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.