#Aftermath is spacier than a Dire Straits song though — I suppose that's what makes Aftermath sound sadder

[sunburnacoustic]

Matt on writing Aftermath, getting producer Mutt Lang involved in the creative direction of the song.

He talks about how the world of ballads were new to Matt and Muse's sound, and interestingly, how he'd usually never let a producer suggest changes to his songwriting: "This was the first song where I ever let someone say something to me like, "try playing this note, or trying playing that note," and I'll go like, "yeah, all right", you know? Where normally I'll say, "sorry, that's not what you do, I do that."

That's interesting to me, because it has me thinking about how while Muse are a musical sponge and sort of absorb everything that comes their way, they've always been quite adamant and protective of their own creative process and integrity, and ensuring that it is nothing but the creative output of the three members in the band: they wouldn't let reviewers nor producers influence their sound, not Maverick pushing them in a particular direction, and hopefully not fans either. They wouldn't be pressured into making something that isn't true to them or isn't what they want to make (which ironically brings us to the themes of Pressure, but that's a discussion for a different post).

The song started out as a more "pub rock"-sounding song, according to Matt, and Mutt helped shape it into a ballad.

If I remember right, the music video came out after the album's release, by a good few months even, so they don't talk about it here obviously, but I almost wish they did because this is such a good interview, they're comfortable and chatty, and John Kennedy's such a good interviewer. The music video for Aftermath almost made me cry every time I watched it; this song is so different to the rest of Muse's back catalogue but I love it so much.