IMC Listening guide

Best weather to enjoy this song

Sunny day

Best time to listen

Midday energy boost

Best place to listen

On the road, At a cozy bar

Does this song haunt the silence?

Melody lingers

Goosebumps scale

Moderate chills

Our thoughts

Here’s a song that should appeal to a lot of people, especially indie musicians. Many of them will see themselves in this story. Because yes, a musician’s life is filled with this little thing that seems small but actually takes up a lot of space: frustration. And you know what? Without realizing it, musicians and bloggers have that in common. They both struggle with its overwhelming presence. At first, it’s not easy to live with such a messy roommate. But over time, you learn to understand it and take control.

And today, as the blogger that I am, I can say things are much better. No, I don’t have a million followers, and I don’t care. I have far fewer, but I know they support me. And isn’t that what really matters? For musicians, frustration often comes from the numbers too, whether it’s followers or streams. Social media doesn’t help because it constantly pushes them to compare themselves, throwing musicians who are more successful into their algorithmic feed. Once again, social media is a plague on this world, making talented people feel like they are not enough.

So Give Me a Reason by Matthew Holtby should give you the shot of motivation you’ve been missing. This punchy, short but effective track, which moves between indie rock, folk-pop, and even a bit of country, puts things into perspective with honest lyrics: "Give me a reason / Tell me about everything that you know / Give the thing that you’ve wanted all along / Sing me a song."

If you ever find yourself in Warkworth, Ontario, there’s a good chance you’ll come across Matthew Holtby, who has been writing passionate songs and creating uplifting melodies for two decades. After playing in several bands, he is finally releasing music as a solo artist, and it seems like an excellent decision. Because everything he has released solo since 2021 is worth it. Yes, I’ve listened to it all. From the punchy rock of his debut Everly to the jingling bells in his Christmas song Away This Christmas, and the moving storytelling in my personal favorite Reading This Now, Matthew writes and sings from the heart, and you can hear it. And these are exactly my kind of people.

Even more so when we have things in common. I started in radio back in 2001 to promote independent artists. After years on local and national stations, I took a step back and now run my own podcasts. The call of the microphone is always too strong, and you always end up coming back to it.

For Matthew, the great thing is that he is living his dream to the fullest, expressing himself now more than ever through his music. I recorded 300 songs and released two albums myself, but at some point, I made a U-turn and chose instead to keep promoting others. Give Me a Reason is yet another masterpiece to add to an already impressive discography, and if I had to point out a single flaw in this song, it would be this: it’s way too short.

Matthew Holtby's take on "Give Me A Reason"

I wanted to write something simple about the frustrations I was having at the time in terms of trying to be too fancy in my writing. This one fell out of me while strumming my friends hollow body in a basement bedroom where I was working at the time, as I had no internet at home. It came quickly, and I'm happy I didn't fuss about it. It just clicked.

A bit more about Matthew Holtby

Warkworth, Ontario's Matthew Holtby has been writing original heartfelt music for the past two decades. The former frontman of bands like The Coachlites, Say Ritual, and The Champion Heartache is taking things in a new direction by releasing new music using his own name. A former Announcer in the Broadcasting Industry, Holtby was an On-Air Personality for stations in Oshawa and Peterborough before venturing into music full-time. He now resides in a quiet little town surrounded by rolling hills, in a community of artists and musicians alike.

Reach out to Matthew Holtby

Lyrics

We don’t have any boundaries
But there’s something that I need to know
You said you’d never doubt me
But it’s time to get on with the show

Give me a reason
Tell me about everything that you know
Give the thing that you’ve wanted all along
Sing me a song

It’s the time that is fading
And the people that we used to know
And the way that they gave in
The direction they want you to go

Give me a reason
Give me the chance to succeed and to grow
Give me the thing that you’ve wanted all along
Sing me a song, oh

Give me a reason
Tell me about everything that you know
Give me the thing that you’ve wanted all along

Give me a reason
Tell me about everything that you know
Give me the thing that you’ve wanted all along
Sing me a song, oh

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If you enjoyed this song, consider supporting the artist directly on platforms like Bandcamp, Patreon, and Twitch whenever possible. Streaming services are great for discovery, but they rarely provide fair compensation for musicians. Every purchase makes a difference! And if you enjoyed this article, feel free to support Indie Music Center with a donation.