Neu Get To Know… M.T. Hadley

Hello and welcome to DIY’s introducing feature, Get To Know… getting you a little bit closer to the buzziest new acts that have been catching our eye as of late, and working out what makes them tick.

Recently we’ve met London experimental duo San Scout, Australian superstar-in-the-making Ali Barter, LA sad boy Gabriel Black, NYC trio The Wants, and now we’re introducing you to Stoke Newington’s M.T. Hadley.

Having been tipped by Frank Ocean back in 2016, the Londoner’s off-kilter experimental pop is set to make you feel all the #feels, with previous tracks ‘Janet’ and ‘Rattle’ being straight up heartstring pullers.

Sharing ‘Reticent’ today, it explores the pain of ending friendships, and is his final single before his debut album ‘Empty’ drops next month (8th November, to be precise). He’s also just announced two headline shows in Stoke Newington on the 13th to celebrate the release, where he’ll be joined by a nine-piece band.

Probs best we found out more about him, eh?

What’s your earliest musical memory?

We sang a lot at my primary school. “I Can See Clearly Now”, “Any Dream Will Do”, “Locomotion”, as well as Bruckner Motets and Iron Age ritual chants to promote a bountiful harvest. I still remember each and every word.

Who were some artists that inspired you when you were just starting out (and why)?

From the age of 12-16 all I listened to was Pat Metheny. I saw him play once with an automated, midi-controlled robot orchestra. For 20 minutes it barely functioned. When it finally creaked into action, it was dreadful. One of the engineers for the Rudebox album played me “Are You Going With Me?” (https://youtu.be/qY8z1w1JzMs). I wonder if he played it to Robbie.

You’re from London! What do you think of the music scene there at the moment?

I struggle to understand this huge 70s cosplay exercise a lot of groups seem to be undertaking. I saw a man in the height of summer wearing leather trousers and I couldn’t fathom it. If these people are so desperate for everyone to know they’re in bands they ought to write better songs. D-Block Europe are a very good group.

Are there any other artists breaking through at the same time that you take inspiration from?

The Paul Institute and its constituent members aren’t just making and releasing the best music, they’re some of the most wonderful people I’ve met in music. The same is true of Koreless who produced the first track on my album with me. I keep hearing about Westerman. I tried to listen to his stuff but I had to turn it off. Awful.

Who would be your dream collaborator?

Pet Metheny.

Musically or otherwise, what are you most looking forward to for the rest of the year?

I hope that one day the ceaseless rain in my heart will end and that our winged friends from the north—the starlings and waxwings—enjoy their winter stay on this quiet, dismal isle. My debut album is out in November and I hope people like that.

If people could take away one thing from your music, what would it be?

My music is delicately designed for the creation of wealth. If someone listens to my music and, within at least 7 months time, isn’t fabulously wealthy I’ll be shocked. Ingrained within the grooves of my vinyl are tips on which cryptocurrencies to invest in and why water futures are the best bet for 2020. I’m talking about a 100,000 fold increase on your initial £19.99 investment. It’s beautifully simple.