Matt Corby has made his long-awaited return today with new single “Problems”, a track influenced by a harrowing recent event in the musician’s life.
Earlier this year, the recording of the singer-songwriter’s new album was disrupted by a much more serious thing: the Eastern Australia floods
Corby had his home engulfed by water, and he and his family, including his heavily pregnant partner, had to be whisked to safety in a small dinghy.
Within just a week of this traumatic event (and after putting on a benefit concert for other flood victims), Corby hit the studio and “Problems” was born. The track doesn’t wallow in self-pity, with Corby’s lyrics instead highlighting his frustration at humanity’s propensity to create unnecessary problems for the world.
“It’s about how funny humans are creating our own problems and issues that we then have to solve,” he says. “Or creating problems so difficult we then can’t solve.
“And how people talk so much shit and don’t do anything – how we’re setting ourselves up for failure. People want to point the finger but nobody want to carry anything themselves,” the singer adds.
The heaviness of these observations are offset by bubbling R&B-influenced production, Corby sounding far away from the folk troubadour sound of his earlier career; as woozy keys and groovy bass skim over there surface of “Problems”, he sounds closer to the likes of D’Angelo and Aloe Blacc.
Recorded at his Rainbow Valley Studios with Chris Collins (Gang of Youths, Middle Kids), “Problems” is the first taste of new music from Corby since 2020’s pair of standalone singles, “If I Never Say a Word” and “Vitamin”. It’s the first single from his forthcoming third studio album, which is set to be released in March of next year.
Matt Corby’s ‘Problems’ is out now via Island/Universal.
