Guest Blog: Our Violet Room Talks His Journey as a Songwriter into the TV/Film Industry

Matthew Birch, aka Our Violet Room, has captured the spirits of listeners everywhere with his emotion-driven approach to music.

Blending folk and larger than life soundscapes into one cohesive style, Birch’s songs employ captivating lyrics and cinematic arrangements to create an enveloping experience for all. His riveting tracks serve a portals into another dimension, one where fans are free to be inspired and feel a rainbow of emotions without judgement or restraint.

Compelled by the beauty that arises when music and film collide, the Denver-born singer-songwriter has remained with a dream of penning movie scores and has launched his music career in TV and film. Achieving placements in a variety of movies and TV shows such as FreeForm’s hit series Good Trouble and a Magnolia feature film, he knows a thing or two about what it takes to make it in such a competitive industry. Birch recently sat down with Musical Notes Global to talk about his journey—discover his thoughts below.

Music has been a part of my life since before I can recall. I remember being in elementary school and already being obsessed with music…I think it honestly started with my love of TV theme songs. I also remember being in love with classical, orchestral, folk, and oldies genres when all my friends were into what was popular. I was always an outlier when it came to music but it has shaped the way I approach music now as an artist... many of those same influences can be heard all throughout the songs I create.

I grew up pretty socially awkward as a kid, I had undiagnosed autism. So as you could probably imagine, the world was a strange place to me. Music brought me comfort, it gave me peace, it allowed me to escape to other worlds without being surrounded by the things that made the real world hard for me. I wanted to do for others in my music what my favorites did for me…bring peace, contentment, adventure, and emotions to someone’s life. That’s when I started writing music. For some people getting famous is their goal...I couldn’t care less about fame. For others signing a record deal is their goal, I’ve been offered deals and turned them down. For some it’s always being on tour…for me, it was making music that moves people. Most of the bands I fell in love with, I first heard on TV or a movie. To me, when you watch a movie and you hear the music playing in the background of a pivotal scene, it just gives you goosebumps. So that was and still is the catalyst behind crafting my career around licensing my music.

Many artists want to know how I got started. My first placement was for a movie that was made by Warner Brothers and Magnolia pictures. I had three of my songs used for that movie, that came from a personal connection of mine. The licensing deal I have now came from a lot of hard work, rejection, and continued belief in my music. To make a long story short, I sent my songs to an actress who worked on a popular show, I asked her if she would listen to my songs. Weeks passed before I got an email from her. She had - on her own and without my knowledge - sent all of my songs to the licensing company that works with her show and the next day they contacted me… leading to signing a contract. Now, the company I’m contracted with (Synchaudi), sends out my songs to all the TV shows and film companies that they partner with. The music supervisors from those shows or movies then look for songs that will fit their narrative.

For me, writing for TV/film isn’t any different than writing a song for my album. I never write my songs for TV or movies... I just write the songs that I’d like to hear. Songs that move me and that flow from me and (because of my wide range of influences and musical taste, especially with orchestration) they end up coming out in a way that is good for TV and film. That would be my one piece of advice for other artists looking to craft a similar career…make music that is true to yourself! There is only one you, and that will make what you create truly unique. The second part of that is to work hard! Many people may be more talented than I am, but no one works harder…And that goes a long way in this industry.