Matthew Healy
Matthew Healy was made a patron of Humanists UK for his exploration of the human condition through the arts.
Singer and guitarist
"...the one responsibility I believe that I have... is to stand up against ideas that promote inequality... The empowerment of women maps directly onto the growth of secularism and the reduction of power of religion. And that's what I'm about."
Matthew Timothy Healy, born in 1989 in Hendon, London, is a songwriter, producer, director best known as the lead singer of art pop band The 1975.
Hailing from Manchester, UK, The 1975 managed to combine the dark and youthful themes of sex, love, and fear with ethereal alt-rock music. The four-piece met at school in 2002, although lead singer and guitarist Matt Healy was born in London and drummer George Daniel was born across the North Sea in Brussels. The rest of the line-up comprised Adam Hann on guitar and bassist Ross Macdonald.
The first incarnation of the band covered punk songs at gigs arranged for under-age youths - which would quickly descend into chaos. Influenced by a range of styles from Michael Jackson and Mowtown to the soundscapes of Brian Eno, Boards of Canada and Sigur Ros, The 1975 soon began to apply their pop-influenced hooks and guitar melodies to their lush ambient backdrops. Their critically divisive debut album went to No.1 in the UK charts and has since gone platinum. The 1975 have an enormous international fan base spreading from the USA to Japan and have been touring the world for the past 2 years.
Matt talks about the responsibilities that come with fame:
"...the one responsibility I believe that I have, to rationalise this insane influx of attention I have acquired from teenage girls, is to stand up against ideas that promote inequality and to make a point of promoting ideas that galvanise a dialogue amongst young women about how important they are. It’s all about the importance of secularism for female empowerment. Teenage girls are the vanguard of secularism and ultimately against extremism. If I can help plant the seeds of women's rights, secularism, free conscience now, I can hopefully help to empower them mentally and make them know how to deal with things. I'm in a good position because they're so enamoured with my band that they actually listen. You can see the conversations happening and it's positive. The empowerment of women maps directly onto the growth of secularism and the reduction of power of religion. And that's what I'm about."
More about Matt Healy
A revealing 2013 interview in The Guardian
His Wikipedia entry