Creativity is like a fire in a fireplace: You have to
tend it or it will go out. For nearly two decades, Matisyahu has kept his
creative spirit aflame by evolving his sound, melding genres, and testing the
limits of the musical traditions that have inspired him. His latest release,
Hold The Fire, and its leadoff single “Fireproof” takes inspiration from a fire
dream inspired by Matisyahu's Old Testament religion, which has meant so much
to his spiritual and creative life since his recording career began in 2004 and
his breakout track "King Without a Crown" blasted into the Billboard
charts in 2005. In a roundabout way, those same Old Testament roots
springboarded Matisyahu's music career.
Growing up outside New York City, the young Matthew
Miller followed jam bands like Phish and the Grateful Dead. Then, in Bob Marley
and reggae, he found that the messaging of Rastafarianism was sourced in part
from that same Old Testament. The sound that emerged on his first
albums—including his first two studio releases as well as 2005's Gold-certified
Live at Stubb's—embraced both the spirit of reggae and his spirituality and
roots in Judaism. Buoyed by hits like "King Without a Crown," albums
like the Grammy-nominated and Billboard No.1-ranked Youth in 2006, and the
Gold-certified 2009 antiwar hit "One Day" (streamed over 150 million
times on Spotify alone), he toured extensively through the second half of the
aughts with a high-energy stage show that has since grown to include more
improvisation. All the while his music expanded into a shapeshifting collision
of reggae, hip-hop, alt rock and boldly inventive pop. Today, he continues to
be inspired by evolving musical trends, finding linkages and loops between eras
and genres. Matisyahu's spirituality has evolved in parallel with his music,
though his Jewish heritage remains a central theme throughout his life and
music. The new EP, Hold The Fire (out February 2024), also finds him reflecting
on celebrity and artistic success. For Matisyahu, “the unbelievable and
miraculous feeling of being connected to our people” is what keeps the creative
fire alight.