Matías Roden is a Peruvian-Canadian singer-songwriter living in Vancouver, BC. After performing in cover bands and writing for others in the city’s indie pop scene (including landing college radio play for one of his cuts), Matías began developing his own material as an artist. Drawing from classic British synth-pop combined with a modern, sample-based production sensibility and unflinchingly personal lyrics, Matías wrote and produced over a dozen demos in his makeshift bedroom studio. Those caught the attention of acclaimed singer/songwriter/producer Louise Burns and shortly after he was signed to Vancouver’s Light Organ Records/604 Records.

New single, “Great Escape,” is sung from the perspective of depression itself, telling a depressed person they’ll never get over them, like a twisted love song. Written during COVID while recovering from a brain injury, Matías channeled the feelings of darkness from that time into the song’s lyrics but made sure to retain a twinge of hope in its rousing production.

1. Tell us the story of this song, why did you choose to visualize this song specifically?

This was the first song I wrote for my upcoming debut project as an artist. It’s a song bottling up intense feelings of wanting to get out and change your life at any cost, emotions I’d experienced all through my teenage years and early 20s, and seemed like the perfect starting point for me as an artist. As the first single and I thought it was important to have an accompanying visual that introduced me as an artist. Whenever I write a song, I usually start to picture visuals at the same time, from the artwork to the music video, and this one was no different.

2. What was the inspiration behind this video (visuals, storyline, etc.)?

I wanted it to reflect the fast pace of the song and the paranoia and intensity of the lyrics, so me and the director, Peter Faint, came up with the idea of me running non-stop through different environments for the whole video. I’m dressed in a suit, which I thought could represent the formality and responsibilities of life (you usually only wear a suit on occasions like a job interview or a wedding), and I’m running through all these hallways, outdoors, up stairs, all these seemingly empty and abandoned places. It’s like I’m trying to run away from my own life, and that perfectly encapsulates the song.

3. What was the process of making this video?

I chose Peter Faint to direct the video because I’d seen his short films and I knew he had an amazing energy as a filmmaker. We sat down and discussed references and ideas until we arrived at the final concept. Then we had to location scout and pick an outfit that I’d be wearing as I’m running through all these different places. The actual filming took place over three days across Metro Vancouver (including apartment hallways and an outdoor park) and was quite physical and exhausting for myself and the cinematographer, Matt Sawtazky, as we’d both have to run in every take; myself towards the camera and him backwards as he filmed me. Then the editing process took place over a couple of weeks of back and forth until we were all satisfied. I’m very proud of the final video, I wanted to make something that had the same level of energy as the song but that was also very symbolic and I think we achieved that.

The official music video was shot by Peter Faint, a friend of Matías‘ who has worked as an editor on shows for Netflix, Adult Swim and others. His incredible energy as a filmmaker was exactly what Matías wanted for the propulsive song’s visuals.