Interview with Matt James of Blacktop Mojo – Manchester Rebellion, March 2025
Back in 2017, I did what was probably one of the first interviews for the band Blacktop Mojo. At the time, they were about to release their second album, Burn the Ships, and were about to embark on that release’s touring campaign, mostly in the States. Fast forward eight years, and I would finally get the opportunity to meet them face-to-face when they set foot in the UK on their debut co-headlining tour with fellow Southern rockers Shaman’s Harvest. I caught up with lead vocalist Matt ahead of their Manchester show.
“We’ve always wanted to go [to the UK], so we thought, why not? We joined forces with Shaman’s Harvest and made it happen.”
Antihero Magazine:
Hi Matt, how’s it going? I interviewed with you back in 2017, just before the release of Burn The Ships. I think it was one of the first international interviews that you had done.
Matt (Blacktop Mojo):
I think I remember that.
Antihero Magazine:
It’s been quite a while.
Matt (Blacktop Mojo):
Yeah.
Antihero Magazine:
How’s it going so far in the UK? I have been reading some great reviews of the live shows.
Matt (Blacktop Mojo):
Oh, amazing, man. First time. We’ve always wanted to go, so we thought, why not? Yeah. We’ve always wanted to go, and I think Shaman’s have always wanted to go, and they’ve never been either, so we were able to join forces on this one and make it happen.
Antihero Magazine:
How are the dates going for you and the band? You’ve already played some shows. How have they been so far?
Matt (Blacktop Mojo):
Oh, amazing, man. Pretty good. Yeah, the crowds have been insane, man.
Antihero Magazine:
So you’re finding that there’s been great anticipation for having you both finally over and playing in the UK?
Matt (Blacktop Mojo):
Yeah, man. They know the songs, they sing along. Great reaction. They get really into it, man.
Antihero Magazine:
I see. The initial dates that were announced sold out quickly. The band actually added more, so that must be a bit of a buzz for you guys, having never been here before.
Matt (Blacktop Mojo):
Yeah, man, that was pretty crazy. I think the tickets were selling pretty well, so they were like, “Let’s try to get some more dates added on there.”
Antihero Magazine:
Thinking about it, I think the first time I actually heard you and the band was when I saw a couple of covers online—probably Dream On, maybe being the first. Was that in the former whiskey distillery? I think that was the first time I actually heard you. That seems like a lifetime ago now. How did the band come together? What were some of the key influences that shaped your sound? Is it a product of a variety of influences? Was it just something that organically rose from where you were from?
Matt (Blacktop Mojo):
Yeah, I think for all of us, it was definitely a lot of what our parents listened to. My parents— I grew up on AC/DC and Van Halen. They graduated high school in 1985, so everything musically from that particular era influenced me. I grew up in the east, so I’ve had a lot of those influences. And then, a little later in life, we got into the grunge stuff—the Seattle sound and stuff like that—Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, and things like that. I think we all have kind of similar influences. And then, of course, growing up in the South, you can’t not be influenced by country music and Skynyrd, etc.
Antihero Magazine:
Oh, that Southern rock seems to be increasingly popular in recent years. I came from a background of just listening to heavy rock music, but a lot of those guys who used to listen to heavy rock are now stepping off and checking into that Southern rock style as well. Can you share a story about a pivotal moment in the band’s early days that solidified your path in music? I mean, obviously, you must’ve been gigging in the early days, probably had part-time jobs as well. When did you guys realize, “Right, this is the path that we want to follow”?
Matt (Blacktop Mojo):
I’d say in 2016, everybody in the band quit their jobs, we all moved into a house together, and we were just kind of like, “This is it.”
We had never lived under the same roof before. At the time, we didn’t know it, but it turned out to be a really awesome thing—really good—especially when COVID came around because we were all in the same spot.
Antihero Magazine:
You could work together, and you weren’t isolated, creating music.
Matt (Blacktop Mojo):
Yeah, and we could work together and do shows on the internet for people…
Antihero Magazine:
What about your songwriting process? Is there a defined process, or do you just write when you’re on tour? Are you constantly creating music together, jamming on a bus?
Matt (Blacktop Mojo):
Yeah, I think it’s a little bit of all that, man. Sometimes you’re just by yourself in a bedroom with a guitar, or sometimes it’ll be during a rehearsal where everybody is in a circle, throwing in parts and coming up with something.
Antihero Magazine:
Do you generally have songs sort of already formulated before you go into the studio, or do you create from scratch actually in the studio?
Matt (Blacktop Mojo):
For the most part, I think most of our records have been done like that—we’ve done a lot of pre-production, hammered out parts. But on our last record, Pollen, that came out last year, I think that was the first one where we just kind of had a verse or chorus idea and then did it in the studio, kind of writing it on the spot.
Antihero Magazine:
What’s been the most memorable or unexpected experience you’ve had while on tour? It’s your first time in the UK—has it lived up to expectations?
Matt (Blacktop Mojo):
No, I think it’s all been pretty positive so far. We had a moment the other night in London when we did a song called Prodigal. It’s kind of about growing up in a small town and chasing these crazy dreams of being on the road and stuff. I think we all got a little choked up. There was a moment in London where it was just like, “Holy shit, we are in London right now, and people are singing this,” and it really got to me, man.
Antihero Magazine:
What can fans expect from the band in the future? Do you have any exciting projects or releases on the horizon?
Matt (Blacktop Mojo):
Definitely being here—that was a big thing on our bucket list. Hopefully, we’ll be back overseas soon.
Antihero Magazine:
So, what else remains on that bucket list?
Matt (Blacktop Mojo):
More touring, hopefully coming back over here, and maybe jumping off into mainland Europe a little bit.
Antihero Magazine:
Thanks, Matt! Really looking forward to the show tonight. It’s a great pairing.
Matt (Blacktop Mojo):
Yeah, it’s ideal, isn’t it? Thank you very much. I appreciate it. Cheers!
Source: www.antiheromagazine.com
