For his project My Silent Bravery, Matt Wade already knew he wanted a reggae track on his upcoming album, but it had to be light, and light things up and he landed on “Spark Up the Fire,” off his upcoming release Bigger, out later this year.
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Linking to his deep love for reggae and Bob Marley, Wade previously released tracks “To Give,” featuring Matisyahu” and “Drunk off the Sun.”
“His [Marley’s] music, and the message in his music, has always been a big inspiration for me, and I usually try to put a reggae track on each record,” says Wade. “This album, for me was a little bit more beat-driven than some prior records.”
Produced by Russell Ali & Sanjoy Deb (Jaden Hossler, Elliot Yamin) and co-written with Mitchell Rose, “Spark Up the Fire” was recorded at West Coast Customs Studios in Burbank, California. When Wade first heard the beat that Ali and Deb were working on for the track, he remembers saying “this song is fire.”
Wade connected to the imagery the song provoked—and its catchy hook. “It just felt really good, like a summer anthem,” he says, “and hot.” Sponsored by Gibson, a partner of Wade’s for the past decade, the video, directed by Zack Richard of Sleepwalk Films, works around summer loves and simpler days.
“We had this fire idea, and from there, we built up the lyrics, and it ended up being pretty much like a love song, at its core, but it also has to do with chemistry, it has a little bit of a sexy vibe to it,” Wade adds. “There are different meanings behind spark up the fire—whatever you want or desire to be—so I liked that message and thought it was positive, and that a lot of people could relate in different ways.”
Centered around summer love, “Spark Up the Fire” is a cool breeze swept in, and welcome after darker days.
“For me, when I’m writing songs, I like an overall positive message and inspirational music,” says Wade. “I think the world can use more of it, and that’s sort of what I feel my mission is here while I’m living, to create something that inspires people.”
