You know that feeling when the workday is finally over, and you just need to turn the world off? That’s exactly what Matt Simons was talking about. Honestly, it’s wild how a song written in a Brooklyn bedroom ended up soundtracking half of Europe's sunsets. Matt Simons Catch and Release isn't just a catchy tune; it’s basically a three-minute therapy session.
Most people know the upbeat remix. You’ve heard it at the beach or in a cafe. But the story behind how it became a global phenomenon—and what it actually means—is way more interesting than just a "hit song."
The Accidental Empire of Matt Simons
Matt Simons is a guy from Palo Alto who ended up becoming a superstar in the Netherlands mostly by accident. He spent his life studying jazz saxophone. Then, he ran a Facebook ad for his independent album Pieces. That’s it. One ad.
A music supervisor for the Dutch soap opera Goede Tijden, Slechte Tijden saw it, loved the track "With You," and suddenly Matt was a household name in Holland. But that was just the warm-up.
When he wrote Matt Simons Catch and Release, he was living in Brooklyn, feeling the "grind." It’s that universal struggle. We all have it. You wake up, you work, you stress, you go home.
He described the song as being about the "necessary" place we go to find ourselves again. For some, it’s a run. For others, it’s a stiff drink. For Matt, it was the music.
The Lyrics: It’s Not Just About Fishing
People see the title and think of a lake. It’s a metaphor, obviously.
The lyrics talk about a "place I go to where no one knows me." It’s not a physical location on a map. It’s a mental state. Simons sings about "catching and releasing what builds up throughout the day."
Think about all the tiny annoyances. The emails. The traffic. The guy who cut you off. You catch those frustrations, and if you don’t release them, they "flow right through your blood." It’s a surprisingly deep take for a pop song.
- The "Place": A mental sanctuary.
- The "Catch": The accumulation of daily stress.
- The "Release": The catharsis of letting it go.
Why the Deepend Remix Changed Everything
Let's be real: the original version of Matt Simons Catch and Release is a beautiful, stripped-back acoustic track. It’s soulful. It’s quiet.
But then came Bob and Falco.
They are the Dutch duo known as Deepend. They took Matt’s introspective lyrics and layered them over a deep house beat that felt like a warm breeze. It shouldn't have worked as well as it did. Usually, when you take a "sad" or "deep" song and turn it into a dance track, it loses its soul.
Not this time.
The remix hit #1 in Spain, Germany, Belgium, and France. It stayed on the charts for ages. The dance community was apparently hungry for something that had a bit more meat on its bones than "put your hands up."
Success by the Numbers
If you look at the stats, they're staggering. We're talking hundreds of millions of streams.
Simons once mentioned in an interview that he found it incredibly moving that his music was being used for both weddings and funerals. He called it the "ultimate compliment." His songs weren't just background noise; they were landmarks in people's lives.
- #1 Hits: Reached the top spot in at least seven countries.
- Certification: Went Platinum in Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
- Spotify: The Deepend remix alone has over 230 million streams.
The Jazz Foundation
You can hear the jazz background if you listen closely. Matt didn't just stumble into songwriting; he has a degree in Jazz Saxophone Performance from the Purchase College Conservatory.
That training gave him a different "ear" for melody. While other pop stars were following a strict formula, Matt was playing with rhythms and patterns that felt more organic. He credits his opera-singing grandparents and his Beatles-loving dad for that foundation.
Even when he’s singing over a tropical house beat, he still sounds like a guy who knows his way around a complex chord progression.
How to Apply "Catch and Release" to Your Life
This isn't just a music history lesson. The song actually offers some pretty solid advice for 2026.
Honestly, we’re all more stressed than ever. The "grind" Matt wrote about in 2014 has only gotten faster.
Find Your "Necessary Thing"
The song calls the place he goes a "necessary thing." It’s not a luxury. It’s survival. If you don’t have a ritual to dump your daily baggage, it starts to eat at you.
Maybe your "catch and release" is:
- Movement: Going for a walk without your phone.
- Creation: Drawing, writing, or even cooking something from scratch.
- Silence: Just sitting for ten minutes before the kids wake up or after the shift ends.
Whatever it is, do it. Don't feel guilty about it.
Secrets and Love
There’s a line in the song: "We can tell each other secrets and remember how to love."
When we're holding onto all the junk from our day, we're not great partners or friends. We’re reactive. We’re short-tempered. By releasing the stress, we actually make room for the people we care about.
It’s about clearing the pipes.
Moving Forward
Matt Simons is still out there making music. He moved back to California during the pandemic, relocated to Los Angeles, and continues to release albums like Identity Crisis.
But Matt Simons Catch and Release remains his calling card. It’s the song that proved you could make a hit that was both a bop and a meditation.
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Next time you hear that familiar guitar pluck and the deep house bass kicks in, don't just nod your head. Actually take a second.
Catch the stress. Then let it go.
If you want to dive deeper into Matt's world, check out his After the Landslide album. It carries that same DNA of soulful songwriting mixed with modern production. You can also follow his journey on his official YouTube channel where he often shares acoustic "living room" versions of his hits. These raw versions really show off the jazz training that makes his pop music stand out in a crowded field.