Welcome back to Late Boomers! We're your hosts, Cathy and Merry, and in this special episode, we’re diving deep into the world of synthwave music, creativity, and personal reinvention. We’re thrilled to be joined by Matt Hancock, the creative force behind Deco Luxe and the brand-new, cinematic synthwave album, Eventide.

Our conversation explores the intersection of music, nostalgia, technology, and what really happens when you choose to pursue a creative dream no matter your age. Whether you grew up on ‘80s synthpop or you’re just discovering these retro-futuristic sounds, this episode is packed with inspiration and actionable advice for any late bloomer looking to write a new chapter.

Key Takeaways

• Reinventing Yourself is Always Possible: Matt Hancock shares his powerful journey of transformation navigating life’s dark moments and channeling his experiences into meaningful, uplifting music.
• The Power of Nostalgia: We discuss the sights, sounds, and even the technology of earlier eras (like cassettes!) can spark creativity and emotional resonance in surprising ways.
• Creativity Has No Age Limit: Matt Hancock encourages everyone, regardless of life stage, to give themselves permission to explore hidden creative sides, start new artistic projects, and keep learning.
• Process Over Perfection: From meditative synthesizer sessions to embracing analog and digital technology, Matt Hancock demonstrates that the act of creating is more important than the pursuit of perfection.
• AI & Authenticity in Art: We delve into how technology has democratized music creation, but why authenticity and the human touch still matter especially in an era of AI-generated content.
• Letting Go of Expectations: Matt Hancock reminds us to detach from expected outcomes and focus on making art that stays true to ourselves.

If this episode sparked an idea or inspired you to revisit an old passion or even try something new for the first time let this be your sign to start today!

• Check out Deco Luxe’s new album Eventide stream it on all platforms and follow @deco.lux.music on Instagram and YouTube for behind-the-scenes content
• Subscribe to Late Boomers on your favorite podcast app and on YouTube for more inspiring conversations about reinvention, creativity, and making the most of every chapter
• Share this episode with a friend or fellow late bloomer who might need a nudge to pursue their creative dreams

Let’s rethink what’s possible because it’s never too late for your next big chapter.

Mentioned in this episode:

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What if the part of you that you thought belonged to the past is actually the part that can lead you into your future?

And today we're talking about music, nostalgia, technology, and what happens when you decide to create something new instead of simply looking back.

Our guest has taken the sounds of the past and turned them into something cinematic, futuristic, and entirely his own.

And his new album, Eventide, gives us a fascinating look at what happens when creativity, technology, and life experience collide.

Welcome to the Late Boomers Podcast, where we bring you inspiring stories of people creating new chapters in life with style, power, and impact. I'm Cathy Worthington.

And I'm Merry Elkins.

Today we're going to explore a world some of us may remember and some of us may be discovering for the first time— synthwave.

But this isn't just a conversation about electronic music. It's about creativity, reinvention, and what happens when you give yourself permission to follow an idea simply because it excites you.

Matt Hancock is the creative force behind DecoLux, a synthwave project blending nostalgic analog textures with modern cinematic production. His new album, Eventide, is coming soon. Or is it out now, Matt?

By the time that, uh, the listeners will be hearing this, it will be out. It comes out tomorrow.

Perfect.

That's great. And welcome to Late Boomers.

Thanks for having me, ladies. Where did Deco Luxe begin for you and why did you name it that?

So it began as kind of a transitional moment. I had been working on some other music projects and I didn't even know that this was going to be anything different. I just started making this sound that was new to me that I was really kind of falling in love with during the creative process of it. So as I kept on going, I was like, I think this needs to be its own entity. It needs to be its own name and identity. So then I started kind of toying around with the ideas, like what do I want to name this this, you know, artist's name. And, uh, I was thinking back to the specifics, like aesthetic from the '80s where it like kind of mashes like, um, Art Deco and like kind of like high luxury, uh, style things. Um, and it could be used for architecture, it could be used for interior design, but it's called Deco Luxe.

And, um, So I just really loved that that name was available so I could take it and name this project after it.

So no music. Is there any music from the '80s that inspired you?

Absolutely. Yeah. So this whole project is very much '80s inspired, specifically things in like the synth pop, like Duran Duran. Ace of Base, uh, you know, uh, Eurythmics, those types of things. They all inspired me sonically, um, as well as kind of through their imagery.

Yeah, I love imagery. Love Eurythmics. Yeah, but you know, there's plenty of older people who have a creative side they'd never even explored. Lord, why do you think it's so easy for adults to put aside their creative impulses? And what do you think happens when we finally give ourselves permission to, to pursue them?

I think that everybody has creativity within them. I think that, you know, our whole lives we're kind of fighting with this drive to just like, okay, I have to do this next thing. I have to get this next accomplishment. I have to get married. I have to have the kids. I have to get the car. I have to buy the house. I have to do all this stuff.

I have to get the job to be able to support that? And what's the easiest way I can do to get the money? And like, and all of those things kind of like really get in the way of you just being yourself.

Mm-hmm.

And so I think when, you know, we get to this point in our lives where we start to, uh, grapple with that, when we start to kind of figure out who we really are, then there's a chance where you've spent the better part of your life not being, you know, in, in truth with yourself. And I think that it's easy for a lot of people when they get to be in their, you know, 30s, 40s, 50s, to be like, I want to be me. I haven't been me my whole life.

Mm-hmm.

And now I want to be me. And now I've worked hard enough to be able to, to set myself up to be able to do that.

Yeah, I get that. And your music also draws on sounds and textures that can feel instantly nostalgic. So what is it about the sounds of an earlier era that still speaks to you, and why do you think nostalgia has such a powerful emotional pull? We all feel it.

Yeah, I think that everybody, you know, it can be a song, it can be a smell, it could be something that's going to remind you of something. And for me, I think there's a very distinct nostalgia I have with listening to like cassettes, um, specifically those like synthpop, you know, mixtapes that my mom would make and, you know, we'd ride around and, you know, I'd listen to them in her car. And, um, so that kind of, um, sorry, my camera keeps bugging out.

Yeah, your camera keeps going out of focus there.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I'm glad you're back.

Yeah, that's okay.

Are you, when that happens, are you guys still able to hear me?

Yes.

We hear you.

Okay.

All right.

Cool.

Then just the YouTubers won't like it. I'm sorry. They'll be okay. YouTubers, they'll live.

They'll live.

They'll live.

I apologize to all the, the, the people watching this on YouTube. But my, my words or whatever are important at this point.

So, okay, cool.

But yeah, I think that, you know, the, those, those cassette tapes, they gave me this kind of nostalgia. Like when I would go back, like now, and I have, you know, any chance I get to buy some old cassettes or something, I'll typically do it if it's something that speaks to me. And I mean, like, Uh, just the other day I found, uh, a cassette of, uh, Straight Up by Paula Abdul. And I was like, oh yeah, this is perfect to listen to on this. 'Cause it's like, it's already a nostalgic song because it's a very much like time capsule of that era. And then listening to it on this form of media that's been, you know, that was predominantly what it was released on. And then having that be like an old cassette that's been, you know, left in a car and, you know, like. It's been, you know, hot and cold and it's been a living thing for, you know, the past 30 years.

It's like that has a character to it that I don't think you can really replicate through like any sort of digital thing, as well as just like having it be its own living thing. And I think that those—

That adds a lot of depth. To it, but it sounds really futuristic and cinematic. So are you trying to recreate an emotional feeling from the past, or are you imagining a future that hasn't happened yet?

It's a little bit of both. And I think that was like kind of the territory I was working in where I wanted it to be these textural elements, these like kind of older worn down like sounds. Um, but I also wanted it to be crisp. And so, and how, and I wanted to like juxtapose those 2 different sounds where it's like a modern crispness and, you know, it's clean and like polished, but it also has this kind of like forlorn kind of, uh, worn aesthetic to it. Um, and so, but I wanted to do that without it coming across. as like cheesy. I, I was trying to do that where, in a way where it didn't seem like a novelty, where it just felt like that's what it should be, if that makes sense.

Yeah. Well, tell us about your creative process. When you sit down to make music, do you begin with an idea or an emotion or a sound, or do you just start experimenting and see what happens?

Uh, it depends. Uh, some— sometimes I would have like a little bit of an idea. Like I would have a dream or something where I'll like, just recently I had a dream about like a mad scientist and I'd be like, I'll be like, okay, what does a mad scientist sound like? And then I'll go in and just start messing around with synthesizer or whatever.

Oh.

Um, but sometimes I just go in as like a form of meditation where, um, The, the synthesizer, and I can like turn my camera for a second to show you.

Yeah.

You see?

Oh, beautiful.

Wow.

My goodness.

So it's, it's very much a, um, kind of, uh, improvisational tool. And it's, it's not like I can go in there and just be like, pick it up and play like certain chords like a guitar. I would be able to on a guitar. On that one, it like, it takes a while to get Like if you're starting from scratch, it takes a while for it to like start to gel. And I've found that like sitting in those moments where it's like, okay, things are out of order and then I'm trying to like pull them into some sort of working environment, um, is very meditative for me.

Mm-hmm.

And so sometimes I'll just go in and just say, all right, I just need to like do my form of meditation, go in here. And if I land somewhere where I want to like take this idea further than I will, or sometimes I'll just like unplug everything and start over again the next time.

I have maybe a dumb question, but with all the AI we have, does synthesizer help you with the gelling process, or is there any machine input into what you're doing? Like when you put in certain things, does it tell you this would be better? Or it doesn't have that AI thing.

I, I don't use AI when I'm making music.

Yeah.

Um, I've used AI. I, I've, that's an interesting, uh, way to question because I, I don't use like what I would consider to be like AI in, in terms of making music. But some of the tools that I have have a, um, like an AI element to them. Like it'll be like, do you, we can analyze your track and see what the EQ is for it and everything. But that's always kind of just like a starting point and I don't always use that. But it's not like I'm pressing a button and like generating a part of a song or anything. Yeah. But because I feel like— I'm sorry, go ahead.

Do you use both analog and the synth— if I can say this right— synthesizer? Because it's kind of, how do you gel them if you do? And is there something that, you know, is about actually manipulating the sound that makes the creative process more satisfying for you?

Yeah, so I do use both. So, and some of my synthesizer modules are analog synthesizers. It's like, it's actually like pushing out like a, like a sine wave, and then I'm like modulating it from there. I have a few digital modules, but most of that is analog. Um, and then in terms of like getting like the cassette into my, my setup over here, I have a cassette player that I can like record things onto cassette with, put it on there, and then run it through the synthesizer.

Wow.

Edit it, modulate it, And it's picking up the old vibe of the old cassette into that, right?

Yes, ma'am, it is.

Yeah, well, the new project, Eventide, tell us about that. What was the emotional or creative idea that you started with, and did it become something different as you worked on it?

It did. It was kind of in the same territory. was going through a bit of a transformational period in my life.

Tell us about that too.

Sure, I, I'll, um, I can dive into that a little bit. But, um, I had gone through a pretty dark period. I, and I had already had like a lot of darkness in my life. I suffered like a pretty severe injury to my arm that, um, I dealt with PTSD and depression for years. And, um, I got to a point where I'd kind of become able to manage that. And then, uh, sadly, I, I lost a child.

And— Oh.

Um, and then my, uh, my marriage fell apart. Um, you know, they say like when you lose a child, like you either get closer or you grow further apart. And I think it kind of like started growing closer and then like it drove us farther apart from each other.

Mm-hmm.

We both grieved in different ways and, you know, I hoped the best for her in her life. Um, but we had to go separate ways. Um, and the next, you know, couple of years were very dark and I, you know, was in a Um, very, uh, rough patch.

I can see how that would be.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And so I like still like, like to use music as like my catharsis for some of these emotions. And so a lot of the music I was coming out with at the time was like just kind of really dark and really like broody and, you know, um, emotionally charged towards the, the, the darker side of life. And, uh, and then I did a lot of work on myself, um, in that time period. Um, you know, I, I say that I— that was kind of my, um, forced midlife crisis where like I wasn't necessarily like planning for any of these humongous changes in my life to happen.

And then Mm-hmm.

all of them happened and I, it was like, who am I? Like, who, like, what do I, you know, what do I do with this new person that I've become? And, uh, like, is this, am I able to like live in this dynamic and like have a choice, um, on as to like how I, you know, self-respect myself, you know, and, you know, how I manage my, my own anxiety, depression, how I, you know, manage all of these other things that I've gone through. Yeah. And then I like really hit like a turning point. I, um, I, you know, quit drinking alcohol. I, you know, cleaned up like my, my inner work in my, my own head. And, um, and then I think my music started to also reflect that. Um, and so when I first started, I was like, I think I want to like dive into this this idea, this, I had a few like rough, like tracks that I had started working on, but, um, I was like, I'm having a lot of fun just making like happy music. Like, I'm not used to doing this kind of stuff.

I don't, I wouldn't say I look like your typical pop producer, but like, I just was wanting to have some fun and like do, um, do some production towards something that just felt like how I felt on the inside.

Mm-hmm.

And so, yeah, and so the original idea was, I had this idea of like, when you're injured, specifically like when they— you get training when you're in the military to like be a combat lifesaver. And there's like this training where it's like, if someone gets hurt and you're trying to help someone else, they're, they're hurt, but they're going to be okay. Then you put them like in this like comfort position, um, to just like keep them like trying. It's like the most comfortable way for like people to just kind of lay and just be like, okay, I'll come back to you in a minute.

Like, um, and because they know that, that signals that to them too, that you're coming back.

Yeah. I mean, you talk to them, you communicate these things, But like, um, it was, it was like a very much just like, okay, put them in a comfort position. And like, then I was thinking about the idea of like the comfort position. And, uh, so that was what the, like the working title of it was, where it was like, okay, like I've, you know, I'm in this state where like, I feel good. I feel healthy. I feel, you know, mentally, you know, sound and the happiest I've been in a long time.

Yeah.

And, uh, now like I'm able to just sit in this comfort position and like kind of bathe in that.

Wow.

So that was where the original name came from. And then as you know, me and, um, the singer who worked with me on the album Cat Cute, um, she and I like started working out like the lyrics and things like that. And then it kind of drove the, the artistic direction of the, um, album towards the final.

So there are vocals?

Oh yes, yes.

Good.

Your vocals?

Not my vocals on this stuff. I, I knew that, like, I, I originally thought about singing on it, but I was like, uh, I, I don't have a good, like, lead vocalist voice. I have— I can, like, do— I do good harmonies and I do things like that, but especially not for pop. I, I wouldn't say that, like, my voice, uh, fits well with that style. So I reached out to a vocalist that I had worked with in the past and, uh, sent her one of the tracks. And I was like, hey, let me know if you want to work on this, you know? And she was like, I love this sound. I want to, you know, I'll do the track. And then after she did the first take on the, the first track I sent her, I was like, how, like, be serious, like, be real with me, like, how much do you enjoy this, working on this kind of thing? She was like, this is incredible.

And I was like, well, I've got like 10 more tracks. Do you want to do the whole album with me? And so she was like, hell yeah, let's do it.

You obviously thought she really nailed it, right?

She crushed it. Yeah, she's perfect for the whole sound. Yeah. And, and she's an incredible songwriter, incredible vocalist, and, uh, her harmonies are great. And, uh, she, she added so much character that— and like, she understood. It was like, you know, that she understood the assignment, right? Like, I didn't have to tell her like what, like, I was really looking for beyond just kind of like a, like, very high level. I gave her like 3-word synopsis of like what vibe I was kind of going for, and I was like, all right, you do your thing. Did you say She, she was like, I— she was like, I don't know what I'm expected to do with this.

She was just kind of like, okay, well, I'll just, you know, I'll see what works. And then she, uh, she sent over like lyrics and we talked through them and, um, and they were always perfect. I never— like, I didn't have to change any of her lyrics at all that she—

Oh, that's nice.

And, um, I didn't have to really give her any notes because she just was like This was very much in her lane and she, she crushed it.

So did, did that surprise you? And also, is there a song on Eventide that, that, um, takes you back to your own experience or a song that surprised you and took you somewhere where you weren't expecting to go?

There's a few that surprised me. Um, it didn't surprise me. Like that she was going to be good because she's—I've worked with her before and she crushed that song also. But I have—I have worked with other musicians before in the past where I've tried to be like give them direction as to what I would recommend you change things like that, and I've gotten some pushback, and I've had to deal with some challenging. Personalities. Um, but, uh, no, I, I've worked with her before and she's, uh, she's always extremely professional and, and just a really great partner on this project. Um, but in terms of, uh, things that have brought me back and reminded me of experiences, I think there's a, there's a thing that happens as I'm creating these things. I, I get, I'm very visual with when I'm creating these songs.

I like, as I'm working on them, I kind of always have like an image or like almost like a clip from a movie in my mind. And, or, but it's like a clip from my own memory or it's a clip from a memory that doesn't exist or something. And, um, when I was creating these songs, I would Um, I would kind of have an image in mind, and then when she would send me over like lyrics and vocals and things like that, I would get like a little bit of a different vision. Like, just, I would get her vision.

Mm-hmm.

And then when I was mixing the tracks, I got like a whole different vision. And, um, because that's then like fully taking our ideas and like like really meshing them in together. Um, and so there's one track on there called, uh, Fly Away, and that was the first one that I thought about when you said something. Um, and I, I don't know what it was about it, but there, when I was first like mixing it and editing it, I was kind of like, ah, this song's missing something. Like, there's something that it needs. There's some element, there's some, like, emotion or something that I'm just not really connecting with.

Mm-hmm.

And so then I, um, I just kind of, like, left it alone for a couple days, and I kind of came back, and I was like, it's, it's just missing something. What is it? I don't know. And then I, like, went in and I kind of tweaked a couple of, like, you know, the, the bass EQ, and I kind of went in, tweaked the drums a little bit. And in that process, like, there's always this moment where it's like, oh, okay, that's it. Like, there's this aha moment, like, when you're mixing and everything, where you're kind of like, oh, I'm, I'm where I need to be. Like, I like that.

But you have to have so much self-awareness and self-realization, really, and be that far along on your journey to even see that happening or hear that happening.

Right. Yeah.

Right? That's a little tricky when you're doing your own stuff.

You have to train yourself to like know. And, but there's also a level of it where it's like, look, if you're doing it for yourself, that's fine. It doesn't have to be, not everything has to be commercially viable. Like it can just be like, I like this song. I like the way this song sounds.

Should have asked you this before we started, But is there any way for us to hear on the podcast a little teeny piece of something? Yeah, because I don't know if you're hooked up to do that.

Let me see. I might be—

You're probably not.

Let me see if I can switch it over to my, um, my input over here. Oh. Okay, are you—

That should wake up— wake everybody up. That should wake everybody up. That's fun. I'm already— what a switch. What a switch for our Our listeners who are just sick of us talking all the time. That's really fun. So yeah, yeah, go ahead.

Basically what that— the, the way I can describe that equivalent is like, that is like a springboard for any of these things. All of that is made on the synthesizer. Like, every element of that is all like through knobs and wires plugged and patched together. from these modules. And so from there, like, I, I put that together this morning and I was just kind of like improving and I was doing that meditative process that I was telling you about. And then from there I can like come back and I can tweak it, I can make it sound however I want it to, do whatever, and then ultimately decide if I want to record that or if I want to just completely erase it from history and have that moment be like, that was for me.

Mm-hmm.

for me and for nobody else. It's gone.

I get it. You know, something I think a lot of late boomers, our podcast audience, can relate to is when you've lived a while, you have a huge library of experience and memories and relationships and all that. So does having all that life experience change what comes out of any of us creatively, especially I'm asking you, of course, because you sound like you've gone through way more changes than most people have.

I'll try it.

I, I would say, you know, it definitely changes things, but like deep at its core, like my creative drive has always been there. Like from as early as I can remember, I've been painting, I've been drawing, I've been playing music, you know. not always been recording or releasing music, but like, I've always had that kind of drive. But, you know, you get like all the other BS like piled up on top of that. And so like some people have more BS than others, you know? And, you know, so it like that, that little nugget of your personality gets like buried down beyond, below all that. And it's like trying to see the light, but like, Mm-hmm. it's just under all these rocks and everything. So I think that like the experience, the, the wisdom that comes from your life experiences and everything like that, 100% like influences anything that you're going to create.

But that's the beauty of it because that's your voice. Like you are the only person who has lived your life.

Yeah.

And so anything that you do with your own mind with your own hands, you know, that is— that's where you're going to, like, be authentic and be real. And so just, you know—

Do you think that you've become more fearless as you've gotten older, even though you're not that old, but at least gone through the life experiences that you've had? Or do you think that we just have to get out of our own way and that might take longer?

That's a good question. Um, I think getting out of your own way is like a very important thing. Um, I think that, you know, that's part of my own healing journey that I've gone through was, you know, allowing myself to experience joy, you know, allowing, you know, myself the time to feel my feelings. like getting out of the way of like me trying to, you know, block whatever I'm doing because, you know, your, your brain will play tricks on you, right?

Yeah. And not judging yourself and not judging all of what you're doing, not being so hard on ourselves, right?

Right, for sure. And I think, and I think there's fear that's tied up with that too. I think that there's like this fear of like, you know, if I give myself the this time to feel my feelings, then like, I, you know, might feel bad. And like, yeah, that's okay.

We talked to a lot of authors and they say everyone's got their own story. Everyone can write their own story. You're coming at a different frame of reference. But, you know, they say, be willing to strip down if you're going to tell your story.

Like, Yeah, but it's so hard to expose yourself like that too.

It is. It's a very vulnerable feeling. And, you know, anytime— like when I first started, uh, doing music, I, like, I had, uh, never shared anything about my injury or my personal life or anything like that. But I think that that's all, like, very relevant to my story to where, where I'm at and why I'm here. And it's like, you know, all of that is— it's not just like, um, like, oh, here's some, here's some soulless music or whatever. It's like, this was made by an actual person.

Mm-hmm.

And, um, but back to the, the fearless part, I think that like fear is important. Like, and fear is, you know, you can't have light without the darkness. And you can't have love without a little bit of fear. And it's about how your relationship is with the fear. Like, I was— I mean, I was afraid of coming on this podcast today, um, but I came.

Hopefully we haven't scared you too badly.

I mean, I, I was a little bit terrified. No, I'm just kidding. Um, no, it's— this is, you know, incredible, and I'm very grateful to be here, but I was a little bit worried because You know, I was like, oh well, what if their audience doesn't like me? Or, you know, what if like I, you know, feel like I'm performing in some type of way and that's not authentic? And that's— yeah, but there's fear there, right? But my relationship with that is like, okay, I felt that, like now it can go away, right?

Acknowledge it and move on, right? But you're also doing something that requires a lot of learning new technology and production techniques and sound design and the business side of being an artist. So what has creating Deco Luxe taught you about being willing to be a beginner again?

Ooh. Good question. It's— there's an acceptance to it that you have to accept that whatever you're doing is going to do what it's going to do. And I think that's— That's a good answer. Like, it's, it's going to be what it's going to be, and you have to be okay with that. Like, it's— if you try to attach any sort of, you know, preconceived notions or expectations on anything with, with any of this whole project then it's going to get in the way of it being what it's supposed to be. And, um, I think that can apply to pretty much everything in life.

Right.

If you try, if you try too hard to, if you try too hard to say, oh, I really, really want to, you know, get an A on this test, you know, but I'm having a hard time struggling. I'm struggling learning this thing. And then you like study, study, study, and you cram and do whatever. Then, you know, you, you might get a good, uh, grade on the test, but at what cost, right? Like you've like punished yourself. You've done all of these things, but if you like set yourself up, like give yourself, like one of, one of my favorite things that it's like a, it's the beginning of a chapter of my self-help book that I will write in 30 years, but it's, uh, okay.

It's good to have long-term goals. Oh yeah.

But it, But it's, uh, it's have tomorrow you thank you today.

Uh-huh.

And so it's like, I went to the grocery store today, I bought groceries for tomorrow, not even thinking about what we're gonna eat or whatever, but just kind of getting enough stuff to where like tomorrow I can be like, oh man, sweet, I got the pasta. Like I, you know, uh, but it's doing the things where it's like, it's doing the studying before it feels like an exercise. It's doing the, you know, the learning on whatever it is that you're doing so that when you go and mess around with it, or if like you're drawing, it's like practicing the shading. It's just like doodling around a little bit. That way, next time you're like in a moment where you're like, I really want to draw, then your technique is how you want it to be. So, um, mm-hmm. But the, there's also a second part to that, uh, the chapter 2 on it would be, uh, Uh, accept what yesterday you did, accept the actions of yesterday you. And so that's—

I think you've already written part of this book.

I'm working on it.

And, and also, I think you've answered the question that I've had on my mind to ask you, like, because a lot of older people think I'm too old to learn something new, but you've answered it.

But what would you say to someone who says that?

If they're too old to learn something new?

Yeah, if they say that, if they really like—

You 100% can learn anything that you want to learn, and you can do whatever you want to do. And as long as you don't attach any expectations to it, which should be the case with everything—

That's hard.

It is hard, but if you go in and say, I want to learn the guitar, Like, if you really sit down and just like try and practice the guitar, it's not going to be easy, but you'll be able to learn it. Like, you'll be able to learn whatever it is that you want to do. You can learn to paint, you can learn to write, you can, you know, start a podcast, you can, you know, release an album. You can do all of these things. Like, and as long as it feels true to you, then that's all that matters. Like, that's all, literally all that matters is like you've done the thing that you want to do, how you wanna do it. And, you know, don't care what anybody else thinks about it. That's the best part.

Mm-hmm.

And the, the icing on the cake is like if other people like, uh, resonate with your work, if you say, if you're creative or, you know, you You know, I'm, you know, recording this music with the hopes that it brings joy to some people's lives, right? That's the hope. And if it lands with some people, great. If it doesn't land with everybody, that's fine. I like it.

Yeah, nothing ever does.

Nothing ever does. It's in the ether. It is out of my hands. And anything that I try to do to, you know, sway that, you know, can be, you know, helpful or not, like, but it's, you know, it's acting in authenticity with yourself and going through and doing things like how you feel means the most to you through that whole process. Like, right, that is, that is the part that like will bring anybody joy in their life.

Yeah.

And it can be with literally anything. And if they, you know, want to start something new, if they feel like, uh, I've always wanted to learn the flute, but like I never had the opportunity to learn how to play the flute, you can learn to play the flute. Like, there's nothing stopping anybody, you know. It's— I mean, there's physical limitations to some things, but, you know.

Yeah.

I, for one, have that, but with my injury to my arm. Um, but I, you know, just took that as an opportunity to find out, okay, what else resonates with me? Like, what else can I do that's going to, you know, have this be my authentic voice?

Well, I've always thought that learning something new keeps you young.

Hmm.

Yeah, but you know, when you look at music technology today. One person like you can create an incredibly sophisticated piece of music from a home studio. So do you think technology has actually democratized creativity and made it possible for people to reinvent themselves artistically?

That's a really good question, and I honestly think it opens up a little bit of a slippery slope because there's There's a thing that's important to this, that is, with my whole stance on all this, is that like you're being true to yourself with your creative process.

Right.

And if that means that, you know, I've got my home studio, I make some music, I do whatever, you know, and, or, you know, whatever in that same metaphor. Um, if I'm doing all of these things using this technology that may have not been available, easily accessible, um, you know, 20 years ago, then, you know, but it is now. There is still a level of, of it where it's like, it's still a home studio, but it's whatever I want it to be. Like, I record all this stuff in my house and, you know, I produce all of this stuff at my, at my house.

Mm-hmm.

Um, I've done work in studios before. It's a totally different experience. Like, it's, you know, it's a, it's a full-blown, you know, production. And like, um, there's enough different for that to just be its own thing. It's totally different from being in a home studio. But I— where I think the thing is, is I still taught myself how to use all of this gear. Like, I, I still taught myself—

Mm-hmm.

Like how to, you know, compose these songs. I still taught myself all of that. And I built my process of how I do all of these things. And, you know, that same thing applies to any hobby or any activity that I've ever done. Like, it's the process. Like woodworking, it's the process. It's like I'm building this, you know, dresser and like I have to figure out how to make these specific cuts. or whatever.

And then—

For sure.

But you have to do all of these things, and it's the learning, it's that process that is what, you know, to what Merry was saying, is like what keeps you young. That's what keeps you excited about this venture. Where I start to get umbrage is if there's a— if someone's like, okay, I have this idea in my mind And I go press a button and it like spits out a song. Is that your song?

No, in my opinion. Yeah, there's a whole section on Spotify of AI music, and yeah, at least they're labeled. Most people are labeling that, but it doesn't make me want to listen to it.

Yeah, I think that I think that AI music is, you know, they— and I, I get a little bit concerned about how I approach this because I know that there's some people who physically have limitations to what they can and can't create, right?

Mm-hmm. Yeah.

And so like, if someone has like a very musical mind, but they're paralyzed or, you know, incapacitated to a point where they like want to be able to get these ideas across, but they don't physically have the means to be able to do so. I think that like AI in that case is like a very cool and powerful new tool that we have. I think where I have the problem is, is for people who like want to say like, I've made this song or I produced this song. I, you know, I did this, like all of that takes time and it like, it's my voice. It's like everything that like every single step that I do on any of my production process, that's my voice.

And heart.

Right. It's my soul that's coming through this. When I, you know, if I was to press a button and then generate a song, be like, I produced this— no, I didn't. That's not my soul. That's not, that's not me. And I personally wouldn't do it. And I think that there's, you know, certain parts of it where it's like, okay, I can't fully bash on it, but I think if people try to hide the fact that they're using AI or if they try to do things specifically just for clout using AI in music or creative ventures and you're cutting out human artists, then I have a problem with that.

Yeah, I agree with that.

Me too.

And talking about heart and really creating, putting yourself out there and not using some of that technology, what would you say that if someone puts on Eventide and listens to it from beginning to end, what do you hope happens to them? What do you hope they feel or remember or imagine?

So, uh, we're having a release party tomorrow at my house.

Are we invited?

If you, if you can get over here in time. I know I live—

Yeah, you're way far away.

Yeah, we're about, yeah, across the country.

But yeah, um, but, uh, I mean, we can, we can do it virtually. You can, you can listen. Congrats. And let me know what, what you think. But so we're, we're doing that and, um, The, the theme of the party is nostalgia. So like, we're— and it's open to interpretation, whatever that means to the guests is, you know, that's, that's what we're doing. And for me, that's, you know, early '90s. Like, I've got like snacks that remind me of the early '90s, and I'm gonna be, you know, wearing some, some clothes that remind me of that time.

Yeah, and so like, I think really ultimately what I'm hoping to evoke is this sense of just comfort and like, um, like stability. I don't know how to—

We all need comfort and stability these days.

I, I think that, and with that, like allowing like people to kind of just Access this, you know, access the, the part of them that allows them to let in more joy and, you know, the, uh, hopefully bring up some memories that, you know, put a smile on their face.

Excellent. And Matt, we love the idea that creativity isn't something you retire from, and you may change what you're creating and you may discover completely different tools, but that impulse to make something new can stay with you forever.

Oh yeah, and maybe that's the great advantage of getting older or changing or whatever it takes to move on to a different type of life for yourself. And we all have memories to draw from and more experiences to transform, and hopefully a little less concern about what people think about us and maybe a little less fear about that.

And Matt, thank you for taking us inside the world of Deca-Luxe and Eventide. Thank you so much, Matt. It's been fascinating.

Thank you, Merry. It's been a great conversation with you ladies.

Yeah, we've enjoyed it too. And to our listeners, if this conversation sparked an idea you've been putting off, maybe that's your sign to start.

And Matt, where can listeners learn more about Deco Luxe and Eventide?

So I'm across all the streaming platforms. You can just look me up, Deco-Luxe. L-U-X-E, um, and that's for the music. And then I've been posting some behind-the-scenes content on Instagram @deco.lux.music and on YouTube under Deco Luxe. So yeah, look on there and you can see me, how some of these songs are made.

Good. I wanted to look you up on Instagram.

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