Matgo Primo

Matgo Primo have spent three-and-a-half years performing together in local bars and clubs, dressed like rocked-out zombies with a bevy of beehived backup singers and dancers behind them, Brothers Tim and Greg Eisinger play alongside each other, with Tim on vocals and guitar and Greg providing percussion and backup vocals; guitarist and keyboardist Dorian Deluca completes the lineup. The band lack a regular bass player, but Knoxville native Ryan Rickels frequently contributes to the low end. In the studio, the bass has been left to multi-faceted front-man Tim, whose extensive skills round out the band's sound. Though Tim writes all the songs, each member contributes something new. Shakers, tambourines, rattles, pots, pans, empty beer cans and hysterical laughing and screaming are all fair game in a Matgo Primo recording session.

“We've used the expression ’pop for the anti-pop’ to describe our sound in the past, and though ambiguous, this is probably the best description I can think of,” says Greg. “We often intentionally ignore musical conventions in terms of song structure and key, giving our music an unpredictable, nonstandard edge, but it somehow always retains the catchiness, palatability and accessibility of pop music. Aesthetically, it comes off sounding like melodic, often dark, agitated pop-rock.” Greg says.

Matgo Primo are now embarking on their first official album release, None, Never. An ambitious first take, it has the feel of early David Bowie with echoes of The Pixies. The resulting songs are impeccably tight in their arrangements, yet odd and surreal. Much like their live shows, the album sounds like planned pandemonium.

“We recorded the entire album in just a few days with Don Coffey, who was incredible to work with,” says Deluca. “It was so exciting to be finally working on an album that we didn't have any trouble staying full of energy during recording.”

Greg says each member participates in the development of the band’s songs. For a premiere release, None, Never proves to be a coherent realization of defined themes. The physical versus hypothetical, real versus unreal, natural versus artificial, future versus past and the overlap between the dichotomies are recurring elements in almost all the songs’ lyrics.

“We wanted this to truly be an album, not just a collection of songs,” says Greg. “We aimed to have all the songs function independently, but we also specifically adjusted each song so that they would flow in and out of one another. The themes of fluidity, movement and change all appear prominently in the lyrical content, as well as the feel of the music.”

Aside from the tracks, the album artwork also plays a role in the expression of divergent ideas. Knoxvillian Josh Godin crafted the cover in an effort to capture the contrasting themes. Featuring just two colors (black and an effervescent fuchsia), Godin juxtaposes the album’s themes with excessive texture and jarring color to visually translate the album’s disparate themes.

“Josh’s design of the album art reflects the duality most specifically, but more importantly, it expresses the contrast between the dark tones and flamboyance of the album, reflecting the image of the band itself as well,” Tim says.

In their earlier days, Matgo Primo live shows matched their wacky music with eccentric performances, planned theatrical elements and the members’ wild, colorful appearances, including makeup and mismatched clothes. However, the creation of None, Never is an effort to depict the music more seriously without losing any of the band’s vibrant energy.

“As time has gone by, Tim's songwriting has become much stronger. I feel like the goofy, flamboyant elements that were so noticeable at first are all but gone. The music is still very high-energy and a little bit nutty, and there is electricity to our live shows that we really wanted to capture on the album,” Deluca says.

Though one can expect Matgo Primo’s future live shows to be slightly less playful, the energy will continue. The band members say they are confident with their new direction and excited about the outcome of the first official album. Ultimately, the collaboration to construct a sound that represents their quirky personalities prevails in the assemblage of None, Never. 

Matgo Primo’s album release party will occur Feb. 9, 9 pm, at the World Grotto. Admission is $5 and copies of None, Never will be sold for $10. None, Never will also be available for sale at the Disc Exchange and Cat’s Music.