An Interview With Mat Kerekes: Returning To Form 

In light of a new album release, Mat Kerekes brought the “To Dream of Something Wicked” tour to Salt Lake City. Fans were lining up before doors had even opened; some fans of Citizen, some fans of his solo work and some who were just along for the ride. There was an undeniable emotional presence in the crowd that night, something only Mat Kerekes could subdue in a sold-out, shoulder-to-shoulder crowd. Before the show, I had the surreal opportunity to sit down with Kerekes in his tour van and ask him about his new release.

Making Music & Inspirations

Kerekes is best known as the lead singer of Citizen; a post-hardcore/melodic emo band formed by Kerekes, Nick and Eric Hamm in 2009. Citizen signed with Run for Cover Records in 2012 and released their full-length debut album, “Youth,” in 2013, cracking the Billboard 200 almost immediately. After this success, Kerekes self-released an acoustic solo EP in 2014, Mat Kerekes, which did not gather immediate attention. Kerekes bounced between Citizen and his solo music for many years, releasing albums in back-to-back years, issuing Citizen’s “Everybody Is Going to Heaven” in 2015 and “Luna & the Wild Blue Everything” in 2016. Since then, Kerekes has proceeded to put out an album or EP almost every year, collaborating with Will Yip and Daniel Fang of Turnstile on many projects.

Kerekes wrote “To Dream of Something Wicked” (TDSW) when he decided to return home to Toledo, Ohio. This album is the definition of home. Every song feels like nostalgia wrapped in something brand new, comforting and fresh all at once. 

His 2016 release “Luna & the Wild Blue Everything” sent shock waves through Citizen fans and other alternative listeners. This album became an instant classic, even dominating his charts to this day. Kerekes said TDSW “felt like a continuation of Luna,” explaining that writing this felt good and right at the time. Because Luna resonates deeply with fans nearly a decade later, he felt a natural pull toward that sound again when crafting TDSW–a return to form in both sound and sentiment. 

Kerekes takes inspiration from Third Eye Blind and Modest Mouse when writing his music.

“I think that anybody who writes music is just a big hodgepodge of bullshit and whatever they like, you know what I’m saying?” Kerekes explained how common it is to subconsciously rip off other bands, something that happens to Citizen quite often. I asked him if he ever hears bands that sound like Citizen, and his response was exactly what I’d hoped for–unbothered and genuinely stoked. “Hell yeah, rip it off,” he said. That’s the kind of confidence that makes him stand out in this scene. To make it big in a largely populated genre is one accomplishment, but doing it twice with Citizen and his solo music shows how incredible of a musician Mat Kerekes is.

Fans & Touring

Many artists experience the classic fan response: “I like their old music better, they’ve changed too much.” However, Kerekes added how incredible it feels to hear his fans singing the new songs just as loudly as the old ones. The response to TDSW was comparable to that of his first album, with fans praising the rawness and vulnerability. “Luna & the Wild Blue Everything” still carries emotional weight with his fans and Kerekes returned to that emotional presence from his first album. As an artist, he says it’s incredible to see a largely positive response from fans on tour and the internet.

There’s a stark contrast between solo touring and touring with Citizen for Kerekes. Despite his easy-going nature, solo touring is less glamorous and comes with uncertainty, but He never lets that take away from the fan experience

Meanings & Balance

One of my favorite songs, “Figure Eights,” came to be during a rough time in Kerekes’s life. He told me how difficult it was to feel unsettled before deciding to move back home, something I can absolutely relate to. 

“I draw figure eights with my words, they never find a place to land” is a lyric from “Figure Eights.”  Mat said, “I feel like when you get too specific you ruin the listener's interpretation. I think the lyrics spoke out in their own story.” His favorite on the album is “I Always Knew You Were Someone That I Could Look Up To,” a song whose lyrics read like poetry. He describes it as natural and nostalgic, saying it reminds him of the early days when he uploaded songs to Bandcamp. 

Since my first listen, I wondered what “Luna & the Wild Blue Everything” meant to Kerekes and what made these songs so personal. This album spoke out to fans as a stripped-down, raw and emotional version of Citizen. I talked to him about how special that album is for me and how incredible it is for an artist to release such personal ballads into the world. He told me he’s humbled by the amount of people who appreciate the album and how he’s lucky to have two highly revered albums, including “Youth” by Citizen.

“I feel like anything I write will always sound personal to me. Maybe the solo stuff is more lighthearted and the Citizen stuff is sassy, a little more pissed.” That’s probably the best way to describe it from a fan perspective: sassy and pissed

Personal Influence & Closing Thoughts

Finding out I’d get to sit down with Mat Kerekes for an interview was monumental. I’ve looked up to him as both a solo artist and frontman for years, blasting Citizen any chance I got until I discovered the deeply personal world of his solo work. His music has been a constant for me, soundtracking both highs and lows and at times was almost too emotionally heavy to listen to. 

Something that stuck with me long after our conversation was how effortless it all felt. He treated me like family–genuine, open and present in a way that few artists are. Our fifteen-minute conversation felt like catching up with an old friend, the kind of moment you walk away from knowing it’ll stick with you forever. Kerekes carries an undeniable honesty, both in conversation and in his music. He gives his all both on and off stage, and it’s clear that every lyric, melody and interaction means something to him. That kind of sincerity is rare and it’s what makes his music so deeply felt. Thank you, Mat Kerekes, for your music, your time and being the kind of artist who makes this scene feel like home.

You can catch Kerekes performing with Citizen on tour with Movements. The band rolls into Salt Lake City on March 29 at The Complex. If you have the chance to see him live, take it–you won’t regret it.

Check out Maci’s photo gallery from his February 7 show

Stream To Dream Of Something Wicked on Spotify or Apple Music!

Mat Kerekes’s Instagram and Citizen’s Instagram