Mats Dernánd Releasing New Single 'Judas'
Swedish songwriter and artist Mats Dernánd releases his new single 'Judas' on January 16th. His previous single, 'She's Called Grace' has been played by Swedish, Norwegian, American and Canadian radio stations, streamed in over 30 countries and came second in the world-leading USA Songwriting Competitions pop category in competition with a total of 48,000 entries.
The new single, 'Judas' is something completely different. "Imagine that you make a decision - and then you are associated with treason and all over the world for thousands of years", says Mats Dernánd. Judas is a person who raises both emotions and questions. It also makes a clear impression on the music.
The starting point for the song was the question "why?". "Juda's name is still - after more than 2,000 years - synonymous with fraud in much of the world. Yet we know almost nothing about him. The question of why he did as he did is still open and fascinates me." The sound is cinematic and significantly darker than "She's Called Grace".
"If 'She's Called Grace' is a sunny morning then 'Judas' is undoubtedly a dark night. I usually start from a basic idea for my songs, which can then be reflected on both text and music. Songs are built by several different elements. In best case, they can collaborate and take the listener to new places. 'Judas' also has a distinct groove that brings to mind 70's. The drama during that night when Judas betrayed Jesus is like a real thriller. It's like one of those TV detectives that dominated Friday nights during much of my upbringing. I actually got a lot of inspiration from this kind of music .
What, then, is the answer to the riddle Judas? The question has been baffling people for millennia, so it would be presumptuous to think that I would have the answer. But I was assuming what usually attracts the worst in us - fear and the desire for money. In Judah's case, both apply, I think. I've also been thinking about what, Judas, I and we all have in common. We all disappoint people we live close to in different ways. The story of Judas reminds me - and hopefully the listener - of the struggle for our hearts that are constantly going on."
