Artist Reflections – Matt Saxon and The Early Purple
In 2024, Matt Saxon (The Early Purple) hit the BBC Introducing stage at The Glasshouse before joining our Summer Studios programme. If you’ve been to From The Glasshouse, you might have seen him there too!
“I often close my eyes when I perform, and about halfway through my set for BBC Proms at The Glasshouse, I opened them and could see the lush setting of the concourse. I had forgotten where I was for a moment. That, coupled with the impressive reverb of the venue, made me feel part of something special.
At Summer Studios, I used my time to write as many new songs as I could. I would give myself 30 minutes to think of a new idea, record a quick demo, and then move on to the next. I ended up with around 40 new ideas that I’ve been dipping into with the band and my producer, Will. Now, we’re at a point where we can start recording an album, so our album will be here next year, fingers crossed.
“I often close my eyes when I perform, and about halfway through my set for BBC Proms at The Glasshouse, I opened them and could see the lush setting of the concourse. I had forgotten where I was for a moment. That, coupled with the impressive reverb of the venue, made me feel part of something special.”
Performing here felt like a huge milestone for an emerging artist in the North East. Growing up, I watched some unbelievably talented artists at the venue. Being part of the bill for From The Glasshouse allowed us to be part of that community, playing on a stage we’d dreamed of playing on. The ‘pay what you feel’ aspect of the series is excellent and hopefully gave some people a chance to see us who previously may not have been able to.
Not long ago, I bumped into Sam Fender on the street. It had been a while since we’d caught up, so we swapped new tracks. I played The Greek Key. Sam was super into it and keen to put down some backing vocals, mandolin and bouzouki. We’ve been fortunate – he’s such a lush addition to the track and has been very generous with his time.”
