Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with The Matchstick Skeletons

Singer and multi-instrumentalist Neu Mannas has joined forces with drummer Matty Carolei to form the band the Matchstick Skeletons, and their sound is like none other. Their new single, “Already Down,” is a true mix of sounds that show their range and talent as experienced musicians. We caught up with Neu Mannas to chat about the song and their new EP.

PC: How did you discover your passion for music?
Neu Mannas: I discovered it as a young boy. Nothing on earth made sense to me. I was miserable. One day someone put a bass in my hand, and I literally slept with it. I haven’t let music out of sight or reach since.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Neu Mannas: In 2007, I saw Rage Against The Machine reunite at Coachella. I didn’t even know what a music festival was like. I went alone, got my ass kicked in the mosh pit, and cried tears of joy. That day, I said for better or worse, I will be a musician until I drop dead. I haven’t dropped yet.

PC: What has been the key to the band’s success?
Neu Mannas: We have all done other projects before, and we weren’t going to launch this unless it felt like the band we wanted to be in since we were teenagers. We got together, and in my bones, I knew it felt right.

PC: You just dropped the music video for “Already Down.” Walk us through the initial concept to the final product.
Neu Mannas: Pre-lockdown—but deep enough into the pandemic that I canceled studio sessions and flights because it seemed like it’d get worse—I figured I take my camera and my dog into the Mojave Desert in the band’s tour-mobile and go where the sand blew me. Through earthquakes, storms, swarms of flying ants, and tarantula visits, I took that feeling and put it on film.

PC: You all have a new EP out. Tell us about The Unknown How (Unplugged) and the inspiration behind it.
Neu Mannas: A lot of bands play to prerecorded tracks, which baffles me, so it was important to us that we get in a room together, play our instruments, and sing live. We brought a crew of people real close to us to document it.

PC: You’re a band that’s constantly touring. What has been the biggest lesson you’ve learned about yourselves on the road that you’ve been able to apply to your careers?
Neu Mannas: Don’t die. That’s the big one. You can get through anything but only if you don’t die.

PC: As you look ahead to the rest of 2020, what does the year hold for the band?
Neu Mannas: Touring isn’t in the cards, and that’s our lifeblood. It’s how we define ourselves as people and artists. So without the option to play gigs, we plan to go to our next-most comfortable state: being studio rats and cooking up the next record.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Neu Mannas: Lots of Annie Lennox.

PC: First album you bought?
Neu Mannas: Lenny Kravitz on cassette at the local grocery store.

PC: First concert you attended?
Neu Mannas: Weird Al then the Tragically Hip. I’d say that sums me up pretty well.

PC: An album that changed your life and why?
Neu Mannas: The Strokes’ debut album hit me hard. Every day on the way to school, I would pretend to sleep and listen to it on the bus. I went to class with some real ignorant fucks, and instead of hearing their racism, homophobia, and general stupidity, I lived in my rock ‘n’ roll bubble, and I haven’t left since.

PC: A venue on your bucket list to perform at?
Neu Mannas: Hollywood Bowl

PC: A must-have on the road?
Neu Mannas: Love…and Spitz. Scratch that Spitz then love.

To keep up with Matchstick Skeletons, follow them on Twitter, Instagram, and Spotify.