Italian-Australian singer songwriter Joe Matera has just released his second book Backstage Pass: Louder Than Words. We spoke with Joe about his latest book and more about his exciting music career.

Tell us a little bit more about yourself.

I am a singer songwriter, guitarist, music journalist, and author. In my performing career, I’ve played the guitar for famed British music legend Steve Harley of Cockney Rebel fame and opened for acts such as Bay City Rollers and The Animals. For the past few years, I’ve also collaborated and co-written material with English pop-rock group The Korgis.

My writings and interviews appear in music magazines across the globe, from Guitar Player and Goldmine in the USA, to Record Collector and Sound on Sound in the UK. I also write a popular fortnightly music page for the daily Shepparton News newspaper in Australia. And as an author, I’ve written two non-fiction books, Backstage Pass: The Grit and The Glamour in 2021 and my new book Louder Than Words: Beyond the Backstage Pass in 2024.

What was your inspiration for writing another book?

My first book collected entries from my personal diaries, focusing of my times meeting, interviewing and working with some of music’s greatest artists. I tried to capture what the world’s favourite music artists were like away from the public eye- a side that the public rarely sees, and the work involved for them to be able to perform music for the masses. The artists ranged from Queen, to Metallica, to Steve Harley, and others.

My new book, though, which took me 18 months to write, takes a slightly different route. It’s more of a personal story, where I weave stories about the artists and their music in with how they shaped my life and my own music, and the importance of those particular artists, in popular music culture, such as Bryan Adams, Billy Squier, Gerry Rafferty and The Beach Boys, to name but a few.

What do you hope people take away from this book?

I hope readers gain a deeper appreciation for both the music and the artists featured in the book. For fans, I also aim to share new insights or details they might not have known before. By blending my personal story with those of the artists, I want to give people a better understanding of how the music industry really works behind the scenes.

Tell us more about your venture in music journalism.

I interview a lot of music artists and I write a lot of feature stories on them and their music, all with a strong focus on the music from an era of music I consider to be the golden age of music- the 60s to the 90s. I also write stories that may be about a specific album, or a specific gig, or a historical piece. I write anything to do with music, really, as I enjoy capturing the memories and sharing them with readers and music lovers.

What was it like performing alongside music icons like Steve Harley, Russell Morris, Peter Criss and Bay City Rollers?

It was really a fantastic experience, especially when it came to working with Steve Harley and opening for the Bay City Rollers. Those two were special moments for me since I grew up on their music. Growing up, I would never have imagined that decades later I’d end up working with them.

Do you have any exciting plans coming up in the future?

More writing, and of course a third book at some point in the future. More shows, more recordings and new music coming in 2025. I’m looking forward to coming to Cardiff for my book talk on Thursday, 7 November 2024 at 2pm at Cathays Library, which also includes a mini acoustic live concert!

Fans can keep you to date with all of Joe’s musical projects via his Facebook and his website.

Join The Wellfield Bookshop for an exclusive event at Cathays Library!

Don’t miss your chance to meet Australian musician and author Joe Matera on Thursday, 7 November 2024 at 2pm at Cathays Library. Joe will be promoting his latest book and sharing stories from his incredible music career. Come along for an afternoon of insights, music, and more! For more information, call 029 2048 3106 or email wellfieldbookshop@outlook.com.