If you’re a fan of the UK wrestling scene, you will almost certainly have heard Matt Attard’s music at some point.
Matt founded Hot Tag Media Works in 2015 and has created entrance themes for the likes of Pete Dunne, Wade Barrett and Meiko Satomura.
His music has been featured by a number of major promotions including NXT UK, Ring of Honor and Impact.
Matt has always been passionate about music but didn’t picture himself being involved in the wrestling industry.
“Wrestling was just kind of around,” he said. “It was so big, you couldn’t escape it. I enjoyed it, but very passively. It was more my friends who were into it.
“I didn’t properly get into wrestling until Mark Andrews and I started hanging out more. We went to the same school, we lived pretty much on the same street and have known each other for years and years.
“When I was 17 or 18 we started hanging out a lot more. At that time, Mark was wrestling on the indie scene.
“I grew up in music, I’ve been in a band for pretty much my entire life! I was used to things like touring around the country and selling merch.
“When I went to some of the early Attack shows, it was cool for me to see because it was almost the exact same thing. Instead of music coming out of the speakers, there were people jumping off them!
“Coming from that angle gave me a new appreciation for wrestling and from that point I went and consumed more.”
Dunne was a key part of the early Attack! Pro Wrestling shows and is now regularly featured on WWE’s main roster.
Matt worked with him to create the ‘Young & Bitter’ theme which was used at the inaugural UK Championship Tournament in Blackpool in 2017.
“I feel very lucky that I got to play a tiny part in Pete’s journey,” he added. “He was wrestling for Attack so I knew him back in the day.
“I remember all the wrestlers saying at the time, they could just tell he was going to be a superstar. He is really good at what he does and it was cool to see his character evolution.
“It was fun putting that track together because it was one of my earliest, ironically. When we were doing it, the references were Bring Me the Horizon and that sort of metalcore, really atmospheric and big sound. To see where Pete is now, he is smashing it and that is all him.
“The UK Tournament in Blackpool was really cool because I felt like that was an awesome moment in British wrestling. It was like a victory lap for all the work up to that point.”
It isn’t the only time Matt’s music has been featured on a major NXT UK show. ’Brick by Brick’ by Junior, his band along with Andrews and Si Martin, was chosen as the official theme song for TakeOver: Cardiff in 2019.
“That was a cool full-circle moment,” he continued. “Mark had been using Junior as his entrance music for the longest time.
“He was using ‘A House That’s Not Quite Home’ in TNA and then when he went over to WWE, he used ‘Fall to Pieces’ which was a natural progression musically and also for Mark as a wrestler.
“The NXT Takeover theme was surreal because it was a new audience. Up to then, we had the kind of hardcore, die-hard fans who knew Junior through Mark’s wrestling. It opened up a new door to a new subset of fans, which was awesome because they’ve been really supportive to us.
Hello. We’re writing new music. pic.twitter.com/wpjvp3SI9f
— Junior (@musicofjunior) September 30, 2023
“Around that time, we got to play Download as well. I will always be grateful for moments like that, and it never gets old!”
Despite working with a wide range of wrestlers around the globe, the versatile songwriter is always keen to make sure his themes have a personal touch.
“At the core of it, a track should make you feel something,” he said. “It should be a visceral reaction, especially for the fans when you come out of the curtain.
“Before we even start making the track, we chat about their character and the themes they have used up to that point. Getting a background is super important, but I try not to go too deep into that wrestler’s back catalogue because it can sometimes cloud judgement.
“Then, I’ll take all of that information and start hashing out ideas. The wrestlers know when it clicks and they can picture themselves in it.
“It’s important to throw a few ideas at the wall and just see what lands. It’s like the Stone Cold glass break – it’s an instant pairing with that character.
“I think having lots of discussions at the beginning is the biggest part. The music is almost like the easy part. Finding that direction is sometimes difficult but also the most rewarding part.”
Matt has already accomplished so much in the wrestling industry and is excited to see what lies ahead.
“At the beginning, I set myself goals to hit. It gives you motivation and a story to work through, and that is really cool,” he continued.
“I feel really good right now, and the best part is just getting to meet new wrestlers and keep making music.
“With Junior and in wrestling, there is no prejudice in terms of genre. You know it is going to be different every single day, and I feel very lucky because a lot of people in music don’t get that opportunity.
“My goal for the future is to just carry on in this trajectory really – to never compromise musically and keep making it as interesting as possible.
“And I want to just enjoy it, that’s what music is about. It’s so hard to make a living in music these days and I’m incredibly grateful that I get to.”
