Christmas on Lane Street Album by Matt Douglas Now Available

December, 07, 2011 , by Jedidiah

0

Matt Douglas. You may know him from a handful of local bands, including most recently The Small Ponds as well as The Proclivities. Most of you have seen him behind a guitar and microphone but few may know that he is an overall great musician and phenomenal saxaphone player, as exhibited at New Raleigh's 2010 Christmas party with Trent Bowles and Peter Lamb in the on-stage sax-off. The latest in Douglas's catalogue is a complilation of Christmas songs that he has put together for the 2011 Holiday Season.

Douglas has complied seven tunes together on Christmas on Lane Street, an album created and recorded by Douglas himself, in his own home, obviously on Lane Street in Downtown Raleigh. The album shows Douglas branching into musical loop territory and adds a nice spin on some classic Christmas tunes. Since the very unfortunate demise of Holly Raleigh Christmas, we've seen few holiday tracks from local artists, so Douglas's latest album adds a nice layer to the local Winter music scene in Raleigh.

The album is for sale for $10 over at Douglas's Bandcamp Page. All of the money raised from the sale will go towards buying presents for kids in need through an organization called KidsPeace. Douglas and his wife, Ellen, are having a party tonight (Thursday, December 8th) to celebrate the release of the album at Amplified Art in City Market from 7-10pm. See more details about that party here.

We chatted with the most humble Douglas about his latest venture into Christmas tunes and KidsPeace, the organization for which the album benefits.

New Raleigh: Tell us about recording this latest album Christmas on Lane Street. What does the Christmas aspect of the album mean to you?

Matt Douglas: I don't make a lot of money. I'm a full time musician. I teach a handful of private students each week, and I make the rest of my money by playing gigs, playing on people's recordings, and selling a few records here and there. When Christmas comes around, it's a hard time financially. It's a hard time financially for everyone. But not everyone gets to spend the rest of the year doing something that they love, like I do. So I figure it's the best time of year to try and use what I got to help some others that have not.

NR: What about the songs on the album? How did you choose which tunes to compose?

Douglas: There's nothing too special about how I chose the tunes for this EP. I wanted to do songs that I hadn't done before. Not that I've done so many Christmas albums before, but I did one with The Proclivities a couple of years ago and I wanted to make sure that this one was different. And I wanted to play all of the instruments and do all of the singing (not because I do anything particularly well, but because I'm the only person I know who would spend this kind of energy on a Christmas record for no money). And I've been spending more and more time recording things on my own, so I thought I could learn something in the process. Alex Maiolo helped me out by donating his studio (Seriously Adequate Studio) in Chapel Hill for a night, and the rest of it I did in my home studio, on Lane Street in Raleigh.

NR: What about influences for your style of reinterpretations of the tracks?

Douglas: I've always wanted to do a soul record. And I've always loved Donny Hathaway, so I had to do "This Christmas." And I had to do "Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella" because if you do a song in French, people think you're the sh*t. There are a couple of other deep cuts on the EP. The last song, "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," will always be one of my favorites. I hadn't planned on putting it on this EP, but after sitting in Alex's studio for 7 hours, and drinking a bottle and a half of cheap wine, I decided to just sing it for the microphone to see what happens. I don't really know the chord changes to the song, which seems pretty evident when listening back, but I thought it was an honest attempt.

NR: All of the proceeds for the album sales go to KidsPeace, a fantastic organization for children. What was your consideration in making the album a benefit for this group?

Douglas: I think people like having reasons to give their money to something good. Especially if they only have to do it $10 or $20 at a time. And I think that this is a good excuse. My wife Ellen and I will be buying presents for kids through an organization called KidsPeace. We get a handful of wish-lists that come from different kids and families. Most of the time the lists are not full of superfluous wants, but things like a good pair of shoes, books, gift cards for food, and maybe a skateboard or a bicycle. I think when you don't have much, your wants and your needs tend to overlap quite a bit. If Ellen and I can help some kids by making a silly record and throwing a little party, we are more than happy to do it. And we are incredibly grateful and humbled by the amount of support that it's gotten so far. This year is already slated to be the best Christmas ever.

Matt + Ellen's Party is tonight at Amplified Art, where you can buy a physical copy of the album. You can also download Christmas on Lane Street over at Matt Douglas's Bandcamp Page.