“Nathanson brings his confessional songs to life with a rare power,” says RollingStone.com. “A sweetness and sincerity to his singer-song writing that’s endearing,” says Time Out New York. “We’re thrilled to have Matt Nathanson playing the One Movement Showcase Music Festival,” says One Movement Word! His recent single ’Come On Get Higher’ has spent over 42 weeks on the US radio charts; Matt took the time to answer four questions for us ahead of his first Australian performance.

Matt, what’s your favourite song this week?

‘Ultraviolet’ by U2 [live video from the 1992 Zoo TV tour embedded below].

What do you hope to gain from the One Movement festival and conference?

I’m looking forward to immersing myself in the music and the panels, and soaking up a ton of new music and new ideas… all of which will inspire me and my work.

Which artists’ showcase sets are you most looking forward to watching?

I’m psyched to be exposed to tons of music I wouldn’t normally be able to catch over here in America. I went through the One Movement website, and just started clicking on folks’ MySpace pages. There’s lots of good stuff, like Sarah Blasko, Bertie Blackman and Philadelphia Grand Jury.

One Movement’s tagline is “Artist, Industry, Fan United.” What do you think needs to change in order to unite the music industry with its artists and fans?

I feel like we are moving towards a much more fan-based system, with the internet and the collapse of the traditional music business/ commerce. It’s becoming more and more about great songs and great performers being spread through word of mouth.

Hype is not really working the way it use to… and artists are being judged and accepted based on how the music connects.. both live and recorded. The music industry needs to accept and support the new frontier, and stop trying to choke as much revenue from every possible place it can.

It is not about strip mining. It is about fostering a sustainable system, where smaller streams of revenue feed in. The old days are gone. They are not coming back. And the industry needs to evolve with the changes, not fight against them. The fan is in the driver’s seat more now than ever, and they need to be catered to.

Matt Nathanson plays the Crossover Stage at 3.55pm on Saturday, 17th October 2009 (full timetable here). Catch up with him on Facebook, and watch a live acoustic video below of Matt performing ‘Come On Get Higher’ in a Borders bookstore.