MATD is a thriving Finnish rock duo of ardent artists; Marcos Kuusjarvi and Veli Eronen are known for their awesome rock music that blends classic old rock with contemporary motifs. Through their unwavering zeal and remarkable musical endeavours, they are elevating the rock game in the industry, with one rock banger at a time. MATD offer freshness and unmatched passion, both of which are a necessity for the slumbered rock culture.
Recently, MATD, along with another remarkable artist, Johanna, released an electrifying rock number, ‘Angels of Rock’, a splendid number featuring vibrant sonicality. Starting off with some brilliant guitar energy, the song picks up like a dream and becomes simply beautiful. Featuring a fine blend of synth, energetic guitars, and soaring vocals that together make for a cathartic song-listening experience. The instrumentality is inspired by traditional rock, with heavy drums and powerful singing
With out-of-the-box creativity that showcases the artists’ ingenuity, the song simply feels refreshing, offering a vivid escapism through stunning rock instrumentality and some powerful, soul-touching vocals.
With its masterful production, effortless sonic brilliance, good-old rock charm, staggering authenticity, and remarkable creativity, the track will transport you back in time to a time when rock was celebrated and loved. The lyrics convey rock’s undying charm and how the spirit of rock prevails, nevertheless. The same spirit and joviality are expressed through the soundscapes. The stunning lyrics also add considerable depth to the track, making it all the more impactful.
We recently interviewed MATD. Here’s what they said:
1. What was your original inspiration for creating your latest track, ‘Angels of Creation’?
We wanted to make a rock song that would bring a positive message to the world. It really needs that right now. Many heavier rock songs have this kind of “devil–Satan–darkness” praise, so we wanted to bring things from the perspective of light instead. A bit sarcastically, too. The idea was also to make a song for the Finnish Eurovision selection—something you don’t usually hear there.
2. How do you sketch your songs? Do ideas come naturally, or is it a meticulous, thought-out approach, or do you often find inspiration from the mundane and the spontaneous?
For this song (Angels of Rock), the thoughts and inspiration came to us while we were out on a walk with Veli. The idea for the lyrics came from listening to the band Ghost’s song Square Hammer. We wanted to flip that concept the other way around.
In general, our songs often begin with the idea of what we want to say. Many times, the first thing that appears is almost the final title of the track. Most of our music is created story-first — we shape the narrative and then compose the music and choose the genre that fits it best. Sometimes we also need to experiment with different styles and vocalists to find the one that serves the story most effectively.
3. You are exceptional at fusing contemporary rock with the vintage. What pulled you towards rock in the first place?
The original inspiration behind the band “Max and the Ducks” (MATD) was the British glam rock bands of the 70s. Mainly Sweet. Also Slade, Glitter Band, Suzi Quatro, Alvin Stardust etc. Later on, ELO and Kate Bush became inspirations as well. For this song, we wanted to bring a bit of that vintage rock atmosphere into it.
4. Describe your art to someone who is stepping into your musical world for the first time.
MATD creates music that tells stories about life, blending pop culture, personal experiences, and dreams with a constant search for compelling narratives. Our sound is a space where the poetic and the mysterious meet everyday reality. The lyrics often rise from lived moments or quiet reflections that surface long after, shaped more by imagery and atmosphere than by straight lines. We hope listeners recognise pieces of their own stories within our songs.
5. How has the musical journey been so far for MATD? Has it been smooth or unpredictable?
Originally, we were a band called Max and the Ducks. In 2020, we shortened the name to MATD, which feels more modern. When we started, we had no idea our songs would gain even a little success. We participated in the Swiss Eurovision selection five years in a row, and that brought us some recognition in our home country as well. We even had nine songs reach Finland’s official download chart—one of them reached number one. That song was based on the Alice in Wonderland story.
In the MATD era, download charts and the way people buy and consume music have changed. When we changed our name, we also shifted more toward a project-based model, releasing song by song. We’ve made songs with different vocalists from around the world: from the USA, Spain, the UK, and recently mostly with Johanna from Finland.
On Spotify, our most successful song so far is “Me and My Dog,” sung by British vocalist Tom Bedlam. We create music in many different styles, from classical to pop. Our strength is that we can realize different musical dreams.
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6. What are your top three favourite tracks from your entire discography and why?
Angels of Rock. Its message fits perfectly with the present moment, and it turned out better in every way with top producers than we could have ever expected.
Driftwood of Love. Three singers demoed the song, and we even finished it once with one of them. It just didn’t feel right. Eventually, we tried a third time with Johanna Koskiniemi. And for the violin part, we got the amazing violinist Heidi Mantere to play the opening theme. That clicked, and the lyrics took on a poetic quality that is often hard to reach.
Who The Fuck Is Alice? The song is based on the Alice in Wonderland story and is dedicated to Lewis Carroll, Tim Burton and Johnny Depp. It’s our only number-one song on Finland’s download chart (2015). We remade it in 2020 with Nida, a singer from Los Angeles. The song’s story is “twisted,” just like the original tale, containing many suggestive elements—for example, about sexual awakening. The big question, of course, is: who really is Alice?
7. Share an unforgettable instance from your creative life that added value to your life in general.
Music has brought us collaborations with musicians, singers, and creatives from all around the world. That sense of collaboration and community has given us energy, friendship, and experiences that no amount of money could ever buy.
The interviewee was Marcos Kuusjärvi, MATD’s lyricist and the band’s second composer.
Marcos Kuusjärvi, MATD
Listen to the track right here:
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I hoard up thoughts, pieces, and souvenirs, which you could only have a glance of through my words...
