Why Matthew Carter’s Passion for Music Keeps Growing Stronger

Matthew Carter is a versatile composer, songwriter, and producer specialising in music for sync. With a keen ear for dynamic and emotive compositions, his work has been featured in major projects such as Pro Evolution Soccer, EastEnders, and BBC Sport, showcasing his ability to craft impactful music for some of the leading sync companies in the industry.

Focused on creating high-quality music for media, Matthew’s work seamlessly blends creativity with technical precision. His ability to write to brief and produce engaging, genre-spanning compositions makes him a valuable asset in the world of sync. Working from his home studio, he oversees every stage of production – from composition and recording to mixing and final delivery – collaborating with a network of skilled vocalists and musicians to bring diverse projects to life.

Beyond his work in sync, Matthew also writes, produces, and performs under his artist project, SOCKiTTOME. Blending indie pop with innovative production, he has independently amassed over 1.5 million streams across DSPs and built a dedicated following of over 100k on social media.

LBB> When you’re working on a new brief or project, what’s your typical starting point? How do you break it down and how do you like to generate your ideas or response?

Matthew> I love starting a new project by creating a playlist of references to set the tone and spark inspiration – it really helps me get into the right creative mindset. As a guitarist at heart, my process usually begins with building chords and a structure on the guitar. From there, the rest of the song tends to flow naturally, which is one of my favourite parts of the creative process.

This approach was particularly true for my album with Score Production, where I had the opportunity to work within the trip-hop genre. This process, however, also included the additional step of reworking my compositions to feel as though they had been sampled, aligning with the aesthetic and influences of the genre. It was a unique challenge but definitely a rewarding one!

LBB> Music and sound are in some ways the most collaborative and interactive forms of creativity – what are your thoughts on this? Do you prefer to work solo or with a gang – and what are some of your most memorable professional collaborations?

Matthew> I’ve had the privilege of working with some incredibly talented people, but in recent years, I’ve found a lot of joy in the creative freedom of working on solo projects. That said, one of my most memorable collaborations was with Pete Robertson (formerly of The Vaccines). His ability to visualise and bring ideas to life in the studio was incredible, and his creativity continues to inspire how I approach my own work.

LBB> What’s the most satisfying part of your job and why?

Matthew> The most satisfying part of my job is finishing a song – or even an entire body of work. Songwriting is incredibly cathartic and feels like a form of self-therapy. Being able to combine that personal process with my daily work is such a privilege, especially when I think back to past jobs that didn’t feel nearly as fulfilling.

LBB> As the advertising industry changes, how do you think the role of music and sound is changing with it?

Matthew> With the rise of short-form content, brief placements in ads have become an even bigger opportunity to showcase creativity and stand out. Communicating a lot in a short window of time creates space for interesting transitions and unique builds tailored to each project. It’s exciting to see the shift toward truly custom music for ads, moving away from the more generic background scores we used to hear on TV.

LBB> Who are your musical or audio heroes and why?

Matthew> Growing up it’s fair to say R.E.M. served a pivotal role in wanting to create music and create something personal and almost artsy. But right now I love keeping up to date with producers such as Dan Nigro, Jack Antonoff, Chrome Sparks and Solomonophonic. I think they are really changing and shaping the current landscape of modern music and it’s exciting to see their processes and what they’re working on.

LBB> When you’re working on something that isn’t directly sound design or music – are you the sort of person who needs music and noise in the background or is that completely distracting to you? What are your thoughts on ‘background’ sound and music as you work?

Matthew> Depending on the amount of focus required, I will generally opt for background music. Most of the time it’s just because I can’t stand silence, but it’s always felt conducive to a kind of lateral thinking process where I’m always plugged into new ideas for when I am songwriting. I am 100% that guy that puts on music in any social circumstance when music isn’t playing, so on that level I can’t comprehend someone who doesn’t always have a little something accompanying them at all times.

LBB> I guess the quality of the listening experience and the context that audiences listen to music/sound in has changed over the years. There’s the switch from analogue to digital and now we seem to be divided between bad-ass surround-sound immersive experiences and on-the-go, low-quality sound – how does that factor into how you approach your work?

Matthew> In all honesty, this isn’t an angle I think about too much. We live in an age where listeners are no longer restricted to what’s on the leading radio stations. Many people flit between hundreds, if not thousands, of artists with vastly different styles and sounds. I believe that whatever you create, there’s a place for it now. We have more ways to reach audiences than ever before. Following your gut instinct is the best way to tune out the noise of what everyone else is doing and focus on finding what truly resonates with you. That’s the most beautiful and honest kind of music. In short, I’d gladly create both a super vibey analogue track and a badass surround-sound immersive experience on the same day – whatever best serves the music.

LBB> On a typical day, what does your ‘listening diet’ look like?

Matthew> I listen to my Spotify “Discover Weekly” almost daily to discover new music that inspires me. I absolutely love finding new artists. More often than not, the algorithm leans towards indie genres for me, but there’s usually a good mix in there. When I’m working, I tend to choose playlists that match the style of the project I’m focused on. So, I’d say my ‘listening diet’ is varied and nicely balanced!

LBB> Do you have a collection of music/sounds and what shape does it take?

Matthew> I have hundreds of playlists, so I can’t claim to be hyper-organised in that area! However, I do take pride in building my own personal sample library from every project I work on. There’s something deeply satisfying about knowing that I’ve spent time creating bespoke sounds that I can revisit and use to flesh out new songs. It’s rewarding to work with something fully original that I’ve crafted myself.

Interestingly, the completion of my album with Score Production left me with several unused samples I had created from scratch, imitating various dialogue styles from the early 1900s. The great thing about these experiments is that you never know when they might come in handy again, and the time spent creating them is never wasted!

LBB> Outside of the music and sound world, what sort of art or topics really excite you and do you ever relate that back to music?

Matthew> I absolutely love words. A few years ago, I read two books by Mark Forsyth, ‘The Elements of Eloquence’ and ‘The Etymologicon’. They’re easily my favourite books of all time and sparked a fascination with the history of the words we use every day. Because of this, I often find myself dipping into vocabulary apps and learning new words whenever I can. This passion for language definitely influences my lyrics, giving them a unique and sometimes quirky edge.

LBB> As we age, our ears change physically and our tastes evolve too, and life changes mean we don’t get to engage in our passions in the same intensity as in our youth – how has your relationship with sound and music changed over the years?

Matthew> I like to think my passion for music has only grown stronger as I’ve gotten older. With age comes a sense of professionalism and discipline that I didn’t necessarily have in my teens. Being able to pair those skills with my creativity has allowed my relationship with music to flourish in ways I couldn’t have imagined back then. It feels like a constant evolution, and that’s something I really love about this profession.