English musician Matt Maltese has always been a romantic, but these days, his love extends far beyond affairs of the heart. The South London songwriter finds beauty in the mundane; the creak of a piano bench, the distant wail of street horns bleeding into a recording, the quiet satisfaction of doing absolutely nothing. This expanded perspective fuels Hers, his new album out May 16, which trades bedroom introspection for studio-crafted minimalism without losing its intimate core.
The shift from DIY home recordings to professional studio sessions marks a pivotal moment in Maltese’s evolution. Where his earlier work thrived on lo-fi charm and spontaneous bedroom revelations, Hers benefits from the tension between careful composition and emotional immediacy in tracks like “Anytime, Anyplace, Anyhow,” “Always Some MF,” and “Holiday For Yourself.” The album’s arrangements breathe with intention — every sustained organ chord, every brushed snare hit, every bass note left to decay naturally feels like a considered statement rather than an accident of circumstance.
Maltese wanted to shake things up for the new album recording-wise. The change proved transformative. Where previous albums wrapped his baritone in home-recorded haze, Hers places each instrument under unforgiving scrutiny. A lone piano chord lingers until it stings; basslines speak volumes in three precise notes. This type of magic lives in the negative space, the moments where restraint says more than excess ever could.
“I was going for grander, more luscious arrangements,” Maltese tells Rolling Stone Philippines. “I also think lyrically I’ve pushed my own boundaries a lot more.” That push manifests in songs that balance studio polish with emotional nakedness, aided by influences such as Vashti Bunyan and Father John Misty who share his less-is-more philosophy. Drum brushes whisper rather than slam; synth pads hover at the edge of perception. Every element serves the song’s emotional calculus, nothing more.
This meticulous approach contrasts with Maltese’s live shows, where spontaneity reigns. In November 2024, his performance in Manila, a rare seated affair highlighted how communal intimacy can elevate his music. “I personally love sitting down and watching music, and feel it often lets me take it all in a lot more,” he reflects. “The last show in the Philippines, in particular, was a beautiful one!”
Yet the studio remains Maltese’s true laboratory, especially when balancing isolation with collaboration. “Some time for reflection and full dedication to work can be great, but it’s also important not to go crazy,” he says. Hers walks that tightrope. It’s an album born from both solitude and shared vision, where every carefully placed note carries the weight of lived experience. The result proves that less can indeed be more, so long as “less” comes loaded with meaning. “At least for the kind of work I want to make, it wants to have lightness, and the main way I’m going to get that lightness is by not becoming an intense hermit for three months,” he says. “But it’s also hard work finishing things, and you definitely have to sacrifice some sanity for it!”
