Sudden, sticky, and kind of irresistible. That’s the vibe with “Leave It In The Dust“, the new track from Matt Sterling, and the first single off his upcoming debut album “SUN SHADE“. It’s a track that loops in your brain with the persistence of a memory you swore you’d moved past. And somehow, it makes that sound like summer.
“Leave It In The Dust” kicks off like it’s already mid-sprint. Guitars buzz with heat distortion, and the vocals feel like they’re coming at you through a wind tunnel—half shout, half melody. There’s frustration here, and it’s delicious. Then suddenly, it opens up: those aggressive textures melt into something a bit sweeter, a bit more yearning. It’s like getting caught in the rain after sweating through the sun. The shift is seamless, but the emotion changes completely. There’s still tension, but it’s softened by that low-key romantic plea to finally be free from looping thoughts. It plays like a tug-of-war between letting go and holding on—one minute thrashing, the next, floating.
As a producer, Matt Sterling clearly has a knack for layering sounds without crowding the mix. The track feels tight, but not claustrophobic. Hypnotic, but not repetitive. It’s got that woozy, genre-blending groove you’d expect from someone who grew up with Frank Ocean on the aux and Hendrix on the guitar wall. Bedroom Pop energy, Indie-RnB edge, Hip-Hop swagger—it’s all stitched together in a way that feels completely his own. And with “Leave It In The Dust“, he’s not just showing off production chops, he’s laying down emotional stakes.
About Matt Sterling:
Born in the western burbs of Chicago, Sterling is very much a one-man operation—producing, writing, performing, and mixing not just for himself but for artists near and far. That DIY ethic seeps into everything he puts out, but especially here. This track feels handcrafted, not just in how it sounds, but in how it feels: urgent, personal, and stubbornly stuck in your head after just one listen. With “SUN SHADE” on the horizon, Matt Sterling is carving out a space of his own—somewhere between the late-night drive and the sun-soaked daze of the day after.
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