Tiny Moving Parts
Q&A with Dylan Mattheisen of Tiny Moving Parts
by Karli Marshall
Minnesota natives and three-man powerhouse Tiny Moving Parts, have been a band for over ten years and they aren’t stopping anytime soon. The band will be making a stop in Gainesville at the High Dive on March 29th and they’re bringing along acts Belmont, Capstan and Jetty Bones. Despite being on a huge multi-continent tour, lead vocalist and guitarist Dylan Mattheisen was able to find the time to chat with me about his performance inspirations, musical tastes and life on tour.
Q: Do you ever get nervous before shows? If so, how do you battle it?
We surprisingly never get nervous before the set! Back in the early years of touring we’d get a little nervous here or there, but after the hundreds of shows we’ve played it [has] become more comfortable. If we worry too much it could add stress and mess us up, so we just make sure we eat a big dinner, we’re hydrated, and get amped up to perform!
Q: You’ve jumped from Australia, to various parts of Asia and now you’re heading to the States. How have you handled the jet lag?
Thankfully, the jet lag hasn’t been too annoying this time around! Some of us will chug Red Bulls or cold brews to power through staying up if we need to. After a day or two of feeling weird with the time switch we’ll start to feel better!
Q: What music do you listen to during off days or traveling to the next place? Is there an artist we’d be surprised to hear you’re a fan of? We listen to everything! From bands we’ve toured with, to country music, hip hop, etc. The last two artists I’ve downloaded on[to] my phone were Drake and Taylor Swift. Those two artists may be surprising to people since our music doesn’t sound anything like them [laughs]!
Q: What was the best concert you’ve ever attended? Are there any acts that have inspired the way you approach your show?
I was 15 years old and we took a trip to Minneapolis to watch The Fall of Troy, Foxy Shazam, Tera Melos and The Deer Hunter at The Triple Rock. That concert changed our lives. Never saw a performance with so much energy, and the crowd was having a blast. The Fall of Troy influenced us in so many ways; to always give it 100% [during] every show and they were an example of how a three piece band can sound so huge.
Q: What’s your favorite song to perform live and why?
I feel it’s a 10 song tie for this answer [laughs]! We always consider how the songs will sound live when we write them. At the moment I would say “Medicine” and ”Vertebrae” have been so dang fun to play live! The crowds have been yelling the lyrics and jumping lots for those two and we love when everyone is into it!
Q: You have been a band for over a decade. What’s it like to reflect on all of that time and all the accomplishments along the way? Is there anything you would have changed?
It’s been such an amazing trip! Hard to put into words at the moment since we’re still rocking and living this dream. We’re always motivated to create and exceed new goals and with that mindset we feel we can do so much. It never feels like hard work when you’re having a blast with your friends playing rock n’ roll!