Q&A: Runaway With Your Lover in Matthew Dighton’s Newest Single “Never Date a Cowboy”
WRITTEN BY GINGER
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Indie-pop singer-songwriter Matthew Dighton may be based in London, but his music transcends the world with no boundaries.
In his new single “Never Date a Cowboy,” Dighton starts the single almost in a whisper, describing the relationship shared with another partner and wanting to hide away from the world. The lyrics paint a beautiful landscape for listeners to imagine the story being shared by two protagonists who cannot be together publicly. “[It’s about] a man who can only love you when people are not watching,” states Dighton.
Dighton mentions Brokeback Mountain as a source of inspiration for this backdrop and artists such as Ryan Beatty and Dominic Fike as musical sources he looks up to.
Life on Jupiter caught up with Matthew Dighton as he now navigates his music journey with this new single, having just recently graduated from college. Read the full interview below.
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LIFE ON JUPITER: I have to ask because the first line of the song is ‘I wanna go to Texas, darling.’ Have you ever been to Texas?
MATTHEW DIGHTON: No, I actually haven’t been to Texas, but I am big into country music and folk music and a lot of these artists reference Texas and cowboys.
So, how did this song come to be lyrically?
DIGHTON: I wanted to show the sacrifices one makes when you’re in love and you do stupid things and where the relationship can go. This song is also a nod to Brokeback Mountain because of the gayness and wanting to be free in the mountains.
It's less about living like a cowboy but more about disappearing from society and being nomadic and away from the eyes of people so you can be with your lover, who in this case, does not want to be seen by people, so they want to live outside the eyes of the public.
It’s a sad reality, but that’s the story I’m trying to portray.
What do you think is the importance of storytelling in terms of songwriting?
DIGHTON: To me, that’s the most crucial part of it. I don’t want to just be able to hear what I’m listening to. I want to see it, I want to be able to close my eyes and live inside the picture of what I’m listening to.
The very last line, ‘Do you have to be a fool, just to fall in love?’ What is Matthew’s answer to that?
DIGHTON: I would say you have to be a fool, but that doesn’t make you stupid. You kind of have to put yourself on the line. Taking the risk itself is a bit crazy and foolish, but I would say you have to be that way.
What’s coming up for you?
DIGHTON: I was recently traveling around the Balkans and had so much time to write on buses, and I’m looking forward to putting those to a song and just recording more so I can do shows. For now, it’s been a lot of open mics.
Most challenging part of writing this song?
DIGHTON: Coming to grips with Ableton and just getting the feel of it. I’m sure my parents could tell you, but I was just locked in for four days, fine-tuning the song. At one point, you go a bit blind on your own music, but it’s just so rewarding to then see it all come together and you can just be proud of the fact you’re releasing your own song.
Is there a little fun fact you’d like to share with us?
DIGHTON: I’m a triplet; it’s my favorite thing to tell people.