WRIF Virtual Rock Room with Trivium's Matthew Heafy
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00:00Thank you so much for watching Riff TV. Now, this interview is obviously with video, but I don't interview everybody on Zoom.
00:07That's why I put it on my Talkin' Rock with Meltdown podcast. We talk to rock artists from all over the genre.
00:13So check out Talkin' Rock with Meltdown wherever you get your podcasts. And now, to today's video interview.
00:20How are you, Matt?
00:22Very good, man. Great to see you. Thanks for having me again.
00:24Yeah. Last time, I was just telling Katie off the mic here that last time we talked, we had to cut it short because some guy named Theodore Nugent was calling. Remember that?
00:33Yes, I do remember that. He bumped my time slot, so now I'm going to bump his time slot.
00:37That's right. I don't think he's calling today, but, you know, anyhow.
00:41But it's so funny how this world works, man. I was on my Peloton yesterday doing a metal ride with my girlfriend, Kendall.
00:47I don't know if you know who she is.
00:48Yep.
00:49And the Heart From Your Hate came on.
00:52I love it.
00:54Always a good sign. I love the fact that it's kind of getting critical mass with Trivium and Matt Hafe.
01:00You can't escape us. It's like everywhere you go.
01:01You're like, I'm going to turn on this video game real quick and stay away from Matt.
01:04Oh, shit. There he is.
01:05So I'm happy. I'm happy. I'm happy with it.
01:09No, Kendall's like one of my friend's wife's calls her my other girlfriend.
01:13So, but I like doing those metal rides. Have you done anything like that before?
01:17Yeah. So it's funny. Like right before the world shut down, I was like, I think we should get one of those Peloton things.
01:21I think it's good for the house.
01:22My wife's like, I don't know if we need that. We can always go to the gym. Like, let's just get it.
01:25I got it. And it was funny. Like I was so ready for that.
01:28I had everything at my gaming station, streaming set up at the Peloton.
01:32Yeah. But I was doing those rides for a bit.
01:35Whenever I do jujitsu, because I mainly train jujitsu, it's hard to do other cardio as well.
01:39It's really tough.
01:40Yeah. But Peloton's pretty awesome. I'm so happy to have us on there.
01:43Because I'm always like, all right, you got a couple bands on here. Where's the Trivium love?
01:46So I made sure I tweeted at her when I had a bunch of my friends send me like, they're like, can you believe you're in Peloton?
01:51Like this rules. So I thanked her. And I said, anytime she ever wants to come to a show, tickets on me.
01:55Yeah, there you go. Nice. And she's not hard to look at either. So that always helps too.
02:00But you guys have this Dead Men and Dragons tour. You're on tour right now. Where are you exactly right now?
02:06You in a hotel room or you in a studio?
02:08I'm freaking spoiled right now in this nice Nashville hotel. So I'm in Nashville right now.
02:13Just a day off. This tour has been amazing. We just got word that Orlando is sold out.
02:16We've had a lot of sold out shows. Tickets are flying on everything. The lineup is insane.
02:20The crowds are nuts, man. We played a show in Calgary about a week and a half ago.
02:24And it was top 10 greatest Tribune crowd in North America ever, like in 22 years.
02:30Like that's how good it was. It's just this new energy, not even just from us, but from our fans.
02:35Like I feel like our fans are just as crazy as ever. And it's like, you know, it's not as big as a maiden crowd.
02:41But when I look out there, it's the maiden audience. I'll see like six-year-olds with their parents up to like 70-year-olds with their kids who are in their 50s or 40s.
02:51And it's just amazing. I love the family environment. I love how excited everyone is, how passionate everyone is.
02:56I was actually just watching. So I heard Prince used to, after every single show, he'd watch a VHS tape for the show he just did.
03:02So I kind of, I didn't, I don't watch the whole thing, but I just had the replay on from last night for my Twitch because we stream every show for free, every warmup, all that stuff, every soundcheck for free.
03:11But I've been watching it just to like monitor, to see how I'm doing, to see if I'm, am I, am I doing well enough vocally or guitar wise?
03:18I was like, man, this sounds like a record. So we've, we definitely put the time in.
03:21Um, I think we prep more than any band that I've heard of. Like I've got like an hour plus warmup that's very specific for my vocals.
03:29And we do like a 30 to 45 minute band jam as well with like this mini setup that we've got like a V kit and tiny amps and everything.
03:35We learned that from Magnus Metallica.
03:36Yeah, I was going to say Metallica. Yeah, for sure. Yeah.
03:38And we also do like a long soundcheck just to make sure we're really dialed in.
03:41So when people come out, they're really getting their money's worth.
03:44And it's funny, we did the maiden run and Steve Harris came in at the end to thank us for being on the bill.
03:47So we've toured with him before a lot and he looks around, he's like, you guys play a lot, huh?
03:52I was like, yeah, we just love to make sure we're nice and warm.
03:54He's like, the only other band I've seen do that is Metallica.
03:56So the fact that Steve Harris compared us to Metallica in a small way, it's another one of those amazing, amazing little instances.
04:02I'll never, I'll never forget that.
04:03Yeah, that's cool. That, uh, that maiden tour. Yeah. We were talking about that last time.
04:07You know, um, you mentioned this and this, this might be kind of an obvious statement or maybe an observation,
04:12but you say the Trivium fans are really coming out.
04:14Do you think that because the world was locked down for so much, so long and now things are maybe a little bit different?
04:21Um, right now, what we're seeing in a couple of markets is so many people are going to so many things.
04:25It's becoming tough, like Chicago, Minneapolis, and what was the other market?
04:29Chicago, Minneapolis, and Philadelphia.
04:31Those three markets seem so oversaturated with tours right now.
04:35Like there was, I think there was like 10 metal shows within a 14 day span around our, our tour, our tour.
04:41Like the revocation Christian tour was playing the same night as us last night.
04:45I'm so lucky that we've got the Trivium fans coming out, but I've, I've heard definitely like ticket sales are odd for some bands in those markets because it's so oversaturated right now.
04:53Cause everyone's getting back out.
04:55So, um, I think we're just, you know, we're lucky cause we've never been a band that has been like within a scene, within a movement.
05:03We've never necessarily been like a press band or like a band that's talked about other than any, by other, other than anyone that are, that are supporters.
05:12Our supporters have truly kept us live.
05:13Like we made sure we kept having great music coming out during when the world was shut down and, um, trying to do live shows.
05:18So they've been coming out in droves.
05:19So we're, we're very lucky.
05:20I do feel like there is that bonus now that the gates are open, everyone's getting out to everything.
05:25Um, but not only are all the fans coming to everything, all the bands are also coming out.
05:29So it's, it's a heavily, heavily trafficked USA right now.
05:33Um, which is great to see, but, um, damn, there's a lot of competition out there.
05:37Yeah.
05:37And by the way, uh, kudos to your management for putting you guys up in Canada, like near the end of summer, beginning of fall.
05:43Cause I, I, I never understood when these bands are like touring Canada, like in February, it's like you could tour Canada.
05:48Anytime you want.
05:49We were so lucky.
05:50Cause this time when we, I remember the last time we played Winnipeg, it was negative five bus heater broke or playing this crappy club that had no heat.
05:59So we were just like suffering, but this time it was beautiful.
06:01Like, like Canada was like 50 sixties.
06:04So that's, that's good for Canada.
06:06That's cold for a Floridian.
06:07Um, but it's really, today's beautiful out in Nashville.
06:10So we're, we're, we're very thankful for the booking this time.
06:13Yeah.
06:13Where are you playing tonight in Nashville?
06:15Uh, we are playing, I think it's called the Franklin musical.
06:18Let me just double check on master.
06:20Oh, I was just curious.
06:21I've been down there a bunch of times since the pandemic broke.
06:23I got some friends down there and stuff, and I've been in and around that area.
06:27I went to Ryman, uh, back in the, in the spring.
06:29I never been there before.
06:30So that was kind of cool.
06:31It's the marathon marathon music works.
06:33We've, we'd never played before.
06:35Okay.
06:35Yeah.
06:35But yeah, we actually did our fourth record here.
06:38So we lived here for about like six or eight weeks doing Shogun.
06:40Yeah.
06:41Was that down in a record row or whatever they call it?
06:43That was at sound kitchen down by record row.
06:46And I don't, I don't think sound kitchen exists anymore, but it's funny while we were recording
06:49there, we're the first metal band that ever recorded there.
06:51We made our most techie proggy metal record.
06:54Kenny Chesney was there.
06:55Trace Adkins was, was there.
06:56Leonard Skinner was there.
06:58And, uh, Miley Cyrus was there while we were there and we're there making like a, you
07:02know, like a prog metal record.
07:04You should have tried to get one of them on your album.
07:06That would have been so sick.
07:07I would have loved to have all of them on the record.
07:09That would have been really cool.
07:10I heard a really funny story about Trace Adkins.
07:12You know, uh, he's sober, right?
07:14And, uh, someone said to him, uh, well, why did you get sober?
07:17He goes, well, I'm six foot six.
07:18I'm 250 pounds.
07:19So I walk into a bar and if I'm drinking too much, you know, it's, it, it, you know,
07:23that half of them are women, half are men.
07:24He goes, uh, half of them are going to get, you know, and half of them might get beat up.
07:28You've got to figure out which line you're going to get it.
07:33Jeez.
07:35Well, yeah.
07:35I mean, I was going to say, I didn't know he's sober.
07:37He's got, he's got that red solo cup song.
07:39So you might have to fill that red solo cup with something else now.
07:41Yeah.
07:41Something.
07:42Right.
07:42I think the, uh, whatever, but, um, so, all right.
07:44So here's the, here's the loaded question.
07:46What do you guys have going on besides this tour?
07:48Cause I know you're always doing something.
07:50Everything, everything.
07:51So, um, besides the tour, like I said, we stream every show.
07:55So if anyone's in somewhere else, they want to watch the show.
07:56It's for free.
07:57You don't have to pay for anything.
07:58You just watch it anytime you want.
07:59You can chat anytime you want.
08:00Now let's just stop there for one second.
08:02Um, I, you, you talked about this earlier.
08:04Now this is, this is super interesting.
08:07Are you guys one of the only bands doing this?
08:09I think so.
08:09Like, I think a lot of bands started when everything shut down, but then a lot of them stopped because
08:13it is a lot of work.
08:15It's a lot of work.
08:16It's a lot of gear.
08:17It's a lot.
08:17You have to like teach yourself how to do it.
08:18Cause it's not really techs you hire for that.
08:21So I did.
08:22I'm not a techie person.
08:23I teach myself how to build the stream backpack.
08:24I built two of those.
08:25There's always something to go wrong.
08:27There's like maybe 30 pieces or 30 components inside that backpack itself.
08:32But now that we've got to delve in, our sound guy mixes a specific mix that sounds good
08:35on cell phones through streaming, because he knows a lot of people watching their phones
08:38from watching their computers.
08:39Some are watching on like casting on their TV.
08:42Um, it is a lot of work and it's, it has taken years off my life just setting this thing
08:46up, but it's so worth it.
08:48So I definitely think we're one of the few bands that streams that much.
08:50I'll see bands that have like paywalls up and stuff.
08:52And for us, we figure I've had bands ask me, Hey, for streaming, every show, doesn't
08:57that de-incentivize people to buy tickets?
08:58And I said, well, it's the opposite.
08:59Cause metal, you can't recreate the feeling of being a metal show and hardcore metal core
09:05that when you're there, it's not the same from your couch or from your toilet.
09:10And I feel like maybe pop is, or maybe countries, but metal isn't metal.
09:14You have to be there.
09:14So I feel like it shows people like, Hey, check this thing out to permissive out.
09:17I'm going to get down there.
09:19So the stream is constantly going days off.
09:21We usually will eat something local and amazing, and then we'll stream and play video games
09:24all day and our site see a little bit, then eat again and play more video games.
09:28So it's more connectivity.
09:28So when I'm playing games, I'm streaming as well.
09:30But the main thing, the thing I stream 99 to a hundred percent of the time on show days
09:34is the trivium shows.
09:35I'm working on game scoring.
09:36I've been getting more and more.
09:37I just finished my first video game soundtrack.
09:39It's a game called martial arts tycoon.
09:40It's a Brazilian jujitsu style tycoon game.
09:43So you start off in Brazil and you build your own gym and your own fighters and your own players.
09:46I did the entire soundtrack.
09:48I did all the sound design.
09:49So even things like when you're hovering over the menu button, those sounds, it's me.
09:53I did all those.
09:55The entire soundtrack is all Brazilian music.
09:57So they didn't want any metal and they didn't want any rock.
10:00So I did like samba, Pagogi, Bossa Nova.
10:03But I said, hey, I'm giving you one metal song.
10:05So I wrote a song that says Sepultura.
10:07Of course, it's me screaming in Portuguese.
10:09I can't speak Portuguese, but I can sing it.
10:10So that stuff, I'm working on scoring for Partially Secrets.
10:15I can't say who, but I'm making the theme song for an esports org right now, which is really cool.
10:18So just nonstop, man.
10:19My kid's book comes out in a month or so.
10:21It's all Japanese history and Japanese gods and goddesses and monsters.
10:24Then it's meant for like six months old to four year olds kind of thing.
10:28So that comes out in a month or so.
10:29It's called Ibaraki and Friends on Z2 Comics.
10:32Just nonstop, man.
10:33I don't like to rest.
10:34I was going to say, don't let the grass grow beneath your feet.
10:38No, I don't like to stop.
10:41And Tribune, I can't confirm we're working on stuff, but the stuff we've been jamming is really, really cool.
10:47So is that where you work on stuff during your warm-up periods before shows?
10:52It's funny.
10:53The other day we walked up for soundcheck and we just started playing this new riff together.
10:57Next thing we knew, we had something special.
10:59So I like to leave the surprises of the Tribune material.
11:03But yeah, the stuff we've been cooking up together is really, really cool.
11:06We've got plans for the hangar, plans for this tour.
11:09We're rotating the set every single night.
11:11It's a different production than Maiden.
11:12So Maiden, we had one entirely specific stage set up.
11:15But this tour, it's all like, there's like golden dragons on stage.
11:18There's a Japanese gate on stage.
11:20There's different cabinet art, different artwork.
11:22Rotating the set every night.
11:24It's really cool.
11:25It's a fun, exciting time.
11:26It's weird.
11:27You know, we're almost 23 years into Tribune.
11:30But it feels like we're a brand new band still.
11:32Like even for us, the excitement for us, it feels like we just put this thing together.
11:36And it feels like the same thing seeing the audience.
11:37And I've been getting that feedback from bands, fans, and music industry alike to like,
11:43somehow it feels like you guys are a brand new band.
11:45And I really like that.
11:46I don't know what it is.
11:47I think we just love what we do so much.
11:49I feel like it really does show.
11:50I feel like, you know, we hear stories of bands that don't like each other.
11:53You know, you've heard the stories.
11:54I've heard the stories of bands that show up in separate cars, separate hotels, separate planes, just to play a show.
11:59And I'm like, man, if I had to do that, I wouldn't do this.
12:02Like, I want to love the people I'm around.
12:04I want to be with them all the time.
12:05Because if I got to be away from my kids, like I want to be with people that I enjoy being with.
12:08And I think it shows on stage, I think it shows that we really do, thankfully, have an incredibly close-knit group.
12:14Yeah, it's like I was just talking to Snake Sabo from Skid Row, and they got the new singer, Eric.
12:19And he was kind of joking in a different interview.
12:22I saw that, you know, he got together and he told Rachel, this guy is an asshole, you know.
12:26And, of course, it's like, you know, you can be as talented as you want.
12:28But if you can't hang out with the guys who are 22 hours of the day, what good is it?
12:33Oh, man, yeah, that'd be prison for me.
12:35Like, I still, you know, we'll tour with bands, you can tell that the dynamic's not the same.
12:39Or we'll tour with bands, they'll go, man, you guys are always hanging out.
12:42What's that all about?
12:42Like, we want to be around each other.
12:44And if I didn't, like I said, if I didn't have that, this wouldn't be for me.
12:47So I'm very, very fortunate, very happy that all four of us in the band have very similar chemistries.
12:52We like to work hard, like to be our best and work to do our best and bring great music for the people to support us.
12:58Yeah, and so you guys are one of the most fan-friendly bands that I talk to.
13:02You guys do a lot of things for the fans.
13:04I think that just my perspective from the outside in is that you always seem to approach things from, like, when you were a kid, maybe what you'd want to see your bands doing.
13:14Is that right?
13:15100%.
13:15Yeah, because I've always had, you know, I've had some great interactions with heroes.
13:18Like I said, the Steve Harris interaction just from a couple weeks ago was super cool.
13:22Or first time I ever met Bruce Dickinson in 2006, he interviewed us on his radio show.
13:26I asked him a bunch of questions about vocals, and he's like, you know what, someday you'll have a voice like Ronnie James Dio.
13:32And to have Bruce Dickinson tell me that when I'm, like, 19 was, like, a very formative thing.
13:35Years later, we played a show with Heaven and Hell with Dio singing.
13:38I told Dio that same story.
13:40And Dio laughs and smiles and looks down at his glass of wine.
13:42He's like, you know, Bruce finally admitted I'm one of his heroes.
13:45And just, like, those moments, that, like, that changed my life.
13:48But I've also had the moments where I've gone up to my favorite bands as a kid, maybe before signed or after signed.
13:53I was like, hey, man, I grew up listening to your music, had all your posters, all your records, you know, grew up worshiping your band.
13:56Thank you so much for your music.
13:57And then they get weird about it.
13:58Like, oh, then they kind of trail off a little bit.
14:02Maybe it's humility.
14:02Maybe it's shyness.
14:03But I never want to give that impression to our fans, whether they're in a band or they're not in a band.
14:08And it's been really cool talking to younger people who are in really killer bands coming up.
14:12They're like, oh, I grew up listening to your band.
14:14So thank you so much for the music.
14:15And I want to make sure we always give a, you know, an encouraging good moment for anyone that could ever come across this, even if we're having a bad moment.
14:22I remember, what show was it?
14:24Calgary.
14:24The one I said was one of the top tens.
14:26I had a brutal stomach flu.
14:28Like, I couldn't even stand up at Soundcheck.
14:30I had to sit down in a chair for Soundcheck.
14:32I ate probably 100 calories that day, barely drank anything, any water.
14:36But we had a sold-out VIP meet and greet.
14:38I made sure I smiled and talked to every single person I could, made sure the show went well.
14:41But, you know, they cured me for the show.
14:44That 90 minutes for the show, I felt amazing.
14:46And it was an incredible, incredible performance.
14:48So it's like that kind of, it's cyclical.
14:50It's like a, it's a great relationship in that they get to feed us and we get to feed them.
14:57Both in inspiration and positivity.
15:00And even though metal is very aggressive and can get very dark thematically, our whole mission is always to make people feel good.
15:06Like, it's always to make people feel like if they're feeling something dark and they see one of our dark songs, that they can find some connectivity and realize they're not the only one feeling that.
15:14And that we can make them want to keep going.
15:16I remember during those two and a half years where people weren't able to go shows and, you know, some countries had tighter lockdowns than others.
15:22And people were like, it was me in my apartment for two years.
15:25And like, and they would tell me if they didn't have the stream, they don't think they'd still be here.
15:29And they're like, we had no other connectivity other than the people we'd see in chat, but like that made us get through it.
15:35And so hearing those stories, it's really intense, you know, it's, and it is a lot.
15:38And I think some bands, you know, hearing that kind of stuff could be a little bit much, but I'm thankful that the four of us are always comfortable with that.
15:44We're always ready to be like, you know, that's, that's why we do this.
15:46We do this to make sure to instill, you know, at surface level, it's fun music for someone listening at the jam while they're driving to work.
15:55But at the next level, if it's something that they can connect to and feel good and want to be inspired to live a positive life and take care of their mind and body, that that's, that's my goal to make sure just people feel good.
16:05And people want to share this world that we get to share with everyone and welcome all and make it a fun, accepting place for everyone.
16:13And that's, that's the key.
16:14That's, that's the goal of everything that I do, making people feel good.
16:18Yeah.
16:18And to get it, get some people away from their regular everyday lives for a little while.
16:22Yeah.
16:22Yeah.
16:22Like, yeah, if, if we're going to be an escape or we're going to be a punching bag or a therapist couch, whatever we are, I want us to be that, that thing for everyone.
16:30Speaking of a dark, you know, we're in the Halloween season.
16:32Are you a haunted, are you a horror movie fan?
16:35I am.
16:35I, I've, I used to like the splattery, gory stuff.
16:38Um, and not so much these days, unless it's like the eighties, nineties stuff.
16:42I really liked the kind of more psychological stuff.
16:44The stuff that Paulo kind of got me into like, um, the, uh, like the witch hereditary.
16:50Uh, I feel like Northman's not really horror, but that kind of realm, um, is what I'm really into.
16:56But I do love the Korean stuff.
16:57Like old boy, sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, lady Vengeance, but those always make you feel like crap.
17:02Uh, my kids love spooky stuff.
17:03Uh, it's probably because metal and both their parents have worn black since they were teenagers.
17:08Um, so we're definitely watching like Nightmare Before Christmas, uh, on those days that I get home.
17:12I, I luckily have a day off in Orlando after the show.
17:15So we're going to celebrate Halloween early.
17:17I'll get dressed up in the same like skeleton costumes and all that.
17:21Yeah.
17:22Good chance.
17:22Uh, uh, I think, uh, for my money, smile has been one of the best horror movies that came out, you know, the last few months.
17:29Smile.
17:30Okay.
17:30I got to check that out.
17:31It's psychological and there, there might be some gore, but yeah, if you're not in a gore, don't go watching a terrifier too.
17:38Yeah.
17:38Those are like, it's, it's like fun.
17:40And you know, like the first time I saw, saw one and saw, he was like, all right, this is cool.
17:44This is unique.
17:44But then after a while, like hostile to, you're like, all right, this is too much for the same thing.
17:49But, um, I love Jordan Peele's take on horror.
17:52Like us was incredible.
17:54I think the other one was called us and them.
17:57I can't remember the name of those two films so far.
18:00Hmm.
18:00I don't remember those.
18:02Uh, you just bring me up.
18:03I thought you were thinking about don't breathe, but I don't think that's him.
18:06But, uh, yeah, that don't breathe takes place here in Detroit.
18:09And also his new movie called barbarian takes place in Detroit.
18:12Well, I heard that's amazing.
18:14Yeah.
18:15Yeah.
18:16The Detroit's always a good spot for like horror movies.
18:18It can be a little, can be a little scary.
18:21Yeah.
18:21Dawn of the dead is, uh, I think Detroit, isn't it?
18:24I don't know.
18:25That's before I moved.
18:26I've only been here 27 years.
18:28So I don't know if that's in Detroit or not.
18:29It's been a while since I've, I've seen that movie, but, uh, so anyways, well, listen, uh,
18:33to see here coming up on October 23rd, uh, in Detroit with, uh, Trevium, of course.
18:38And, uh, and, and as a, as a, as a right now, you kind of touched on it, but you guys are
18:42just working on ideas for new music.
18:44That's it.
18:45Can't confirm or deny, but whatever we got going on is really good.
18:48Like, it's funny.
18:49I'll openly broadcast everything in the world I do, but it's cool for, even though I stream
18:54all the time and I streamed through the last three records, the last three records we did,
18:58no one knew we were doing a record.
18:59Like, even though I'd be warming up for going to the record that morning on stream, I like
19:03that.
19:03I like that.
19:04Or is everything else is very open book.
19:06I was going to say, do you really, do you like that much sharing of your personal life
19:10out there online?
19:11It is curated.
19:13You know, I have had some people go, Oh, you basically stream everything, show everything.
19:16I'm like, well, not necessarily, you know, like I, I give a ton and I think because I
19:19give so much, people don't ask for the extra bits.
19:22Um, and it is, you know, it is, it is carefully displaying the things that I choose to display.
19:27Uh, but it's, it's a great amount.
19:29So I think people are quite happy with that.
19:32Yeah.
19:32Well, Matt, listen, thanks for the time.
19:34I have a great show tonight and, uh, we'll see here in a couple of weeks, uh, in the motor
19:38city.
19:39Hell yeah, man.
19:39Thank you for all the support you've always shown us.
19:41And we can't wait to get down there.
19:42It's going to be an amazing show.