Matt Berman has spent a lot of time standing in the background of famous musicians. From playing saxophone and keys in Brandon Flowers’ (The Killers) band on his “Desired Effect” world tour to working with artists on Snoop Dogg and Kanye West’s labels. But now with the release of his debut EP under Monroe, Berman is stepping out of the background and into the spotlight.
The Streetlight EP, due out July 28, is a beautiful and well-crafted introduction to the talented force that is Monroe. With Berman at the helm, Monroe also includes musicians who have toured with Lauryn Hill and Augustana.
Today, we are thrilled to premiere the EP’s title track, “Streetlight.” It’s a fun and charming track with plenty of sing-along moments and enough vocal power to put Monroe on the map.
When asked about the song, Berman said:
“‘Streetlight’ is the title song of the EP, and it carries a really important message for the record. I wrote the chorus of this song while I was in LA touring with Brandon Flowers and it’s really significant for the album because for me, it combines reality with fantasy. Feeling alone and dreaming of what it would be like to find that one and to skyrocket to the top of the world with that person. When I started writing this record, I would stand outside of my apartment in New York and write lyrics under a streetlight out on 14th Street. While in LA, I looked outside of my hotel window and there was one just staring me in the face that weirdly looked just like the one from home; so I knew I had to finish this song. This song was a reality check in many ways, but really lays it all out on the line especially with the opening statement of ‘You’ll be the streetlight, and I’ll be your ghost.’ That pretty much says it all.”
Listen to “Streetlight” below.