Matt Hansen joins Live From Mars for an emotional deep dive into his debut album Orchid, the songwriting experiences that shaped it, and the realities of building a music career completely independently.

Matt opens up about going from posting covers in parking garages during COVID to becoming one of the internet’s fastest-rising independent artists with over a billion streams worldwide. Alex and Matt discuss emotional songwriting, social media burnout, creative freedom, therapy, heartbreak, healing, and why Orchid feels like the first project that truly tells his story.

They also break down the pressure of virality, transitioning fans from covers to original music, the cinematic influence of Coldplay and Hans Zimmer, and the meaning behind songs like “Let Em Go,” “Yellowstone,” and the album’s title track.

Topics covered:

• The story behind Matt Hansen’s debut album Orchid

• How TikTok changed his life and music career

• Building an audience independently without a label

• The emotional process behind songwriting and healing

• Why “Let Em Go” changed everything for him

• Coldplay’s influence on his music and production style

• Learning to separate artistry from analytics and virality

• The importance of emotional maturity in songwriting

• Why happiness felt scary after years of sad songs

• What Matt hopes to learn from the Orchid era

Follow Matt Hansen:

Spotify: Matt Hansen

Instagram/TikTok: @matthansenmusic

Follow & support the show:

TikTok: @vinylbymars

Instagram: @vinylbymars

YouTube: @vinylbymars

Substack: vinylbymars.substack.com

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