SEPTEMBER 12 • 2024 | 17
art space.”
Matisyahu is diving deep into that
space now — on the business front,
too, since he’s managing himself
and is, he says, on “a learning
curve” of working without a record
company and amidst contemporary
technology and distribution
channels. In this effort, Matisyahu
is assisted by his oldest son Laivy
Miller, who’s a performer as well.
The five tracks on the Hold the
Fire EP came from a batch of about
40 songs Matisyahu has recorded
during the past year, working with,
he says, 100 different writers and
producers over a six-month period.
“It was very, very inspirational,
and a lot of great music came out
of that period,” he says. “I felt I had
material, a lot of ideas, and I was
excited about working with other
people. On this first EP, the theme
is endurance. For me as an artist,
when I was just starting there was a
lot of grinding and grinding through
my 20s into my 30s. I had different
struggles with the music, with the
fans, with the balance between art
and business and how that changes
over time.
“I’ve just gone through a growing
process and a maturing process as
I’m performing that music in front of
the fans, and a lot of fans have come
along with me on that journey. You
don’t always get a shiny, delivered
pop song at a Matisyahu show. It is a
little bit of a journey.”
And, he adds, it will take more
than protesters to deter him from
that path.
“(The shows) have been very
special” since Oct. 7, Matisyahu says.
“People are coming out because they
love the music. They know what I
stand for. They know where I stand.
But it feels like there’s a strong,
deep desire to feel connected and
feel some type of community right
now. I think people can feel that
at Matisyahu shows. The music is
… generating a lot of light, a lot of
positive vibration.
“
And that’s all I’ve ever wanted to
do, really.”
DETAILS
Matisyahu performs a benefit
concert for United Hatzalah
at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 17,
at Adat Shalom Synagogue,
29901 Middlebelt Road,
Farmington Hills. (646) 833-
7108 or israelrescue.org/
events/detroitconcert24/ for
tickets and other information.