Interview: Reza Matin
Discussing The Lemon Twigs & Uni Boys
The international guitar pop scene is having a moment and Reza Matin is right in the heart of the action.
The talented multi-instrumentalist is guitarist/vocalist for LA-based Uni Boys—with longtime partner in crime, Noah Nash—while doing double duty as The Lemon Twigs drummer. Matin was already a fan of the prolific New York duo of Brian and Michael D'Addario when their former bassist brought the two bands together in 2022.
“Michael offered for Uni Boys to come to NYC and record so we took him up on it. Noah and I had just written enough songs for an album (Buy This Now!) and were looking to record them on tape but there weren’t any fully analog studios in LA that we could afford so it timed out perfectly,” Matin told me for the interview below.
“Around that time I was invited to jam with them for fun and there seemed to be a real connection forming since we all had such similar tastes in music and had no trouble playing our favorite songs together instantly. They flew back home to NYC after and called me a few months later to ask if I’d join the band.”
The Lemon Twigs and Uni Boys both have fantastic new albums out this year, together showcasing Matin’s many musical talents.
The two releases—Uni Boys’ self-titled album (Curation Records) and The Lemon Twigs’ Look For Your Mind! (Captured Tracks)—are noteworthy guitar pop releases that speak to the genre’s worldwide momentum these days. It’s an expanding universe that Matin hopes will continue on its current trajectory.
“More and more bands are popping up with a few of them getting some recognition. I’d love for all these bands to live in one city and form a real scene. Since everyone is so spread out I feel it’ll take a little while longer until a real scene starts to take off. I hope it happens sooner than later,” Matin said.
I caught up with Matin by email between tours with Uni Boys and The Lemon Twigs to talk about both bands, get a little insight into his musical history, discuss his songwriting, and find out what’s next.
Reza Matin Interview
Can you tell me how and why you were drawn to music as a kid?
Reza Matin: I’m honestly not sure why I was drawn to music as a kid. I remember my Dad taking me to Guitar Center frequently when I was young and that helped spark my interest in playing guitar and drums a bit. He was never really a musician but knew how to play the Persian instrument Santoor.
I was naturally drawn to playing drums and guitar from a relatively young age, probably around 6 years old, but didn’t have a drum set until I was 17. I remember drumming on empty coke cans with chopsticks for fun. My parents bought me a guitar when I was young, but I only played it for a couple years pretty infrequently before giving it up entirely until I started high school.
Meeting Noah Nash and Artie Fitch (Uni Boys) helped spark my interest in music again. We met right before high school started and bonded through skateboarding. They were already playing guitar and drums together which inspired me to buy a bass and start a band with them.
Were there specific artists or genres of music that caught your attention?
Reza Matin: As far as specific artists or genres go, I can’t recall anything notable during my childhood. My music taste was all over the place my whole life until I was around 14. That was when I started listening to a lot of punk records, which eventually led to glam, power pop, psych, garage, etc. The only good music I liked as a kid was ABBA because my parents would play their ABBA Gold CD from time to time.
How did you make the transition from your earlier musical tastes to the guitar-based pop rock you play in Uni Boys and The Lemon Twigs?
Reza Matin: The transition happened naturally. Ever since my obsession with music began in high school I have been continuously looking for new obscurities to listen to through buying records and digging for music online as often as I can. Uni Boys has gone through a few musical phases since we started because we’ve been playing together for so long now. From heavier stuff to prog to glam to power pop and so on.
Noah and I have always been listening to the same music and showing each other new music since we became friends. We’ve managed to continuously grow in the same direction together musically which I’m very grateful for. It’s been the same with Michael and Brian since we became friends too.
My music taste directly correlates with the songs I write, though my songs rarely ever sound like the songs I’m trying to emulate. I used to let that bother me, but now I see it as a positive.
What are some of your favorite Lemon Twigs songs to play live?
Reza Matin: My favorite songs to play right now are “You’re Still My Girl,” “I’ve Got A Broken Heart,” and “I Just Can’t Get Over Losing You.”
How did Uni Boys first get connected with The Lemon Twigs?
Reza Matin: Uni Boys first got connected with The Lemon Twigs through Daryl Johns who used to play bass in The Lemon Twigs and now plays bass in Mac Demarco’s band. Michael and Daryl had heard about us, then Daryl moved to LA and came to a show which led to our friendship with him.
I had been “internet friends” with Michael for years prior to this but we didn’t officially meet till 2022 when Uni Boys played a show at Permanent Records in LA and Michael and Brian happened to be in LA hanging out at a bar nearby called Footsies. Daryl introduced us to them and we hit it off.
Have you done any recording as The Lemon Twigs’ drummer?
Reza Matin: Yes! The first studio recordings I did with The Lemon Twigs were two Raspberries covers that we did for a tribute record called Play On. I’m also playing drums and singing some harmonies on five of the songs featured on their upcoming LP Look For Your Mind! that will be out soon. We tracked the instruments together live which was a great experience since it allowed for creative freedom and spontaneity.
Do you think playing with The Lemon Twigs has influenced your own songwriting?
Reza Matin: I would definitely say that we’ve had an influence on each other, so yes. There aren’t any songs on the new Uni Boys album that have a specific Lemon Twigs influence, but the music that we both listen to and share with each other has definitely influenced our songwriting.
Also, spending as much time together as we do has a lot to do with us influencing each other as well. Michael, Brian, Noah, and I all have distinctive styles in my opinion, so each song sounds unique in its own way to me.
What was it like working with Paul D. Millar on your new self-titled Uni Boys album?
Reza Matin: Working with Paul was a great experience! We produced the album together, though Paul was responsible for the engineering aspect of the record. He was able to help us achieve some really cool sounds on this record and did an excellent job mixing and mastering it as well. I really think that we did the songs justice this time and Paul helped tremendously with making that happen.
Uni Boys played some recent shows with Daniel Romano’s Outfit. Who are some other current bands you discovered while touring the world?
Reza Matin: Daniel Romano’s Outfit is great, one of the best live bands I’ve seen and truly the friendliest people. Very grateful to tour with them!
Some other new bands I’ve discovered through playing shows are The Umbrellas, Tchotchke, Josephine Network, Brower, Dagger Polyester, Alley Girl, Sharp Pins, Mod Lang and many more. I’m sure I’m forgetting a bunch! This one doesn’t count since I helped form the band, but since I don’t play in the band currently, I of course have to mention Billy Tibbals as well in terms of new bands to look out for.
If you had a time machine, what would you tell your 15 year old self about your music journey so far?
Reza Matin: I would give my 15 year old self some reassurance and motivate him to continue songwriting and playing music in general since my journey has brought me many great experiences and new friendships. Music has helped me through my darkest moments and is the reason for all the good that has happened in my life thus far, apart from my family.
Some of the highlights for me have been playing with some of my favorite artists like Milk N Cookies, Chris Stamey from The dB’s, Paul Collins from The Nerves and The Beat, Flamin Groovies, and more!
What’s next for you?
Reza Matin: I’m not entirely sure at the moment. I have a lot of songs fully written but have yet to record them since I’ve been so busy touring. I plan to make a solo record when I get back home and record it on tape at Billy Tibbals studio, but it might end up becoming another Uni Boys album…who knows?!
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