“We don’t have any boundaries / But there’s something that I need to know / You said that you’d never doubt me / But it’s time to get on with the show.”
Warkworth, ON singer-songwriter Matthew Holtby proclaims 2025 to be “the year of the electric guitar” and supports this claim with a new single. Produced by Travis Harrison of Guided By Voices fame (Holtby’s favorite band), “Give Me A Reason” is an upbeat pop-rock tune with no shortage of electric guitar layered with rhythm and drums that will have your toes tapping from start to finish.
Holtby shares that what started out as a conversation with Harrison in Dayton last year quickly led to this opportunity to work together. “It’s a dream to have his ears on something we’ve done let alone put his touch on it,” Matthew admits. “I think he took it to a new level.”
The origins of the song took place in a friend’s basement that he was commuting an hour each day to, where he sat alone in a room with a tiny desk, a lamp and a Marshall stack, where he would write sad ballads, but knew deep down he was looking for something more. “I don’t really listen to music like this. I kinda wanna rock again,” he recalls, adding that once he picked up his friend’s 335 electric guitar, he “banged it out, lyrics and all.”
For Holtby, questioning his own self-belief in his abilities and music career led him to place his trust in a higher power, which seeps here into his songwriting as the track’s focal point. “Give me a reason / Tell me about everything that you know / Give me the thing that you wanted all along / Sing me a song.”
I think that we all want reassurances that we are walking the right path in life, and that sometimes, gaining clarity is not always easy. As for Matthew, I hope he doesn’t put that electric guitar down anytime soon so we can hear more great rock tunes from him this year!
Photo Credit: Artist Website
Jess has always enjoyed a wide range of music genres and eras. Connecting deeply with classical music, she played cello from grade school through high school, and although no longer actively playing, her affinity for finding an emotional connection to music is still strong. Residing in central PA, she is new to the Canadian music scene and enjoys listening to new artists as a way to break away from “the usual.” Jess is an avid yogi who often finds a sliver of peace while on the yoga mat with good music playing in the background.
