. This is one of my more provocative numbers, and I wrote it with the express idea of seeing if anyone notices the sarcasm. The world we currently live in and the media we consume every waking hour makes me wonder what is true and what is not, and while I double-check any source, the bullshit never seems to stop. Repeated lies and obvious untruths, gaslighting—“Golden Plumes” is my answer to that. Like, okay, I’ll preach what you sell, we’ll see how that works. Artists should be wealthy, our leaders should be space aliens, teachers should be stupid, and drill, baby drill. The chorus “What are you gonna do about it” speaks for itself.
Sarah: In addition to recording and performing your own work, you’re in high demand as a producer. I’d love to know about your beginnings down that path. Who was the first artist you produced? Is there a song in your career as a producer that feels emblematic of your work—or one where you really went for it and felt deep satisfaction? If so, can you tell us about that song?
Rich: It’s hard to pick just one song, as each record I’ve released on my own stuff is my favorite at the time it comes out. If I can’t beat the last one, I need to keep working on it to make it better somehow! One tune from everyone I’ve recorded that stands out to this day, and one of the most popular, is“Rich/Poor” by Trampled By Turtles, which we recorded way back in 2007.
I started out with a cassette 4-track in the mid-’80s; the FOSTEX X15 was my jam. I learned from a bandmate in high school how to mix all the instruments through the sound board into tracks 1 and 2 in glorious stereo, and save tracks 3 and 4 for overdubs. If necessary, you can bounce tracks 1–3 down to track 4 and get three more tracks to record to, but you sacrifice some fidelity. Between 1984 and ’88 I probably made around six albums nobody has heard on the Fostex. There was a guy named Jay Hoiland in Eveleth who had an 8-track studio in his house, and we did 15 or so songs at his place.
When I moved to Minneapolis in 1987, we (me and the guys who would become the Glenrustles) had a band house across the street from Leo Whitebird’s POD studio, on 28th and Harriet, uptown. He was very kind and cool, and we recorded 7–8 songs with him, then more over at Six Feet Under with Tim Mac. Each session went about two hours because that’s all we could afford. Both Leo and Tim inspired me in a big way—they were recording records in their homes!
The first real Glenrustles album was recorded at Third Ear by Tom Herbers, who was very generous with his knowledge. Every time I was in the studio, I would watch and learn and ask questions. I never thought I’d be able to afford the gear he was using, but it really was something I felt adept at. Eventually I moved down the street to Lake and Garfield, and my roommates and I cut a hole in the wall of the bedroom in the basement, installed a double-paned window, and voilà—a studio was born. My first real gear was a 12-track AKAI MG1212 mixer/recorder that recorded on weird ½” analog cartridges. I cobbled together mics, headphones, cords, and effects processors one piece at a time, doing live sound and courier jobs and playing shows.
All my friends played in bands, and we had the perfect situation to have anybody and everybody over to try out the studio and get it figured out. One thing I figured out right away is that I loved it and that people enjoyed working with me. I still love it to this day. I could go on and on about how much fun I’ve had in the studio. Sometimes people ask, “Do you ever record stuff you just can’t stand?” The answer is always, “Nope.”
Sarah: Your studio is up in Sparta, MN. I get to drive on Highway 53 quite often, where you and your partner, Germaine Gemberling, have adopted a span of highway. I’m never quite sure what that means, but I imagine you go out and clean it up a bit from time to time. What’s the perfect song for outdoor highway cleaning?
Rich: Yes, we’ve had our section of Adopt a Highway going on 15 years already! It is two miles of highway. All they require is that you pick up trash along the side—not the median—and leave the bags on the shoulder. When pickup is complete, you call it in, and they collect the bags. We do this twice a year. Trash bags and safety vests are provided. Germaine and I took this on because we just can’t stand litterbugs. Generally we can’t hear any music when we’re out there because it’s always very windy on the highway, and noisy—plus you have to be aware at all times, but it is pretty fun. Lots of songs go through my head on the highway cleanup. One that comes to mind is“Diggin’ Up Bones” by Randy Travis, haha. I don’t know why. Probably the roadkill—and the beer cans.
Sarah: Safety first, but if you’re feeling safe—Randy Travis! Perfect! And thank you for taking care of that stretch of road, which feels maybe like a metaphor for all the artists you take care of. Back to your album! You’ve got a big release show this weekend—congratulations! What does the summer look like for you in terms of performance? Will there be opportunities for readers to come out and see you and the Northstars live?
Rich: We have a good batch of shows coming up this summer, and most of them are either free or a low cover charge! This show at Bent Paddle is free. Of course, people are welcome to tip, and we’d love to sell you a record, CD, or t-shirt. We’ve never done crowd-sourcing or Kickstarters for our album projects, mainly because we record for free in my studio, and everything I earn from playing music I put back into it, and then some. Music really is my life—music and the great outdoors. Helping people get their music recorded and out to the world is my bread and butter. I feel very fortunate to do what I enjoy, heart and soul.
All of our shows are listed on my website, and I keep it current! Just click on the “calendar” link for upcoming shows. I’m always adding last-minute gigs, and I’m currently working on setting up a little tour down through the heartland. Click around on the bio, photo gallery, and discography pages while you’re there—plenty of info if anyone would like to know more about me, the bands I’ve played with, and the studio!
Mark your calendar for this Saturday, March 21, to go see Rich Mattson and the Northstars at their album release show! The FREE event at Bent Paddle Brewing in Duluth MN starts at 7pm.
Listen to “Rendezvous With a Star”
Wake Up Songs Album Credits
Rich Mattson: guitars and vocals
Germaine Gemberling: vocals, acoustic guitar
Chris Petrack: drums
Calvin Lund: bass
with Keely Lane: drums on “Nighthawks,” “Hook Arm,” “I Get a Kick,” percussion on “Races With Turtle”
Kyle Westrick: bass on “Nighthawks,” “I Get a Kick”
Dan Anderson: keys on “Nighthawks,” “I Get a Kick”
John McMahon: cello on “Nighthawks”
Recorded & mixed at Sparta Sound by Rich Mattson
Mastered by Tom Garneau
Cover photo by Susan Melgeorge
Back photo by Jean Cole
Layout & design by Reggie Pype
All songs by Rich Mattson, Esper Music (ASCAP), except “Karmic Debt” by Germaine Gemberling, L’Etoile Nu Dord (BMI)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sarah Morris. Photo credit: Tom Smouse.
Sarah Morris is a superfan of songs and the people who write them, and a believer that certain songs can change your life. A singer-songwriter / mama / bread maker / coffee drinker who recently released her fifth album of original material, she’s been known to joyfully sing with people in her Big Green Bathroom.
