The acoustic pop duo Prettier Than Matt have been on an extended leave of absence from performing together live, but they had a very good reason–the birth of singer Jessica Sims’ first child. They recently returned to local stages, and this Sunday they’ll celebrate this new chapter with the release of their 2021 album Colors on vinyl. You can hear them live, and pick up a copy of this limited vinyl release, on Sunday afternoon when they play Steel Hands Brewing from 1-4 p.m.
Prettier Than Matt return to live performances, release Colors On Vinyl
For a group that had been playing together for over a decade, sometimes four and five nights a week, taking a four month break was a different experience, but for different reasons.
“It has been bittersweet for me as I’ve missed playing,” Sims admits. “But I’ve loved the time I have had to really focus on how to be a new mom. It feels great to be back, but it’s hard to be away from the cutest baby on the planet.”
Her musical partner in Prettier Than Matt, Jeff Pitts, never actually stopped playing. Picking up different gigs became a way to fill the time.
“I enjoy getting to play music, period, so I did a lot of solo shows and started playing with Charles Riley as the Jeff & Charles Show,” Pitts says. “I’m thankful for having those options during these months, but being back feels great. Jessica and I did an impromptu reunion set at a Jeff Lucero show on my birthday–he asked us to play, so we did a few songs, and the joy I felt hearing Jessica sing again was probably obvious to everyone in the room.”
So what effect will the new arrival have on Prettier Than Matt’s ongoing activity? Both Pitts and Sims acknowledge that the days of everyday gigs are probably in their past.
“It’ll be much of the same, but just less on the gigging front,” Pitts says. “We will still put out new music, look for licensing opportunities, and continue to play and livestream, but it won’t be as much as we did before. I’ll continue to do the solo stuff and play with Charles, too, but Prettier Than Matt is still my personal creative outlet and passion.”
Sims says they feel a debt and an obligation to their fans, but that some priorities, understandably, have changed.
“We’ve made so many great relationships with fans, friends, and venues over the years that we’ve been picking our favorites and making sure that we still play those spots,” She says. “I want to focus on being present and being a good mom, though.”
On an even happier note, Sims says that motherhood has already brought new inspiration to her writing.
“I will say that becoming a mom and going through all of these major life changes has inspired a few new songs that I’m really excited to record soon,” she says.
The release of Colors on vinyl is not the duo’s first foray into the newly hip world of LPs, Pitts points out.
“We released a compilation vinyl album in 2019 called Retrograde, which had our favorite songs from our past releases along with one new song,” He says. “When we finished this last one we were proud of it and knew that releasing it on vinyl was something we wanted to do.” For Pitts, vinyl is the preferred medium for listening to such an album-length project.
“We want people to hear the album front to back as it was recorded, and I think vinyl is the best, and most fun, way to do that.”