Those fortunate enough to have witnessed and documented the growth of Matt Langley over the years are likely to clap hands in gleeful anticipation over the news the award-winning Dunedin singer-songwriter has a new album out.
Titled Winterdust, the album (released today) comes four years after his previous effort, Virginia Avenue which, at 15 songs, could have been regarded as a double album.
In contrast, Winterdust comprises just eight songs and lasts a little over 30 minutes. It is also largely unadorned, notwithstanding the contribution of former Dunedin, now Wellington-based musician Alex Vaatstra, of Julian Temple Band, who provides some interesting string arrangements.
"I’d sent him recordings as we progressed and he did his homework and did these arrangements. He did the whole album in one big session, which was remarkable," Langley explained earlier this week.
"There were more string parts, but we took them out. We pared it right back to what we thought was essential. We thought there was enough of a world being created just with a vocal and guitar. We just wanted another colour, but we didn’t want to overdo it."
The "we" to whom Langley is referring is himself and engineer-producer Tom Bell, who operates Port Chalmers Recording Services at Chick’s Hotel, a live venue for many local and touring acts until its closure just over a year ago.
"I’d played at Chick’s a lot," Langley says.
"Also, Tom is a friend. I felt at home there and all that plays into the album being very intimate and personal."
Those last two words encapsulate the essence of Winterdust, which betters the quiet confidence he showed in his 2007 solo EP Lost Companions, 2010 album Featherbones and 2013 effort Virginia Avenue.
Musically, Langley has moved around a fair bit over the years, from his time roaring to the grunge-inspired riffs of Dunedin ’90s rock act Fold, with whom he recorded two albums; to the eclectic, busking vibes of the George Street Patsys; to the rootsy lilt that earned him the APRA 2010 Best Country Song Award (for 7.13, from Featherbones).
"In a way, Winterdust has been 20 years in the making, in that I’ve finally got to a point where I’m comfortable," Langley reflects.
"It is only half an hour long so is kind of the polar opposite to Virginia Avenue, which had a lot of things going on. This one is more tightly themed and a lot of that has to do with stripping things back to their essential elements and leaving the songs alone.
"I have spent a lot of time on the road and writing in that fashion. I wanted to have something that reflects what I do live. To do that means I need to be fairly comfortable, in the right room, and have a nice, quiet atmosphere."
Key to capturing that intimate feel was Langley’s decision to record the songs as single takes. There were no overdubs, no layering of vocal parts, except for the occasional harmony.
"I’d just pop into the studio when Tom was free," Langley says.
"I started demo-ing songs with Tom, but there was an unspoken thing that if something was going well, then it might end up on the album.
"This album has taken a couple of years to put together because we wanted to do it in fits and starts. I didn’t want to have budgetary and/or time constraints. I wasn’t interested in ticking off specific goals every couple of weeks."
Langley is referring to the fact he was granted Creative New Zealand funding ($14,500) to record Virginia Avenue, which was produced by Brett Stanton (The Phoenix Foundation) and Riki Gooch (Trinity Roots, Eru Dangerspiel) and featured drums, bass and electric guitar. Although he remains proud of that effort, he believes the more naked approach of Winterdust better reflects his musicality.
"Among the alt-country and acoustic rock experience of Virginia Avenue, there were a few songs that pointed the way to ... the solo acoustic thing, which is my bread and butter. That’s now what I do about 90% of the time.
"When Tom and I started thinking about this album we were very conscious of doing something in that vein."
The artwork for Winterdust — it is largely white, black and grey but interspersed with yellow — is significant, suggesting quiet, slightly dark themes, which include ruminations on mortality (the title track) and relationships (The Night & Me) as well as observations and celebrations of people and place.
Sunshine Lane, for example, is brimful of references to Dunedin, Otago Peninsula and the harbour as Langley journeys along Portobello Rd and points to places where he’s spent time.
On another, Delicate Sun, he muses, "Take a walk half-asleep, notebook and pen, to the shop and back again ... count the murder of words as they fall from your mouth", detailing a slice of life as a resident of Broad Bay.
In his mid-40s, Langley still lives there, working for himself as a gardener and landscaper, doing "good, healthy outdoor yakka" around the area.
"Between that and playing little gigs, it’s quite a nice balance," he says, adding he’s content to simply perform his music and record it now and again.
There are no grand plans, there is no overarching strategy to disseminate his music. In fact, there is no official album launch gig, nor any tour.
"I think that comes down to the kind of record it is. I’ve hung up the touring shoes for a bit. I’m happy to be at home, writing and working.
"My credo is music is its own reward. That’s what it comes down to for me."
The album
• Winterdust, by Matt Langley, is released today and available from Dunedin’s Relics music shop and bandcamp.com. Langley will also have albums available at future live performances.
