Take Five with The Alternate Side: Matthew E. White

The hirsute composer, arranger and songwriter Matthew E. White, who opens for The Mountain Goats on that band's North American autumn tour, self-released his low-key solo debut, Big Inner, this summer.

The soulful White, who counts Randy Newman as a major influence, thought himself more of an arranger than a vocalist for years until he recorded Big Inner. Smartly assessing the mercurial state of the music industry, he started his own label, Space Bomb, and recruited many of his musician friends from the Richmond, Virginia area as his own house band.

The Mountain Goats' four shows in New York — October 13-14 at Music Hall of Williamsburg and October 15-16 at Bowery Ballroom — are sold out, but White also plays, sans The Mountain Goats, at Club Helsinki in Hudson, New York on October 12 and at Union Pool during the CMJ Music Festival on October 17.

White and his bandmates recently visited Studio A for a fascinating, insightful interview and session, hosted by Alisa Ali. Listen to it today at 11 a.m. on 91.5 WNYE or online, and check out interview highlights and more in-studio video at The Alternate Side.