Years can pass. Time can slip by. But not for you and that one friend. The one who’s there till the end. And with the release of his new single, Mississauga, ON-based folk-roots rocker Matt Zaddy perfectly sums up that relationship in “A Dear Friend.”
The pandemic threatened to destroy relationships the world over. But Matt Zaddy understands what it means to hold onto those sacred; the ones who we treasure deep inside our hearts. “A Dear Friend” is a song that surmises the importance of keeping our loved ones close — even in distance, isolation, or time apart.
“This song has been very special to me for since the day I wrote it,” Zaddy explains, adding, “I was thinking about how my best friends in my 20s were people I played music with and, when the band we were in together ended, we didn’t see each other nearly as much as any of us would like.
“‘A Dear Friend’ is an affirmation and a reminder for me to make time for the people that I care about,” he continues. “This rang true even more so during the pandemic when no one could see their friends as often as we’d guessed.”
The folk/roots/indie musician selected the JUNO Award-nominated and Emmy Award-winning Ross Citrullo to work alongside him on the cut. And, as a songwriter at heart, Zaddy looked deep inside his core to pen the track that delicately frames the urgency to keep friendships strong, while creating a coffee-house vibe that is both gentle on its edges, while still staying true to its alternative indie-rock soundscape.
“I had a great time working with Eric Soto on the video as well,” Zaddy says. “We wanted to show what a day in my life was like during COVID. It was solitary on most days, but with the hope of seeing my friends and family again soon. The video starts out with me very much on my own, and ends with a combination of Zoom calls, humour, and a taste of a live show, with the line, it’s good to be back.
“It’s really good to be back… This video is a taste of hope that this year will be better than the last, that we can get back to things as we knew them.”
A decorated musician who has shared the stages with the likes of K’Naan, Francesco Yates, and Canadian rock legends Tom Cochrane and Jim Cuddy, Zaddy excels in being authentic, and genuine in his delivery. During the pandemic of 2020, he focused his attention on live streams and pre-recorded concerts, still providing his fans and listeners with his music. A teacher of his craft, Zaddy also leaned himself to music education and content creation (in partnership with The Guitar Shop Canada) and hosted virtual online events for artists in the community.
“A Dear Friend” is included in Zaddy’s latest offering, Be. The track is a blending of his innate ability to blend rock, with soul, with roots, with folk. Matt Zaddy has created the track that brings the feels between two people that hold each other so tightly, they can only be considered dear friends.
And this song can become a dear friend of yours.
