Stereo Embers The Podcast 0049: Matt Costa

“Matt Costa Moves To A Different House Every Time He Makes A New Record” Singer/songwriter Matt Costa is one of the most affecting musicians around and his new album Santa Rosa Fangs is brimming with the hushed pop finesse of Elliott Smith and the lush precision of Roddy Frame’s Surf. In this conversation he reveals that whenever it’s time to make a new record he packs his things and moves to another house. Costa’s fifth album may have been written in a different house than his previous four records, but Santa Rosa Fangs explores the definition of home in a much larger sense. Set against the backdrop of a California that’s both mythical and literal, the album traverses the nuanced landscape of the West Coast in an effort to apprehend life’s tragedies and triumphs. From the aching pull of “Pacific Grove” to the wistful marching pop of “Time Tricks,” Santa Rosa Fangs effortlessly captures the rich textures of Northern and Southern California with novelistic dexterity. In this candid, focused and intimate conversation, Costa talks about his creative discipline, his family roots, his favorite California authors and working with Belle and Sebastian.