The Tallest Man on Earth (aka Swedish musician Kristian Matsson) has announced a new album, “Henry St”., and shared its first single, “Every Little Heart,” via a music video. “Henry St”. is due out April 14th via ANTI-Records. Jeroen Dankers directed the video for “Every Little Heart.”
“Henry St”. is Matsson’s first album of original songs in four years, although last September he released the covers album, “Too Late For Edelweiss”, via ANTI-Records. His last regular album was 2019’s “I Love You, It’s a Fever Dream”.
In 2020, Matsson left New York City to return to his farm in Sweden. It was only after he returned to touring in 2021 that the inspiration to write and record new music struck.
“When I’m in motion, I can focus on my instinct, have my daydreams again. When I was finally able to tour again, I started writing like a madman,” Matsson says in a press release.
The album features Ryan Gustafson (guitar, lap steel, ukulele), TJ Maiani (drums), CJ Camerieri of Bon Iver (trumpet , French horn), Phil Cook (piano, organ), Rob Moose of Bon Iver, yMusic (strings), and Adam Schatz (saxophone).
“They opened everything up, and understood what the songs that I’d written needed: sounds that I couldn’t ever have thought of or created myself,” says Matsson of the band of players. “We recorded so many of the songs live in the studio, playing, having fun and being really open with each other.”
Of “Every Little Heart,” Matsson says: “But of course I still have little demons inside of me. I wrote some key changes in the song that came natural to me, but I worried they might sound unnatural to others. When TJ Maiani heard it, he straightaway went into this drumbeat that shocked me a little at first, but came completely natural to him. It fit’s the song perfectly.”
Dankers shot the video on 16mm Kodak film and it’s the first part of a trilogy. Dankers says that the video “portrays a conflict you can have with your inner child, which you sometimes still have inside you and you want to let go, but that isn’t always easy.”
Summing up the new album, Matsson says: “Henry St“. is the most playful, most me album yet, because it covers so many of the different noises in my head. When you overthink things, you get further away from your original ideas. And God knows I overthink things when I’m by myself.”
Vocal, Acoustic Guitar – Kristian Matsson Electric Guitar – Ryan Gustafson Drums – TJ Maiani Bass – Nick Sanborn
“Henry St”. Due Out April 14th via ANTI-Records
The Fat Angel Sings 