Exclusive Interview: THE SPINNING GAME – ‘Death’ Is Beautiful, Grieving, and Unapologetically Honest

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With the release of Death, the hauntingly stunning 6-track EP that dropped on June 24, 2025, THE SPINNING GAME reintroduces themselves with raw emotion, poetic vulnerability, and impeccable production. Hailing from Savannah, Georgia, this deeply personal project was crafted in the cozy, cathartic confines of Matt Cave Studios—a home studio run by the artist himself, Matthew Lester, alongside his wife and creative partner, Aubrey Lester.

Featuring standout contributions from Aaron Pearson (vocals), Graham Hopkins (drums), and Chad Bell (trumpet), Death is more than just an EP—it’s an emotional release, a sonic exorcism, and a return to the core of what made THE SPINNING GAME so magnetic in their early days. We sat down with Matthew Lester to talk grief, growth, creative freedom, and what comes after you pour your soul into a record about loss.

Your new EP Death feels deeply personal and sonically rich. What inspired you to create this record, and what emotional space were you in when you began writing it?
Thank you so much! This EP and batch of songs came from the passing of a very close friend of mine. He has been the latest of 12 of my friends that have passed away from drug addiction or suicide. The headspace for making this EP was trying to work through my grief in a positive way.

Interview with THE SPINNING GAME

You’ve said that “writing and recording these songs has been an exorcism.” Can you talk more about what that process meant for you, and what it helped you release or confront?

Matt: Yes, because of my history with death and loss, writing these songs has been a way to try to expel all of the anger, sorrow, and other raw emotions surrounding the subject of death.

The production on Death is exceptional, especially on tracks like “Run Away” and “Curtains Close.” What was it like working with Matthew and Aubrey Lester in the homegrown setting of Matt Cave Studios?

Matt: Thank you! Well, actually I’m Matthew and Aubrey is my wife. I’m especially proud of the production on this record. I have almost exclusively recorded, mixed, and mastered my own music since I was 11 and I tried my best to step up the quality of all three of those for these songs. Recording these songs was a fairly free flowing experience but I would say mixing and mastering was especially tedious and I really enjoyed the challenge.

Your sound draws influence from artists like Elliott Smith, Bright Eyes, and Brand New. How have those influences shaped this EP specifically, and where do you see your sound evolving beyond them?

Matt: I would say Elliott Smith’s XO is a sonically perfect record and that is always a high water mark to attempt to achieve. Bright Eyes lyrically and emotionally is also a high water mark for me. Brand New’s ability to do both of those things with dynamics and a viciousness is definitely something I took inspiration from. I’m currently done writing the next record and it’s going to be much more of a folk/americana record that’s more mature.

The lineup on Death features some fantastic musicians—Graham Hopkins, Aaron Pearson, and Chad Bell. How did those collaborations come together, and what did each artist bring to the table?

Matt: Me and Aaron Pearson from Anchor End used to play shows together years ago and I had recently noticed that he had been much more active musically. I have always enjoyed his music so it only felt right as I was revisiting this project to include someone from that era of my musical journey. I have Graham Hopkins drumming in some of my favorite bands like The Swell Season and the Frames. I am so grateful that the internet made it possible to be able to have Graham’s fantastic drumming on these songs and he is a really sweet guy who seemed really invested in these songs as well. Chad Bell’s trumpet was another one of those wonderful things made possible by the internet and I am incredibly grateful.

Grief is central to the themes on Death, but there’s also resilience and beauty in the way it’s expressed. Was it important for you to strike that balance when writing the EP?

Matt: Yes absolutely, I think that there’s strangely serene moments within grief and real perspective about the beauty of life and the beauty of impermanence. That’s a challenging thing to convey and communicate, I’m so glad that was conveyed to you.

This project feels like a return to your musical roots. What were those early days like for you as THE SPINNING GAME, and how does Death reflect where you’ve come from creatively?

Matt: It absolutely is a return to my roots. I would say the early days were very exciting and emotionally raw, playing a lot of shows in the Philly hardcore DIY music scene when I was still too young to drive. It seemed like a very natural thing to write songs in this form again but there was a certain perspective and polish this time around that I think was previously lacking for better or worse.

A home studio can be both freeing and vulnerable. How did recording in Matt Cave Studios affect the emotional honesty or creative freedom of the sessions?

Matt: My little home studio was a fantastic place to make these songs and it was incredibly freeing. It was a very necessary thing to be able to close the door and express these deeply dark emotions. I remember writing and tracking the vocals on “Conquest” which is an incredibly dark track and just how much better I felt having gotten that out of my psyche. It also made it possible to take my time and for my wonderful and talented wife Aubrey to contribute all of her perfect vocal and violin tracks.

Now that Death is out in the world, what’s next? Are there plans for live shows, visual projects, or maybe a full-length album on the horizon?

Matt: Yeah, I think I’m going to finally start playing shows again after this long hiatus and that’s very exciting for me. This EP is a part of a larger batch of songs for a Spinning Game full-length called Fire and Brimstone. I honestly had to pause the recording and release this EP because the subject matter was very dark and I needed a break. I’m sure I will finish it in the near future but I needed a break. I have written another full-length LP for my solo project M.R. Lester that I’m very excited to record and that’ll most likely be the next thing I release.

If someone’s first encounter with THE SPINNING GAME is Death, what do you hope they walk away with after listening to the EP?

Matt: I honestly think that people would assume I’m a very gloomy person which is not the case. I would hope that people would get immersed in the songwriting and production which I am extremely proud of.

With unfiltered honesty and precision-crafted sound, THE SPINNING GAME‘s Death is not just a catharsis—it’s a sonic reckoning. And if this EP is any indication, the future holds even more powerfully emotional storytelling from Matthew Lester and his collaborators. Don’t sleep on this one. Let it break you, then put you back together.