Ear Candy: Matt Maltese, master of pulling on your heartstrings

Lily Cole 

Editor 

Towards the end of the pandemic, whenever my friend Kalin got into my car, she would play “Like a Fish” by Matt Maltese. It was a silly joke because Kalin loved any type of fish and wanted to be an ichthyologist. We loved him. 

Thinking about it now, there’s so more much to love about Matt Maltese than just driving around in my car at 16. His lyrics are about love and heartbreak, and there’s even a song about the idea of 2019 UK Prime Minister Theresa May and U.S. President Donald Trump deciding to spend a night of romance together before triggering atomic warfare–very classy, Matt. 

Matt Maltese, a British-Canadian singer, became famous after the resurgence of his 2017 song “As the World Caves In” (the song about Theresa May and Donald Trump’s fictional romantic fling). “As the World Caves In” became popular on TikTok. Maltese started on SoundCloud in 2015 and signed to Café Bleu Recordings, a subdivision of Atlantic Records. He’s released EPs and albums from 2018 to now. Some standouts from his album, “Driving Just To Drive,” are “Mother,” “Hello Black Dog,” and “Widows.”

Maltese is a mix of indie pop, jazz and soul, with introspective lyrics and smooth, piano-driven melodies. His earlier work leaned toward melancholic themes, while his recent music embraces a lighter, more playful tone. He describes his inspiration as drawing from Leonard Cohen, Nina Simone, Chet Baker and Paul Simon. 

My friends and I saw Maltese in March 2024. The performance was amazing, and his stage presence was introverted–not introverted in the way that he was quietly singing, brushing off small talk between sets and interactions with fans. Oh no, the whole venue was sobbing. His sound was small but gradually increased to a chorus of emotions. My friends and I were in awe from the moment he opened with “You Deserve an Oscar.” 

His live vocals were something that I couldn’t get over–10 times better than streaming, and they had me reminiscing about high school relationships at the barricade of Saint Andrew’s Hall. Yikes.

Maltese says he’s been writing his own songs for so long that it’s less challenging than earlier in his career. No wonder his albums just keep getting better and better. If you’re looking for a singer who isn’t afraid to pull on your heartstrings in a raw, real, melancholic way, Matt Maltese is for you. 

I don’t recommend listening to him right after a breakup, but it’s great to think about someone “Less and Less.” To me, exposure therapy works the best, and Matt Maltese is pretty much the best exposure therapy out there. 

Listen to our Ear Candy playlist on Spotify:

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