"Selfish Man" is yet another hit from Matt Bawtree
- Jonnica Hill
- May 23
- 2 min read
English singer-songwriter Matt Bawtree channels anxiety and frustration into a relatable indie pop hit.
He’s done it again. “Selfish Man,” is yet another instant hit from English singer-songwriter
Matt Bawtree, who just made his solo musical debut with “Starting Line” two months ago.
Like the first single, this new track is truly infectious, drawing you in with grungy guitar and pop hooks, but keeping your attention with deeply personal lyrics and emotionally uninhibited vocals. You can feel the frustration and relief as Matt expresses thoughts and feelings from a tumultuous period in his life.
At the time of writing “Selfish Man,” he had just left university and was constantly travelling around the country, playing gigs or busking with his former band, desperately trying to get noticed.
“Interpersonal tensions were quite high in the band at this point due to the uncertainty of all our personal lives. My anxiety was at an all-time high, and I hadn’t felt as bad as I did then for a long time. I felt as if everyone, including myself, was going into a kind of self-preservation mode to avoid getting messed up by the band or anything, hence this idea of a ‘selfish man’. It doesn’t refer to anyone specifically, but I did feel as if there was a lot of selfishness surrounding my life at this point, which I was totally guilty of as well.”
Q&A with Matt Bawtree:
Q: “What inspired you to write 'Selfish Man?'”
A: “I think it was quite difficult for me to express my true feelings on the page without it coming off as too blunt. However, I think I managed to capture the general feeling of that point in my life in the lyrics as well as in the music. The lyrics are almost too random in places, which I suppose is meant to reflect the anxiousness I was feeling at the time. I think the most rewarding part of the process was finishing the song with my friend George, and just being really happy with it, and I always find recording the song to be the most fun bit anyway.“
Q: “What was the writing and recording process like?”
A: “To be honest, I just hope that they enjoy it. As an avid music listener as well as a music creator, I like to make music that people can enjoy, but I love making it true to me, and the nature of this song is that people will most likely be able to relate to the lyrics in some part, and find comfort in knowing that they’re not alone in their day to day struggles!“
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