Welcome back to our appointment with Independent Interviews.
Hi Alli, thank you for your availability. I’m very happy to be able to interview you, after having written one of the first reviews of your debut last year.
Tell us about yourself: where you grew up and when you decided that music would be your life.
I was born in San Antonio, Texas and grew up an only child to 2 amazing parents in the hill country of Spring Branch, Texas.
My parents were largely influential in bringing music into my life. We regularly hosted Urban Campfires, where singer/songwriters would perform at our house on weekend evenings and in the summer we went to Kerrville Folk Festival.
The television was primarily playing live music performances and my parents played records and music constantly.
I loved to sing and listen ever since I was a little girl and started making up lyrics and songs at a young age… one song I wrote was “Peanut Butter Diet”… ha!
My dad had Fridays off before I started regularly attending school, so we’d visit McDonalds for a happy meal every Friday and we would make up songs about the happy meals and the prizes inside. This was only the beginning 😊
Who were your biggest influences? Your favorite artists and your favorite songs.
My biggest influences include but are certainly not limited to Patsy Cline, Janis Joplin, Alison Krauss, Stevie Nicks, Frank Sinatra, Amy Winehouse, Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor, Robert Plant… the list goes on. I admire singer/songwriters and their stories, and enjoy listening to most all musical genres.
Your debut «No Drama» was a real discovery and in this album I found a lot of the period you refer to: the 60s when the great Janis was among us. How long did it take you to write these songs? Do you write them yourself or did the band also participate? If you had to say what kind of music is it?
With the exception of The Pages Song and Superbowl Sunday, I wrote the lyrics and most of the music to all of the songs on the album.
Eric Langenhahn and George Bitzer contributed greatly to the composition and arrangements of several of the songs.
Eric sends me new guitar melodies and ideas almost daily, and some of my lyrics were attached to his melodies.
I’m unsure as to exactly what genre we are tied to, but we’re a little bit Americana, blues, indie, folk and soulful country. I guess you’d say “eclectic.”
My father wrote The Pages Song when I was a little girl, somewhat paralleling his up-bringing, and I was honored to add to the song lyrically and musically.
Superbowl Sunday was written completely by Eric.
What is your favorite song on your album or what best represents you?
My favorite song on the album and also the song that most represents me is “Dead Weeds”. When I wrote it, it was about our human nature.
“My past was troubled with weeds soon to be the death of me and my roots still had life deep down inside” is about past mistakes, resentments and failures.
The song is meant to symbolize the good news of salvation and God’s love and redemption for us. “You sought my stubborn roots in spite of my attitude… Now I’m set free” speaks of how God forgives our past and uproots our faults and failures.
I met you after seeing you play together with Kayla Jane in your female band The Billie Jeans: how did this idea come about? Who are the artists involved? Do you have an album on the horizon?
Kayla Jane, Andi Holleman and Kelany Brent are independent singer/songwriters and occasionally did duo/trio gigs together.
Before I joined, I believe they had a few gigs and called themselves Peanut Butter and Jelly… Ha!
Andi posted something on Facebook about wanting to put together a powerhouse female band, and the four of us got together at Andi’s house for a jam session/ rehearsal to see if we would vibe together… needless to say “the rest is history.”
We each play 1 or 2 instruments, and individually have unique vocal ranges and styles which produce some really exciting harmonies.
Personality-wise and working together as a band has been an absolutely beautiful and rewarding experience.
In 2023 we added 2 female musicians: Melissa Townsend on drums and upright bass player Caroline Parker.
Caroline recently moved and is no longer with us.
We’ve had exciting opportunities over the past year playing at the San Antonio Rodeo, Gruene Hall, Jumk Gypsy Prom and more, and look forward to upcoming shows including the deepest venue in Texas: The Ballroom at Natural Bridge Caverns, revisiting Gruene Hall, and the Dripping Springs Songwriters Festival.
You’ve played a lot around Texas. Have you also played in other states? I imagine life on the road is tough but also fun? Does your family support you? Can you also make your private life work?
The Alli Mattice Band hopes to broaden their horizons by 2025 for out-of-state venues, but currently we have only played in Texas.
I have a dream to play music and travel, and I believe you will be seeing that happen in the very near future. It’s been a joy learning from musician friends with experience on the road, and I look forward to what is to come!
My family and friends are my #1 support system. My parents have encouraged my dreams of pursuing music and have supported me throughout the entirety of my music path.
They drove me to and from piano lessons and choir endeavors all through my youth, and after over a decade of shows, they’ve rarely missed one.
My friends are always front and center at shows and encourage me daily to continue to pursue music.
My private life is splendid. I am blessed to have the most supportive and genuine friends and husband and I stay busy teaching yoga and meditation as well as being an occupational therapy practitioner in the New Braunfels, Texas area.
I spend a lot of time with friends, roaming around nature in God’s beautiful creation, and spending quality time alone.
What venue did you play in that you loved the most? And where do you dream of playing?
I loved performing at the Brauntex Theater in New Braunfels, Texas as well as getting to play at Gruene Hall.
I hope some day to perform on their main stage. In a larger scale dream, Red Rocks Amphitheater is my absolute dream venue.
What did you think when a blogger on the other side of the world reviewed your debut? You have realized the importance of streaming, which however is not always positive. Many independent artists tell me they would rather sell a CD than do 1 million streams.
When I heard about you traveling to Texas because of your love for the music scene and that you took interest in my music, I thought it was the grooviest thing, and a great opportunity to broaden my horizons as well as my music’s exposure.
I think what you’re doing is wonderful and just another great avenue for independent music.
CDs would be ideal to sell, however most cars and computers don’t have mechanisms to play CDs anymore, so again, it adds to exposure and increases the listening crowd who wouldn’t normally hear my music.
Independent music is having a really great time. Are there any artists you like and listen to? Or what would you like to advise us?
My good friend and fellow Billie Jean sister, Andi Holleman, just released her first album “Going South” on all listening platforms, and it’s an excellent Texas Americana-esque album that really captures her soul and grit and impeccable songwriting and lyrical storytelling. (note: you can find my Tale about this album at this link https://www.trexroads.com/going-south-andi-holleman-english/)
My bass player, Jamie Duvall, is in another band called “Blackboot Family Band” and they also just released an album on all platforms titled “A Simpler Time” and it’s a great acoustic folk album with very likable songs.
Are you already thinking and writing new music? Can we expect a new album or singles soon?
I have been writing songs and will be dedicating a lot of time to writing more and completing these as well as working with Eric to create more music together. We hope to have more released music in 2025.
Thank you Alli for granting me this interview and I wish you the success your talent deserves. See you on the next album with a new review of mine!
Trex
