Matilda Mann gives the scoop on Glastonbury, perfect spots in London and her cherry earrings at Truck Festival 2022

Lilyemma: You were saying that you had arrived to the festival today. Have you managed to catch anyone yet?

Matilda: No, but I mean I saw a little bit of Baby Queen as I was passing through, but I've never been to Truck Festival before, but it's lovely here!

Lilyemma: Yeah, it's our first time, too!

Eliz: It's bigger than we thought it was going to be.

Matilda: Oh, the only festival I've been to was Glastonbury -

Eliz: Well that's the big one to be at.

Matilda: So this is tiny compared to that! It's insane, that one. It's really fun but it's massive. So I think this is much nicer.

Lilyemma: It's a bit more home-y. Is there anyone you're hoping to see?

Matilda: I'd really love to see Sam Fender, I think, actually.

Eliz: We'll be at that, too. You'd have to, he is the headliner!

Matilda: I think easy life are playing tomorrow. Maybe I'll stick around to catch them.

Eliz: You grew up in London. Do you feel like this is an influence in the music you create, at all?

Matilda: I think maybe the subjects of what I write. I think when you grow up in London, the only difference is that you grow up a bit quicker because everything is a bit fast forward. So, in that sense, maybe yeah. But I really liked growing up in London and everything's a little bit closer and you get a little bit more independence earlier on.

Eliz: I think it's the busy-ness of it - growing up in a city, in general, but especially London.

Matilda: Lots of things to cope with as well.

Lilyemma: And, is there any specific places in London you go for inspiration or to clear writer's block?

Matilda: I really like parks and green, open areas. I love Richmond Park, and I really like cycling there. I grew up in West London but I live in East now, so I liked cycling there when it was sunny. You could go outside during the pandemic but you couldn't really go to someone's house, so I would just go there. Yeah, I think the river as well. I love the river. Yeah, anything that's a big park I guess.

Eliz: We like Victoria Park because we live in East London, as well.

Matilda: Oh yes, I love Victoria Park And, my boyfriend has a roof terrace and he didn't even know he had it. When he moved in, they didn't tell him about it. But it's insane and the most amazing place, so I really like being there, I guess.

Lilyemma: Our dream is to have a roof terrace, the views of London!

Matilda: I think I'd rather that than a park. It's a communal one but it's full of plants and it's massive.

Eliz: It would be like 'Love Rosie', have you seen that?

Matilda: Oh my god, yeah it really is.

Eliz: So, thinking about your career as a whole. Who do you dream to collaborate with, if you had the chance to?

Matilda: I love Wet Leg. I saw them at Glastonbury and they were insane. I met one of them, and she's such a sweet person. I think Laura Marling is my biggest inspiration but I don't know if I'd like to collaborate with her because I think I just want her to be an artist to me. I think I just always want to fangirl and have her at arms length and be in awe all the time.

Lilyemma: I'd love to see a song between you and Wet Leg, I think you could do something so cool with that.

Matilda: Honestly, they're such cool people, as well. Definitely Wet Leg. I love Dora Jar she's an artist from LA and she's so odd in the best way. And I think we bring oddness out in each other. I think she really inspires me to be a bit more experimental with the music itself, so yeah.

Lilyemma: You started writing music quite young, is there anything that surprised you about the music industry? You dream about being a singer as a young girl, is there anything that you realised as you grew up that you were like "Oh, I wasn't expecting that"?

Matilda: I didn't actually want to be an artist at all. I kind of fell into it because I always really liked writing songs but I never had anyone to sing them so I sung them myself. And then people were like "You should keep doing it" and I was like "Ahh, okay!"

Lilyemma: And it worked! You've got such a good sound!

Matilda: I really do dislike how much of my career relies on social media because I just can't do it. I don't naturally have a mindset to film everything I do everyday. I really like filming things so I guess I don't want to put something out half-hearted or something I think of cringey, or something that doesn't feel like me. But you're kind of made to do it after the pandemic. Everyone is so reliant on TikTok and I think it's unfortunately shortened everyone's attention span, including my own - I'm a culprit of that. I don't love the demand on social media for everyone.

Lilyemma: That's what we were going to ask you about! How social media feels like a double-edged sword to the music industry at the moment because it's so beneficial to get your music out there but do you find that it does sometimes take a toll on what you choose to release or say?

Matilda: I think it's silly to have to post everyday and someone know everything that's going on with your life. That leaves no tension or room for surprise, it's giving too much away really. But I also really like sharing a lot of my life with people. And in that sense I do think it's great and it's a great opportunity for people who aren't signed and getting their name out there. But I think we need to be careful with where it goes.

Eliz: I guess over-sharing in general is dangerous anyway. It's just an interesting one. You said you only went to this and one other festival. Do you have any highlights so far, or are you inspired to go to more as a festival-goer, not just as an artist.

Matilda: In all honesty, I'm not a festival girl. I'm just so scared of heat, heat gets me immediately and makes me so tired. But I really like walking around and seeing all of these acts and that's a really nice thing about festivals is walking around and finding artists that you didn't know about until right there and then. Glastonbury was amazing and I saw loads of people that I had never seen before, like Big Thief and Wet Leg. So, yeah, it's crazy and I think it's such a nice idea. You can really see a group of people getting along together and really enjoying that weekend moment. I think they're wonderful, I'm just bad at heat.

Eliz: It is scary though, are you camping? Have you camped before?

Matilda: I camped at Glastonbury for four nights...

Lilyemma: Ahh, that's so long!

Eliz: We're doing three and we've had one night. And the rain overnight is so scary.

Matilda: I was freezing all night at Glastonbury, it was so cold. And then you wake up and it's like being in an oven.

Eliz: It's all part of the experience!

Matilda: It builds you as a person.

Lilyemma: If you're handed an aux, do you have a go-to song that you'll play? I know we're putting you on the spot but if I handed you a speaker right now, what would you pick?

Matilda: 'The Scab Song' by Dora Jar, it's so weird! It's amazing, the production, the lyrics are so good. I haven't heard anything like it. That or 'The Sweet Escape' by Gwen Stefani. They're just the kind of songs you got to like or get out of my car!

Eliz: I think they're good choices. Finally, if you were to convince someone to come to one of your shows - what would you say? If you had your time, anyone listening who knows a bit about you but they're not sure whether to come and see you. This is your time now, what would you say?

Matilda: I really like looking at the audience. Genuinely really looking at the people's faces and sometimes you can see interactions between them. And, I really like telling stories about my songs and why I wrote them, and you won't really get the stories about the songs unless you come to a show. I think from the two headlines I've done in London and touring, everyone just seems really sweet and lovely and you might meet someone - that might be fun! I feel like that would be such a fun place to meet someone, at a gig and you both share the same taste of music. Even like friends and stuff. I know some girls who listen to me have become friends through it and that's just an exciting thing. You can listen to some stories, meet some friends.

Lilyemma: We saw your set earlier and that's something that we really like when people perform live, helping the audience engage with the songs. Otherwise, it feels like you're just speaking to us. But you didn't have that, and it made for a nice environment. Everyone in the crowd felt really connected and you did a really good job at that.

Matilda: Aw, thanks so much!

Eliz: Even we look at the crowds from within it. Like we'll look at it and think "Ah main character moment!"

Matilda: I guess it's funny because everyone who's famous is so normal. I'm not famous at all, but people come up to me afterwards and are like "Oh my god, I've been following you for years," and I know that's something I should understand but I just don't - I'm like "How? That's so weird." I love meeting people afterwards, it's such a nice experience.

Lilyemma: It's been lovely to meet you and congratulations on everything that you've been doing.

Eliz: Think that's about it but I'm so glad I got to see the earrings in person! That's one thing I'm glad you share on Instagram, I'm always like "Yep, she's wearing the earrings!"

Matilda: Etsy! Thanks so much, have a lovely weekend.