Jess & Matt speak out about culture at old label Sony Music

As they become independent artists, Sydney musicians Jess & Matt have spoken out about the alcohol-fuelled culture on their old label.

Sydney musicians Jess & Matt have opened up about the toxic Sony culture. Picture: Supplied

Exclusive: Sydney musicians Jess & Matt created an unintentional pandemic album last year.

Visas in hands, the husband and wife duo were about to head to Nashville last March, to work for a year on their first original album, staying at the house of their friend Chris Isaak, who they met when he mentored them on TV show The X Factor.

Then when the world shut down, the pair instead retreated to a cabin in the NSW Southern Highlands to get off the grid and get real.

“This was just as people were hoarding toilet paper – for the first time,” Jess says.

“We went into making the album thinking the world was ending.”

The end result, Wildflowers, reflects the uncertainty and intimacy of the time – brutally honest lyrics and pushing their folk-driven pop forward with electronic and country influences.

The lyrics range from telling the story of how (and where) they met, wounds carried from previous relationships to the title track, where they are so honest about their issues they worry fans may think they’re getting divorced.

“A lot of skeletons came out of the closet,” Matt says.

“Writing some of these songs was like therapy.”

Sydney musicians Jess & Matt recorded during last year’s lockdown. Picture: Supplied

LOCKDOWN TIME

The duo had the album rollout planned when the pandemic struck them again – as well as new restrictions and border closures, their Sydney album launch was due to take place in July in Waverley.

“Waverley was a total redzone, blasted across the media all the time,” Jess says.

“If it wasn’t hard enough to sell tickets as it is, come to the hotspot to see Jess & Matt!”

They’ve taken the “lemons to lemonade” approach – sticking with their album’s original release date of next Friday (“It’s probably helpful to be sharing these songs in the midst of everyone battling these crazy times,” Matt notes) and will play a free live-streamed show on their Facebook page on Saturday.

Fans who have pre-ordered their album can even request songs.

“Doing a live stream fills the void of all the places we can’t go on tour at the momentum” Matt says.

The pair left Sony Music two years ago, after two albums of cover versions, to go independent for Wildflowers and regain creative control.

“Coming from the X Factor doesn’t really help, we’re trying to undo that,” Jess says.

“We’d put out a covers album and the fans would be going ‘What’s going on? Where are your songs?’ And you’d think ‘We’re trying’.”

“(Reality TV) kind of lowers your credibility,” Matt adds.

“Playing acoustic-based music has always been our home, writing our own songs was always our thing.”

Jess and Matt’s album rollout has been wiped out by the pandemic. Picture: Supplied

NEW CULTURE

While they were championed by former Sony CEO Handlin during their five years with the company, the couple admitted they were not surprised by recent reports of Sony’s toxic, alcohol-fuelled culture.

“Denis was always really good to us and we left Sony on good terms, but I can agree with all the stories about the whole boys’ club and the drinking culture,” Jess says.

The pair said they were “deep” in the Sony culture during their time on the label.

“It’s been refreshing to be on the other side of it. It does become all encompassing, it does surround you and your perception of reality can become skewed on a major label like that when you’ve got such a powerful figure heading the company,” Matt says

The duo hope the local music industry clean out, kickstarted by anonymous Instagram page Beneath the Glass Ceiling will bring positive change.

“The industry has changed so much over the last five years let alone 10 years,” Matt says “There were elements of a really old school approach to the industry (at Sony) which were not so favourable.

“This shift is only going to be positive, and there needs to be more support and backing for local artists.”

Jess also backed reports that a woman could be in line to replace Handlin.

“It’d be amazing to have a female CEO of Sony to really kick start the culture change, there are plenty of boss ladies out there who’d be perfect for the job.”

There is no suggestion Denis Handlin was involved in any inappropriate behaviour or is accused of any wrongdoing in relation to the claims about the company.

Jess & Matt with Denis Handlin at a Sony Foundation event. Picture: Supplied

BILLS, BILLS, BILLS

However, suddenly having to pay for everything has become increasingly tricky with their main income – touring – off the table.

“It has proven to be a particularly challenging time to release an album independently,” Matt adds.

“You plan it all out, we’re paying all these recording costs upfront, the cost of producing CDs, and all of a sudden all the income streams to just cover your bases, not even break even, are gone.”

The pair recently put up a Facebook post, highlighting their predicament, and promoting the CD and merchandise bundles on their website which provide a much higher income than what they’d get from people streaming their album.

“We wanted to be transparent,” Matt says.

“Everyone is going through hard times, but we had such a nice response – we got 50 pre-orders of the CD from that post alone. There’s a sense of people really trying to rally behind the arts.”

They’ve also branched out into other revenue streams – including sponsored posts on Instagram and running singer/songwriter programs in high schools.

The pair have also signed up to a modelling agency.

“We’ve been doing some solo modelling which is strange,” Jess says.

“We always do everything together.”

“A lot of companies want a real couple,” Matt says.

“So we get to be ourselves. We try not to sell ourselves out too much but you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do to fund independent albums.”

Wildflowers out July 9. See Jess & Matt on Facebook for free live stream, 7.30pm Saturday

Originally published as Jess & Matt speak out about culture at old label Sony Music