Based in southern New Jersey, artist Matt DeAngelis has spent the last few years creating a musical fabric stitched with empathy, reflection and candid songwriting. His to modern pop output is thoroughly human, combining colourful melodies with folk intimacy, vintage warmth and considered production. But music for Matt has never merely been about making records; songwriting became a language well before studios and singles entered the picture, giving him a way to process emotions, understand the world around him and ultimately offer something comforting to others.
His relationship with songwriting began early when Matt started composing songs at eight years old, gradually transforming a creative spark into an outlet for facing life’s uncertainties. Living with OCD-anxiety disorder since childhood, he discovered how powerful emotions could become when translated into art and by not hiding from difficult feelings, his music has increasingly made room for them, exploring fear and hope with an openness that feels equally personal and highly affecting.
Across his growing catalogue, Matt views songs almost like conversations, with his writing carrying the idea that pain, confusion and struggle are not experiences that need to be faced in isolation, but things that connect us precisely because so many people understand them. That sense of connection extends into his wider artistic interests, including mental health and climate awareness and even his fascination with weather has become part of that creative identity. His interest in storm chasing reflects something that runs through his music, the search for meaning within chaos. Storms become a fitting metaphor for the unknown elements that surrounds everyday life, while songwriting offers a way of finding some kind of emotional understanding within it.
Since officially introducing himself in 2019 with “The Clock Knows All,” Matt has developed a discography shaped by compassion and a desire to find reassurance when circumstances become difficult. His latest single titled “Playing God” turns that contemplative approach towards a much larger question about what happens when humanity becomes convinced that it has control over everything.
The song examines mankind’s enduring struggle with ego and control, looking at the tendency of both individuals and world leaders to behave as though they are masters of their own destiny. Inspired by a conversation with Richie Cannata, the legendary saxophonist and former member of Billy Joel’s band, at Cove City Studios, the track developed into something of a wake-up call. The song poses a challenge to the idea that human beings can face everything through their own power, with “Playing God” considering what happens when people operate without spiritual guidance, placing their own judgement and ambition above something greater than themselves.
Matt brings that message to life with a studio band personally assembled around his creative vision, with guitarist Billy Kennedy, bassist Eric Bishop and drummer Cole Herudek providing the musical framework. The collective shares a clear understanding of the direction Matt wants to take the music, allowing the track’s message to sit alongside a intricately connected instrumental performance. The recording process moved between The Gradwell House Studios, known as the birthplace of The Wonder Years, and Musically Speaking Studios, Matt’s longtime home base.
Set up by bouncy piano lines, warm bass notes and Matt’s enticing vocal performance, the jaunty musical scene expands with the crash of guitar and drums before slipping into a breezy pop groove capped by soulful melodic leads. Gliding with the snap of shuffling drums and delicate instrumental flutters, subtly spacey synth lines drift above the splash of cymbal as Matt’s alluring voice floats above dreamy backing vocalisations to deliver a catchy pop music experience that frames a fittingly modern message in a timeless musical setting.
Developing with slick lead guitar work and a cinematic surge of bright organ textures as Matt’s stunning vocal performance dances above, “Playing God” delivers a stellar musical moment that’s memorable and meaningful in equal measure. Once again showcasing his thoughtful songwriting and the wide appeal of his sound, “Playing God” sees Matt DeAngelis continue to shine on his thrilling musical adventure.
Watch the lyric video for Playing God below
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